Doomlings
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
In ten minutes, someone will have three useless mutations, someone else will dominate the planet, and everyone will laugh as the world burns. In the end, only who scored the most points matters.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Accelerated evolution on a doomed planet
Designed by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer, Doomlings originated from a successful Kickstarter in 2022. It's a card game that embraces the apocalypse with irony: on a distant, doomed planet, different species emerge and compete for supremacy. The world will end, but you want to be the one with the highest score when it does. Justus Meyer's illustrations transform extinction into a colorful celebration of bizarre creatures and absurd mutations.
Each turn, you draw Trait cards from the common deck and play them to build your species. Traits have special abilities and bonuses that combine in unpredictable ways. The game progresses through Ages, cards that change the rules of the round: some are quiet, others are Catastrophes that force you to adapt your strategy. When the third Catastrophe occurs, the world ends and points are tallied. Simple, fast, never the same: there are no duplicate cards, and the Ages are random.
What they say abroad
You play to win, but you end up talking about the absurd combos you made.
— FroGames
A game that takes five minutes to learn and surprises you for forty-five.
— FroGames
Doomlings
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsThe building blocks of your species
Traits, Ages, and Catastrophes
Traits
Over 100 unique cards in five colors (Red, Blue, Green, Purple, Colorless). Each has a point value and often special abilities: drawing extra cards, stealing Traits from others, increasing the Gene Pool. Dominant Traits are rare and very powerful.
Ages
The cards that punctuate the rounds. Each Age changes the rules: you might play two Traits instead of one, or be forced to discard one. Ages are shuffled randomly, so you never know when the Catastrophe will strike.
Catastrophes
Dramatic events hidden among the Ages. They force you to discard Traits, reduce your Gene Pool, and overturn your plans. When the third Catastrophe occurs, the world ends and points are counted.
Gene Pool
Your hand size. It starts standard for everyone, but some Traits (and some Catastrophes) increase or decrease it. The more cards you have in hand, the more options you have each turn.
At the end of the game, you'll have a ridiculous species, a combo that almost worked, and the urge to reshuffle immediately.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
A five-act game
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
First Mutations
Everyone draws from the common Gene Pool and plays their first Trait. Someone plays a blue card worth a point, someone else a green one with a strange ability. No one knows yet what they are building. The Era is peaceful, the planet is still alive.
The First Catastrophe
You turn over the fifth Era card and boom: everyone has to discard a Trait or reduce the Gene Pool. Someone loses their best card, someone else saves themselves with a special ability. The first creative curses begin. The world begins to collapse.
Combo in the making
Mid-game, everyone has four or five Traits in front of them. Those who focused on Reds are accumulating points, those who picked up Purples are drawing cards rapidly. Someone plays a Dominant Trait and everyone stops to read the ability. Tension rises.
Take That
A card allows you to steal a Trait from an opponent. You choose the strongest one. They curse, you laugh, the others take notes. No one is safe. Meanwhile, the second Catastrophe strikes and someone loses half their hand.
End of the World
The third Catastrophe arrives, the planet implodes, and everyone counts their points. The winner is the one who built the most adaptable species, or simply the one who drew the right cards at the right time. Someone immediately suggests a rematch.
How to play
The flow of each round
Each round is an Era. You flip the Era card, follow its rules, and everyone plays. When the Eras end, the world ends.
Flip the next Era card from the deck. Read the special round rule aloud (e.g., 'play two Traits instead of one'). If it's a Catastrophe, immediately apply the negative effect.
Each player draws cards from the common deck until their Gene Pool is full (hand size). Some Traits modify how many cards you draw or how many you keep.
In turn, each player plays a Trait from their hand in front of them (unless the Era modifies this). Traits have immediate or permanent abilities, and are worth points at the end of the game.
Everyone discards down to their Gene Pool size (if necessary). The next Era begins at point 1. When the third Catastrophe is revealed, the game ends and points are counted.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Variable Gene Pool
Hand size is not fixed: it increases and decreases during the game. Some Traits allow you to expand your Gene Pool, other cards (or Catastrophes) reduce it. The more cards you have in hand, the more choices you have, but you are also more vulnerable to 'discard' effects.
No duplicate cards
Doomlings has over 100 unique Traits. You will never see the same card twice in a game. This means that each round is a discovery, and memorizing the deck is useless. Combos emerge from randomness, not planning.
Random Eras
Era cards are shuffled at the start of the game, so you don't know when Catastrophes will arrive. You might have five calm rounds or three consecutive Catastrophes. This prevents long-term strategies: you have to adapt round by round.
Asymmetrical Catastrophes
The three Catastrophes are not all the same. Each has a different effect and strikes asymmetrically: those with many red Traits might be massacred, those who focused on green might emerge unscathed. Adaptability beats specialization.
Dominant Traits
Rare and powerful cards that can turn the tide. They have complex abilities and are worth many points, but are difficult to play (requiring specific combinations or high costs). When someone plays one, everyone has to recalculate their plans.
Emergent Combos
Traits combine in unexpected ways. A blue card that makes you draw extra + a green card worth points for each card drawn + an Era that allows you to play two Traits = explosive turn. Synergies are discovered by playing, not by reading the rulebook.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when the third Catastrophe is revealed. At that point, points are counted.
Victory
- Sum the values of all Traits you have in front of you
- Apply end-game bonuses (some Traits are worth extra points for color sets or specific conditions)
- The player with the highest score wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most Traits in play wins
Elimination
- There is no direct elimination: everyone plays until the end of the world
- However, you can end up with zero Traits in front of you (if Catastrophes wiped everything out) and thus zero points
- And you can end up with a Gene Pool reduced to 1, meaning very few options in the final turns
Doomlings is the game that brings the apocalypse to the table without drama: fast, unpredictable, infinitely replayable. Perfect for families who want something more than a filler.
Frequently Asked Questions
Doomlings FAQ
Is it really that easy to learn?
Yes. The basic rules fit on one side: draw, play a Trait, pass. Complexity emerges from the cards, not the rulebook. The first game takes 30 minutes including explanation.
How much does luck matter?
A lot, but not everything. The draw is random and Catastrophes strike asymmetrically, so you can have unlucky turns. However, clever combos and special abilities allow you to recover or amplify the luck you have.
Does it work well with 2 players?
It works, but it's designed for 3-5 players. With 2 players, it loses some interaction (fewer targets for Take That cards) and games are faster. Better to add a third player.
Are expansions necessary?
No. The base box already has over 100 unique Traits, random Eras, and variable Catastrophes. Expansions (like Hidden Objectives) add complexity and variants, but the base game is complete and replayable for dozens of games.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The texts on the cards are essential (short abilities and Trait names), but a good knowledge of the language is required to play smoothly. There is currently no official Italian edition.
Doomlings is a competitive card game for 2-6 players, lasting 20-45 minutes, recommended age 10+. Designed by Justus Meyer and Andrew Meyer, published by Doomlings LLC in 2022, it combines hand management, set collection, and unpredictable events in a game where you build the most adaptable species on a doomed planet. With over 100 unique Trait cards, a variable Gene Pool mechanic, and random Catastrophes, every game is different. Fast rules, emergent combos, ironic tone: perfect for families and party games. Available on FroGames.it.
Doomlings
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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