Tug of Roar
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You bet on a captain. Your opponent bets on the same one. The region is contested, the Roar Track shifts, your cards cost more. Now you have to choose: persist or give way.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
A generational feud that the table decides tonight
Filippo Landini (author of Calico and Cascadia) pens an asymmetric duel between two fantasy clans, Elkyr and Lycarans, vying for the throne of Eldris. Robert Brown's illustrations clothe a confrontation that has spanned generations but finds its conclusion tonight at your table. Inside Up Games publishes a card game that mixes auctions, area control, and a psychological pressure system embodied in the Roar Track.
Each turn you deploy captains to bid on powerful recruits, then deploy your troops to contested regions trying to plant more of your banners than your opponent's. But there's the Roar: when you take control of a region, the track moves towards you, intimidating your rival and making their cards more expensive. Each class of recruits has unique abilities to combine. The winner is the one who raises more of their clan's flags before the other finds a way to turn the momentum around.
What they say abroad
"The roar of battle echoes across Eldris."
— Inside Up Games
Newly released game, little data available. This card is a first reading based on official materials and international previews. We will update it after playing.
— FroGames
Tug of Roar
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first reading: based on rulebook and official presentation, updated with first playsThe tools of conflict
What you control during the game
Captains
You deploy them to bid on recruits. Each captain has an auction value and abilities that change how you take control of regions. Wasting them early means losing leverage later.
Recruits
Units with class abilities (warriors, mages, scouts). You win them through auction and deploy them to contested regions. Each class combines with others: finding them at the right time changes the game.
Regions
Areas of the battlefield where you deploy your troops. Controlling one means planting your clan's banners, but also shifting the Roar Track and putting pressure on your opponent.
Roar Track
The intimidation track. The more you're ahead, the more you shift the Roar towards you. The effect: your opponent's cards cost more, yours less. A positive feedback system that accelerates the ending.
🎯 COME SI GIOCA
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Each turn is a cycle of auction, deployment, resolution. Fast, direct, always against the opponent.
You both secretly choose which captains to use to bid on available recruits. Each captain has different value and abilities: wasting a strong one early can cost you the late game.
Reveal captains. The highest bidder wins the corresponding recruit. In case of a tie, the Roar Track decides: the more intimidated player loses the tie-break.
Use the recruits you won (and those in hand) to deploy troops to contested regions. Each class has unique abilities: combine them to gain control and plant your banners.
Whoever has taken control of more regions moves the Roar towards themselves. The effect: their cards will cost less next turn, the opponent's more. The advantage self-perpetuates until the turnaround.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Early turns, cautious bids
Deploy weaker captains to test the waters. Initial recruits are generic, but the first control of a region moves the Roar. Whoever gains an early advantage starts to cost less than the other: the game really begins there.
The Roar shifts, costs change
You've won a region and the Roar Track is in your favor. Your cards now cost less, the opponent's more. The opponent must decide: persist by paying the premium or leave the field open and wait for the counterattack.
Mid-game, class combinations
You start drawing recruits with synergistic class abilities: warriors boosting scouts, mages overturning control. You must evaluate whether to spend strong captains now or save them for the last round. The opponent is making the same evaluation.
The turnaround (or consolidation)
Whoever is behind makes an all-in bid on a key recruit to reverse the Roar. If it works, the pressure reverses. If it fails, the other's advantage becomes insurmountable. This is the moment you'll remember.
Count banners
End of game. Count the flags planted in each region. The Roar Track has done its job: whoever dominated the momentum has more banners, but sometimes a last-turn combo turns everything around. Someone immediately asks for a rematch.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three things to consider
Balance to be verified
Newly released game, little BGG data. The Roar Track seems like a strong idea but we don't know if the positive feedback is too violent after 10+ games. Early reviews will tell if the clans are truly balanced or if one dominates the meta.
Runaway leader possible
The intimidation-cost system is designed to accelerate the game, but it risks making the player who gains an early advantage unstoppable. If the trailing player doesn't have strong comeback tools, games might end halfway through.
Unknown longevity
Two clans, limited recruit pool. After 20 games, you might have exhausted the tactical surprises. Everything depends on the depth of class combos, but without official expansions or variants, the meta could stabilize quickly.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the end rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Victory by territorial control. Whoever plants more of their clan's banners rules Eldris.
Victory
- You have more of your clan's banners planted in regions than your opponent at the end of the game
- You dominated the Roar Track long enough to make the opponent's costs unsustainable
- You combined the class abilities of recruits to reverse control in the final turns
Defeat
- The opponent controls more regions and has more total banners
- You lost too many key auctions and don't have strong recruits for the endgame
- The Roar Track moved too far against you: every card costs double and you can't recover
A duel where psychological pressure is a tactical resource and every auction can shift the balance. Landini promises elegance in 45 minutes of pure tension.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on Tug of Roar
How asymmetrical is it? Do the two clans really play differently?
From the official materials, Elkyr and Lycarans have different captains and faction abilities. We don't yet know how deep the asymmetry is: if it's just flavor or if it radically changes the strategy. Early games will clarify this.
Does the Roar Track make games too unbalanced?
It's a risk. The system is designed to accelerate the endgame, but if the early leader becomes unstoppable, the experience suffers. Inside Up Games states that there are comeback mechanisms, but without actual games, we cannot confirm.
How long does it really last? 20 or 45 minutes?
BGG indicates a range of 20-45 minutes. Probably 20 minutes for quick games between experts, 45 minutes for first games or when both players know the combos well and are studying each other. The Roar Track should prevent long stalemates.
What mechanics does Tug of Roar use?
Auction/Bidding for recruiting units, Area Majority/Influence for region control, Hand Management for optimizing plays, Secret Unit Deployment for hidden deployment, Card Play Conflict Resolution for resolving conflicts. A rare mix for a pure duel.
Is it available in Italian?
No. The edition sold on FroGames is in English. The cards have text (recruit and captain abilities), so knowledge of English is necessary. There are currently no verifiable official or fan-made Italian translations.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Tug of Roar is a competitive card game for 2 players designed by Filippo Landini and published by Inside Up Games in 2026. Duration 20-45 minutes, recommended age 14+. It combines asymmetrical auction mechanics, area control, and hand management in a fantasy duel between the Elkyr and Lycarans clans. The Roar Track system introduces tactical psychological pressure: whoever dominates intimidates the opponent and reduces the costs of their cards. A lane battler with unique class abilities and positive feedback that speeds up the endgame. Available on FroGames.it.
Tug of Roar
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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