Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble adds solo and co-op play to Disney Lorcana

When Disney Lorcana It was released in July 2023 and was strictly a competitive trading card game. As with any game, there is an elegant way to play with newbies or the kids at the local game store. But the thirst for knowledge (the game’s version of victory points) is real, and few can stand in the way of a parched enlightened one. Now Verlag Ravensburger is expanding the format. His new standalone game, Illuminaneer’s Quest: Deep Problemwill be released soon and Polygon takes a first look inside the box. Get ready for cooperative and single-player game modes – both using the cards and decks you may already own.

In Illuminaneer’s Quest: Deep Trouble, Players face off against Ursula, the villain with tentacles The little mermaid. The subtitle of her oversized card in the game box is “Ruler of Lorcana,” a title she gained by adulterating copies of well-known characters from the Disney back catalog – creatures called Glimmer. It’s a conquest that took place over the course of the first three Disney Lorcana card sets, including The first chapter, Rise of the FloodbornAnd Into the Inklands. Even more details will be revealed on May 17th when the next Disney Lorcana card set hits the mass market. Ursula’s return.

To Lorcana’s rescue, four Disney characters are streaming at the head of two new 60-card pre-built decks. Mickey Mouse and his mentor, the magician Yen Sid, are on site. They are supported by a number of buffs that could defeat Ursula with just a bunch of brooms. They are supported by Mulan, elite archer, and Piglet, Pooh pirate captain, each with particularly good offensive skills. Players can attack Ursula alone with one deck or another, or compete against her with up to three other players. You can even bring your own deck.

Ursula, for her part, is surprisingly powerful. Your unique card game, automated by a short list of easy-to-understand rules, deals great damage and gathers tons of knowledge. But the players have a serious advantage: everyone moves forward at the same time and performs actions in any order. Better yet, all effects of your cards apply equally to all players at the table. This means your friend can use his Glimmer’s support ability to make your attacks more powerful, while a player’s powerful buffs, which last until the end of the round, can be applied equally to everyone at the table.

“When Steve Warner and I started working on the idea Illuminator’s Quest: Great difficulties“We only had a few concepts that we knew we wanted to include,” senior brand manager and co-designer Ryan Miller said in an email. “As we considered what players’ turns would be, it quickly became clear that the fact that each player had their own turn caused the pace of the game to slow down too much. I think it was Steve who suggested the simultaneous turnaround, and once we tried it that way, we never looked back. It just flowed so well and had the added benefit of combining naturally with abilities like support, adding to the cooperative nature of the game.”

An additional advantage is that these simultaneous spins are possible Illuminaneer’s Quest: Deep Problem A great way to teach new players the core concepts of the game.

“Because it’s collaborative,” Miller said, “there’s a lot more permission […] Asking questions about card abilities and interactions without feeling like you’re giving away your strategy to an opponent.”

And what about the very youngest players who may not even be able to read? Well, it turns out there’s a spot for her at the table too.

“One of my favorite moments in testing was when a family was playing and one of the kids was too young to actually play,” Miller said. “So they had her ‘play’ as Ursula and turned over the cards from her deck every round. The little girl had a lot of fun because every time it was her turn, she giggled with joy as she laid out the cards, and her brothers and parents groaned at the many new challenges they had to overcome.”

The game features four different difficulty levels, each represented by a side of a different pair of oversized cards. Miller said this is a great way to quickly try out new decks, as Ursula is quite overpowered at the highest setting.

The game also comes with a special golden envelope containing a unique, extremely rare card. Yes, I opened it and no, I can’t tell you what’s inside. But I can say it’s not what I expected. While it’s a strong card, it packs just as much narrative weight as it does mechanical punch.

“We have an absolutely fantastic team of story people who have been working hard for years to put together the story behind the Lorcana Empire, as well as the ongoing story behind each set and how they all tie together,” said Miller. “It’s a diverse team of writers, concept artists and art directors who bring the story together with stories and images that set the stage for the game designers and artists to come in and create some wonderful maps.”

Illuminaneer’s Quest: Deep Problem will be available at hobby retailers on May 17th and at mass retailers on May 31st.