# Witchcraft ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2004 - **BGG Rating**: — - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 - **Duration**: 15 min - **Weight**: — - **Designers**: Liesbeth Bos - **Publishers**: Wonderworld - **Categories**: Children's Game, Fantasy, Memory - **Mechanics**: Memory, Set Collection ## Verdict Perfect for those who enjoy solo challenges with a dark fantasy theme and risk-reward mechanics. The final trial system adds a fantastic dramatic touch.Very strategic coven buildingHigh replayability with many combinationsImmersive and tense gothic atmosphereBattles against iconic monstersHigh dependency on text translationInitial solo learning curveFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Imagine a world where magic is real, but society views it with fear and suspicion. In Witchcraft!, you lead a coven of witches in a desperate struggle to save the village of Wildegrens from dark forces. While villagers lock their doors and whisper about pacts with the devil, you and your sisters face terrifying monsters in the shadows to prove that magic might be the town's only salvation. The game is a fast-paced, intense solo card-driven experience. The core of the gameplay lies in building your coven: you select witches from different family lineages, and the more members of the same family you recruit, the more powerful that group becomes. Each family has its own specialty, whether it's revealing hidden challenges, boosting your attack power, or trying to convince the town jurors that you are actually the hero of the story. The challenge is constant. You must decide the exact moment to cast your spells to defeat iconic villains—such as Baba Yaga or the Headless Horseman—but be careful: using too much magic can expose you to the villagers' eyes, leading to your arrest for witchcraft. The game offers incredible replayability, with 56 possible combinations of jurors, missions, and monsters. The tension doesn't end with the defeat of the monsters. After the missions, you will face a trial. Three jurors will decide your fate based on the conviction you built during the game. Did you manage to prove that magic is beneficial, or will you be condemned while evil consumes the village? If you lose five villagers or fail two missions, defeat is certain. It is a game of risk, hand management, and strategy, where every card played can be the difference between redemption and the stake. ## How to Play Game Objective The objective of Witchcraft! is to lead a coven of witches in defending Wildegrens against supernatural threats. Players must complete missions each round to earn persuasion over the village jurors. Victory occurs when all jurors are convinced that magic is a good force. If they fail two missions, lose villages, or exhaust the curse deck, the game ends in defeat. Setup To set up the game, follow these steps: Jurors: Pack 8 Juror cards and deal 3 face-up to the display. The rest stay in the box. Persuasion: Place a persuasion marker at position 1 on each juror's track on the display. Conviction: Pack 12 Conviction cards and deal 2 face-up to each juror on the display. The rest form a face-down deck. Missions: Separate the 9 Mission cards by Acts (I, II, III). Turn over the 3 from Act I (Unease) and place them on the display. The rest stay in a face-down deck. Challenges: Shuffle 15 Challenge cards (linked to jurors) with 20 common ones. Distribute to each Mission on the display a number of cards equal to its Challenge value. Villagers: Pack 8 Villager cards and leave them face-down. Witches: Choose 12 Witch cards (using the starter list if it's the first game). Shuffle them and set aside 12 for the Coven deck and 12 for the Recruit deck. Curse: Pack 3 Curse cards into the Coven deck and leave 3 face-up. Game Flow The game is divided into rounds, each with 6 phases. The phases must be executed in order: Play Witches: Play Witch cards from your hand. Choose Mission: Select a Mission from the display and resolve its effects. Play Remaining Witches: Play the remaining cards from your hand. Resolve Mission: Calculate available power and overcome Challenges and the Mission. Go to Trial? Decide whether to continue or go to the trial. Recover: End the round, collect cards, and prepare the next one. The game ends if: you fail two missions, lose 5 villages, exhaust the Curse deck, or have no witches in hand after the Recover phase. Actions and How to Play Players can perform the following actions: Play Witches: Choose to reveal or hide the played witches. Revealed witches go to the Jail stack at the end of the round. Choose Mission: Select a Mission from the display. Resolve its effects and those of its Challenges. Manage Curse: Remove Curse from your hand to the Coven deck or gain new ones when instructed. Collect Resources: During Recover, draw new Coven cards and adjust the Mission display. The actions of each witch depend on its card. For example, Katherine Kent allows discarding Curse to draw new cards. The specific rules are in the manual. End of Game and Scoring The game ends in a trial if the player chooses to end or triggers a defeat condition. In the trial: Unveil all Conviction cards of each juror on the display. Compare the accumulated persuasion with the juror's total conviction. ## FAQ ### Is the game only for one player? Yes, Witchcraft! is focused on the solo experience, ideal for those who enjoy facing challenges alone. ### Is it hard to learn? The 'hidden/revealed' mechanic requires attention, but those familiar with other solo card games will adapt quickly. ### How long does a game take? It's a fast game, usually resolved in about 15 minutes. ### Do I need a translation to play? Yes, since there is a high dependency on text in cards and missions, translation is essential for the experience. ### What happens if I use too much magic? You risk being discovered by the villagers and arrested for witchcraft, which hinders your goal. ### What are the main objectives? Defeat the mission monsters and convince the jurors that your magic is for the greater good.