Cthulhu Realms
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After twenty-five minutes, someone starts to get nervous. After thirty, someone makes a desperate move. In the end, those who hold out until the very last sanity point usually smile more than the rest.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A deck-builder where madness is the most important currency
Designed by Darwin Kastle (creator of Star Realms) in 2015, Cthulhu Realms brings the compact formula of competitive deck-building to the Lovecraftian Myths. Published by Tasty Minstrel Games and distributed in Italy by Pendragon Games, the game brings essential deck-building mechanics into a fast-paced format where the Lovecraftian theme permeates every card.
You start with a small deck of cultists, goons, and followers. Each turn you acquire new cards from the shared market: dark locations, cosmic entities, cursed artifacts. You use them to erode opponents' sanity, protect your own, and build increasingly dangerous combo engines. Whoever remains sane when the deck runs out wins. Whoever falls to zero sanity is eliminated.
What they say abroad
A deck-builder that fits in your backpack and brings the tension of Star Realms to the world of Lovecraft.
— FroGames
Fast, mean, with combos that surprise you until the last draw.
— FroGames
Cthulhu Realms
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsThe forces at play
Cards that build your descent into madness
Cultists and Followers
Weak basic cards you use to generate summoning power. You remove them as soon as you can buy something better.
Dark Locations
They remain in play and provide recurring benefits each turn. The heart of combo engines.
Cosmic Entities
Powerful creatures that attack enemy sanity or protect your own. Played and discarded in the same turn.
Cursed Artifacts
One-shot cards that generate bursts of power or remove threats from play. Timing is crucial.
Recommended Sleeves 108 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with transparent sleeves to make them last a long time.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63 × 88 mm | 108 |
| Total cards | 108 |
In half an hour, you'll know who remained sane. Or at least who pretended best.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
First evocations
Everyone buys the first cards from the market. The choices are prudent: a cheap location, a card that generates more power. Nobody attacks yet, but everyone watches what others are taking.
The first damage
Someone plays the first combo: two locations activate together, generate enough power to buy a strong entity, and strike immediately. Health starts to drop. Those who were relaxed straighten their backs.
Escalation
Decks are refined. Weak cards start to be removed from the game. Those who have built well begin to have explosive turns: multiple purchases, chain damage, protections that make you curse. Someone's health plummets below 10 points.
The critical moment
Someone is eliminated. Or someone manages to recover from 3 health points with a perfect defensive combo. The table starts to calculate who can kill whom in the next turn. Discussions become more heated.
End of game
Either the deck runs out and whoever has the most health wins, or one player eliminates everyone else and remains alone. The last turn is always counted twice: nobody trusts the calculations of others. Then they talk about who had the killer combo in hand but didn't draw it.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Draw five cards, play them all, then buy and attack.
Draw five cards from your deck. Play them all in any order. Locations remain on the table, entities and artifacts go into the discard pile after use.
Use the powers of locations already in play. Each location activates once per turn, generating summoning power, damage, or protection.
Use the accumulated summoning power to buy cards from the central market. You put them in the discard pile, not in your hand: they will come into play in future turns.
Discard everything you have played (except locations). If your deck is empty, reshuffle the discard pile. The market fills with new cards.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make the difference
Shared market
The five available cards are the same for everyone. If you buy the one your opponent needs, you ruin their turn. Observing what others want is part of the strategy.
Direct elimination
If your health drops to zero, you're out. There's no recovery, no second chances. This makes every health point precious and the final turns desperate.
Permanent locations
Locations remain in play and activate every turn. Building an engine of two or three locations that work together generates devastating recurring combos.
Factions with synergies
Each card belongs to a Lovecraftian faction. Playing multiple cards of the same faction in the same turn unlocks additional bonuses. Specializing pays off, but exposes you to removals.
Card removal
Some cards allow you to permanently remove cards from the game: your own (to streamline your deck) or your opponents' (to destroy their engines). Choosing what to remove is always difficult.
Fast games
25-45 minutes for a complete game. The pace is frantic, decks are built quickly, escalation is immediate. It ends before anyone gets bored.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Two ways to win, only one way to be out of the game.
Victory
- Eliminate all opponents by reducing their health to zero
- The central deck runs out and you have more health than anyone else
- You are the only player still healthy at the table
Elimination
- Your health drops to zero or less
- You are eliminated by direct attacks before the deck runs out
- You have less health than others when the deck runs out
A deck-builder that doesn't apologize for being fast and mean. If you want something that fits in your backpack and leaves scars, it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cthulhu Realms FAQ
Is it really as fast as they say?
Yes. A two-player game often finishes in under 30 minutes. With four players, it can go up to 45, but the pace remains intense: no downtime, no endless turns. If Star Realms seems fast to you, this is on the same wavelength.
Does it work well with two players?
Very well. In fact, many prefer the 2-player version because the interaction is totally direct: every attack hits the other, every purchase is a tactical block. In 3-4 players, early elimination can leave someone out of the game watching.
Is it too similar to Star Realms?
Yes and no. The structure is identical (same designer), but the Lovecraftian theme is not just cosmetic: the factions are more asymmetric, the combos are nastier, and direct elimination makes everything more ruthless. If Star Realms bores you, this doesn't add enough. If you like it and want a more thematic version, it's perfect.
How much does luck matter?
As in any deck-builder: draws influence turns, but purchase decisions matter more. You can get a horrible hand, but if you've built your deck well, you'll recover the next turn. Those who complain about luck usually made bad purchases three turns earlier.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes, this is the Italian edition published by Pendragon Games. All cards, rules, and texts are translated. The game uses clear iconography, so after the first game, you'll read very little.
Cthulhu Realms is a competitive deck-building game for 2-4 players, ages 14+, lasting 25-45 minutes. Designed by Darwin Kastle, the same author as Star Realms, it brings the essential mechanics of the genre into the Lovecraftian Myths with direct interaction and attacking opponents' health. Build a deck of cosmic entities, dark locations, and cursed artifacts, buying cards from a shared market. Whoever remains healthy when the deck runs out wins; whoever drops to zero health is eliminated. Published by Pendragon Games in Italian edition. Available on FroGames.it.
Cthulhu Realms
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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