Chain Mail: Smoke and Mirrors – Adventure Kit

Button Shy · Board game · 2019
1–4 Solo 45 min
rating Ludopedia
7.8 rating BGG
Buy
rating Ludopedia
7.8 rating BGG
Our Verdict

Perfect for those who love minimalist RPGs and want to expand their Earthshine adventures with new challenges.

Highlights
  • Fast and agile setup
  • Interesting new monsters
  • Classic Dungeon Crawler vibe
  • Great for solo play
Keep in mind
  • Requires the base game
  • Some text needs translation
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About the game
Get your sword ready and steady your nerves, because 'Smoke and Mirrors' isn't playing around! This adventure kit expands the Chain Mail: Adventures of Earthshine universe, dropping you straight into the Underking's Domain. The mission is clear but perilous: a colossal dragon lurks in the shadows, and you must hunt it down. However, there's a catch: charging in with brute force alone is practically a suicide mission. To survive and emerge victorious, you'll need to explore the map, uncover secrets, and locate a mystical relic capable of bringing the beast down.

The kit brings fresh content to boost your campaign, including the character Runa (a Brute who doesn't back down from a fight), new monsters like the Feast Worm and the Changeling, and the powerful Lightning Wand, which could be the difference between glory and death. As is typical for the Chain Mail line, the experience focuses on tactical exploration and dice-based combat, where every step on the modular board could reveal an unexpected danger or an essential item.

If you love the vibe of Dungeon Crawlers but don't want to set up hundreds of miniatures or read 100-page manuals, this kit is perfect. It delivers the essence of RPGs — exploration, combat, and progression — in a compact and agile format. It's the kind of expansion that adds layers of challenge without overcomplicating things for the player, keeping the tension high as you search for the dragon's lair. Will you find the relic in time, or will you end up as dragon snacks?
BEST PLAYER COUNT
1 OK
2 OK
3 OK
4 OK
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Game details

Families

Game: Chain Mail – Adventures of Earthshine Setting: Earthshine (Button Shy)
Publisher Button Shy
Designer Jason Greeno, Jason Tagmire
Artist Marty Cobb
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the base game to play?
Yes! This is an Adventure Kit, so you'll need Chain Mail: Adventures of Earthshine to play.
Can I play it solo?
Absolutely! The game supports 1 to 4 players, making it an excellent choice for solo adventurers.
How long does a game take?
Sessions typically last around 45 minutes, keeping the pace very dynamic.
Is the game complex?
Not really; it maintains the Button Shy simplicity, focusing more on the adventure experience than on dense rulebooks.
What's included in the kit?
You get the Smoke and Mirrors quest, the character Runa, the Underking's Domain map, new monsters, and the Lightning Wand item.
Is the language a barrier?
Since the language dependency is moderate, you might need a translation sheet to fully enjoy the narrative.