Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
When Darkness Comes is a tile-based board game that combines roleplaying with boardgaming. The first core set, called The Awakening, deals with the undead (zombies, mummies, vampires, etc).
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Role Playing
Make decisions or communicate from the perspective of an assigned character.
Modular Board
Build the play area from interchangeable sections that vary between games.
Tile Placement
Place tiles to build a shared or personal spatial arrangement.
Roll-and-Move
Roll dice or spin a dial to determine how far a piece moves.
Read the full game description
When Darkness Comes is a tile-based board game that combines roleplaying with boardgaming. The first core set, called The Awakening, deals with the undead (zombies, mummies, vampires, etc). The objective of the game will depend on the scenario. Some may include finding and defeating a big bad guy, finding a certain object, defusing a bomb, etc. The characters (pre-generated or created) have 7 attributes with specialized skills. That will determine the amount of dice rolled for a skill check. The mechanic for skill checks is a poker variation instead of using straight high roll. Players try to get 6 high, one pair, 3 straight, 3 of a kind, 4 straight, etc. Expansions When Darkness Comes: The Horror Within (2002) When Darkness Comes: Hell Unleashed (2002) When Darkness Comes: The Darkness Before the Dawn (2003) When Darkness Comes: The Most Dangerous Game (2003) When Darkness Comes: This Is Not Happening (2004) When Darkness Comes: The Nameless Mist (2005)