A dark fantasy board game for 3–4 players

Creatures of ShadowMurk

Power isn’t given. It’s taken through fear.

Character lineup of the four monsters: the Headless Horseman on a skeletal horse, the jackal-masked Pharaoh with a golden staff, the spiked Zombie Knight, and the Vampire Lord in a feathered black cloak.
Illustrations by John Gallego
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Planned release: end of 2027

The Curse of the Island

Shipwrecked voyagers built a thriving village on a mysterious island, until four friends ventured into a mist-shrouded mountain and met an ancient witch.

Her gifts, four elemental gems of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, twisted the friends into monsters. Now they turn their fury on the village, and on each other.

In Creatures of ShadowMurk, each player is cursed at random and becomes one of four monsters. Monsters feed on fear. Grow your dark domain, outwit your rivals and be the first to bring terror to the village.

  • Green Earth gem wrapped in thorny vinesEarth
  • Deep blue Water gem amid swirling wavesWater
  • Pale white Air gem in drifting mistAir
  • Glowing red Fire gemFire

Meet the Four Monsters

Every monster levels up as its domain grows, unlocking stronger unique abilities and its own deck of monster-only special cards.

The Vampire Lord, pale and dark-haired, wrapped in a huge black feathered cloak over crimson robes

The Vampire Lord

Master of crows and shadows. His cards call on crow swarms, gargoyles, storms and even time itself.

The Zombie Knight in spiked, rotting armour with tattered red cloth, holding a jagged bone blade

The Zombie Knight

A rotting warrior in spiked armour who refuses to stay dead. More of his secrets will be revealed soon.

The Headless Horseman holding a scythe, riding a skeletal horse draped in chains

The Headless Horseman

A scythe-wielding rider on a chained, skeletal steed. More of his secrets will be revealed soon.

The Pharaoh in a jackal mask and black and gold robes, holding a golden staff topped with a blue gem

The Pharaoh

A deathless ruler of sand and scarabs. Her cards draw on cursed canopic jars, scarab swarms and the Staff of the Nile.

How It Plays

  1. Gather

    Roll the resource dice to collect metal, wood, stone and cloth, then trade with your rivals.

  2. Build

    Spend resources to build equipment and items in your domain, and to play equipment and special cards that raise your monster's fear points or unlock special abilities. Grow your dark domain through four stages, levelling up your monster as you go.

  3. Battle

    Clash with rival monsters using ability and spell cards. Winners earn gems and can smash the loser's equipment, but a home-turf advantage gives underdogs a fighting chance.

  4. Terrorize

    The first monster to finish all four stages may attack the village. Outscore the villagers' defense in fear points to win, while your rivals try to drag you down.

  • Metal resource: iron ingots on a forge tableMetal
  • Wood resource: a stack of cut logs in a forestWood
  • Stone resource: rough boulders in a quarryStone
  • Cloth resource: folded bolts of fabricCloth

Game Facts

Players
3–4
Play Time
90–120 min
Ages
14+
Release
End of 2027

Designed by Phillippe Morel · Illustrations by John Gallego · Self-published

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