There were 3 — Wolpertinger Promo Card
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One card, a Bavarian cryptid, three free attributes. The Wolpertinger enters history and changes everything you thought you knew about characters.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
The card you won't find in the base box
Distributed at Spiel Essen 2025, this promotional card brings one of the most bizarre creatures of German folklore to Once Upon a Time 3rd Edition: the Wolpertinger. A legendary hybrid made of parts of different animals — deer antlers, bird wings, hare legs — depicted by artist Jan Bintakies with his distinctive style.
The mechanic is simple yet powerful: during Chapter II, all other players choose an attribute they like for themselves. In Chapter III, the player who played this card can do the same. Absolute narrative freedom, strategic flexibility, even more unpredictable stories.
What they say abroad
A promo card that lets you tell the story however you want.
— FroGames
Once Upon a Time 3rd Edition — Wolpertinger promo card
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat it contains
One card, two chapters
Wolpertinger
The hybrid creature of Bavarian folklore: antlers, wings, paws. A cryptid that shouldn't exist, but it does in your story.
Chapter II Effect
All other players choose a free attribute. You don't, but you'll see: your moment will come.
Chapter III Effect
Now it's your turn. Choose any attribute. The one the story needs, the one you were missing, the one that turns everything around.
Illustration by Jan Bintakies
The same artist as Once Upon a Time 3rd Edition. Consistent style, identical quality to the base box.
A card that won't change the game, but will change that particular game. And then you'll always want it in your deck.
A game in five moments
What changes with the Wolpertinger
Not the rules. The experience.
You draw the Wolpertinger
There's a creature no one knows in your deck. Someone asks what it is. You smile. German folklore is about to enter the fairytale.
Chapter II: others choose
The effect triggers. Everyone around the table can take any attribute they want. Not you. For now. But you're already thinking about what you'll choose later.
You see what's missing
The others have taken strong attributes. You observe the story being built and understand which piece you need. The one that no one has considered.
Chapter III: you choose
Now it's your moment. Free attribute. Choose the one that turns the narrative around. Or the one that saves you. Or the one that makes everyone laugh. It's yours.
End of game
The story ends. Someone wins. But everyone remembers the Wolpertinger. That strange card that made a difference.
How to play
How it integrates into the base game
The Wolpertinger does not change the flow of Once Upon a Time. It adds as an extra character to the deck.
Shuffle the Wolpertinger card with the other Once Upon a Time characters. No special rules, no additional setup.
When you reach Chapter II, the card's effect triggers: all other players choose a free attribute. You, who have the Wolpertinger, wait.
In Chapter III, you can choose any attribute. You don't draw, you don't roll dice: you choose. What you need, what the story was missing.
The game proceeds as usual. The Wolpertinger has done its job: it has given you narrative and tactical flexibility at the right time.
Why it's different from the others
Three reasons why this card matters
Free attributes, not random
In Once Upon a Time, you usually draw attributes. With the Wolpertinger, you choose. In Chapter II you give freedom to others, in Chapter III you take yours. It's a mechanic that rewards planning and reading the table.
A German cryptid in fairy tales
The Wolpertinger is a creature from Bavarian folklore: an impossible hybrid made of parts of different animals. Jan Bintakies brings it into Once Upon a Time with the same style as the base cards. It's bizarre, it's perfect.
Balance: you wait to get more
You don't choose immediately. In Chapter II you wait while others help themselves. But in Chapter III, when the story is already advanced, you have the most informed choice. It's an elegant narrative trade-off.
Essen 2025 Promo
Distributed at Spiel Essen 2025, this card will not be in the base box. It's a collector's item for those who often play Once Upon a Time and want to vary the character pool.
Immediate integration
No need to read new rules. You shuffle the card into the deck, read the effect when it comes out, play. Zero added complexity, maximum yield.
Same artist, same quality
Jan Bintakies also illustrated Once Upon a Time. The Wolpertinger integrates perfectly into the game's look & feel. It doesn't look like an external promo, it looks like a card that should have been there from the start.
How it works
When and how you use the Wolpertinger
The card does not change the victory conditions of Once Upon a Time. It changes your options during the game.
Card advantages
- In Chapter II, other players choose free attributes (you wait)
- In Chapter III, you choose a free attribute: the one you need to win or close the narrative
- Narrative flexibility: you can build a coherent story instead of adapting to chance
Card limitations
- In Chapter II you don't choose: others have the immediate advantage
- You have to wait until Chapter III to have your choice
- It doesn't overturn a losing game, but it can give you the tactical option you were missing
A promo that doesn't revolutionize Once Upon a Time, but makes it more flexible, more narrative, more yours. And that Bavarian Wolpertinger is too good not to have in your deck.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on Once Upon a Time — Wolpertinger promo card
Can I play this card without Once Upon a Time?
No. This is a promotional card for Once Upon a Time (the base game published by AMIGO / Ghenos Games). You need the complete game to use it. It is not a standalone game.
Is the card balanced or is it stronger than the others?
It is balanced. In Chapter II you wait while others choose. In Chapter III you choose, but the game is already advanced and you have less room to maneuver. It's a trade-off: late information versus immediate advantage.
How many copies are needed to play with 6?
Only one card. The Wolpertinger is added to the character deck: whoever draws it plays it. If you often play with 6 and want more promos in the pool, you need to buy more copies, but one is enough to work.
Where was the card originally distributed?
At Spiel Essen 2025, Europe's largest board game fair. It's an official AMIGO promo, not a fan-made. Ghenos Games distributes it for the Italian market.
Is the card in Italian?
Yes, this edition distributed by Ghenos Games is in Italian. The text is translated, Jan Bintakies' illustration is the same as the original German version.
The Wolpertinger promo card is an expansion for Once Upon a Time (3 Chapters), the narrative game by Joe Hout published by AMIGO and Ghenos Games. Distributed at Spiel Essen 2025, this card introduces the Wolpertinger, a creature from German folklore, with a tactical effect: in Chapter II others choose free attributes, in Chapter III you choose. For 2-6 players, ages 10+, duration 30 minutes. Illustrated by Jan Bintakies, it integrates perfectly into the base game without adding complexity. Available on FroGames.it.
There were 3 — Wolpertinger Promo Card
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