Città dei Demoni
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After the third radiation exposure, you wonder if it's worth it. After the fourth, you realize there's no turning back. After the fifth, you're already in the core, and it doesn't matter who won.
ABOUT THIS
A desperate race to the radioactive heart of the city
City of Demons comes from the pen of Jim DuBois and the post-apocalyptic vision of Thomas Gale. It is a tense and fast-paced racing game set in a ruined city infested with creatures called Demons. Nightingale Games is publishing in 2025 a title that brings the tension of push-your-luck into a fierce narrative context.
At the table, you roll dice, collect beacons and information, dodge pockets of deadly radiation, and flee from Demons that become more lethal the closer you get to the center. You build bizarre equipment from the scraps you find. The goal: reach the core before your opponent. Every roll is a gamble on your tribe's future.
What they say abroad
Every die is a promise you might keep, or radiation that shuts you down on the spot.
— FroGames
The weight of the tribe on your shoulders, the core calling you, the Demons watching you.
— FroGames
City of Demons
The game includes a structured solo mode where the runner faces scenarios against the city itself. The experience is complete, with dedicated objectives and scalable difficulty. It loses the direct race against a human opponent, but the weight of the tribe and the tension of push-your-luck remain intact.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat you find in the race
Beacons, junk and bizarre equipment
Beacons
Hidden signals you must collect to advance towards the core. They are the key resource, the reason you push past fear.
Junk
Scraps you find lying around. You use them to build strange equipment: thermal goggles, makeshift shields, survival knives. Each piece changes your approach.
Radiation
Pockets of deadly heat scattered throughout the city. If you cross them, you accumulate damage. If you accumulate too much, the tribe loses you forever.
Demons
Creatures that infest the ruins. The closer you get to the center, the more aggressive they become. They are a mobile obstacle that forces you to change course.
In half an hour, you'll have decided whether you're the type to stop before the radiation or to push to the core. And there will be a story behind it.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The first move
A few dice, few resources, and you already have to decide where to go. Your opponent moves in the opposite direction. The core is far away, but every step is a commitment. No one knows yet who will push too soon.
The first radiation
Someone crosses a hot zone. The dice punish them. You accumulate radiation, you lose health. The other player smiles. But then they realize they'll have to go through it too, sooner or later.
Improvised equipment
Gather enough junk to build something useful. Perhaps thermal goggles to dodge the Demons, or improvised armor. It changes your approach. Your opponent observes and adapts their strategy.
Demons approach
The closer you are to the core, the deadlier the Demons become. One wrong die roll and they block you. You must decide: slow down and build defenses, or push and hope luck holds out? The table holds its breath.
The core or death
One of the runners is a step away from the center. The other is behind, but not too far. The last dice are rolled. Someone arrives. Someone collapses. The tribe only remembers who came back with the information.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Every turn is a gamble: you roll dice, you move, you gather resources, you build equipment. Then it's your opponent's turn. Fast, direct, deadly.
Roll your available dice. The results determine what you can do: move, collect beacons, find junk, avoid Demons.
Each symbol on the dice gives you an action. Beacons bring you closer to the core, junk allows you to build equipment, radiation damages you.
If you have enough junk, build equipment cards that give you permanent or single-use abilities. Each piece changes your options.
Demons and radiation activate based on your position and your dice. You take damage, lose resources, or manage to dodge everything. Then it's your opponent's turn.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Fast and deadly push-your-luck
You don't roll dice to see what happens. You roll them knowing that every symbol can save you or kill you. The tension rises with each roll, because stopping means losing ground, but pushing means risking your life.
Modular and hostile city
The city setup changes every game. Radiation, Demons, and resources are arranged differently. There's no safe route. You have to read the table and adapt your strategy on the fly.
Equipment buildable from junk
You don't buy cards, you build them with the scraps you find. Each piece of equipment is a tactical choice: do you want speed, defense, or special abilities? Your arsenal defines how you face the endgame.
Demons that grow fiercer
The closer you get to the core, the more aggressive the Demons become. They are not fixed obstacles: they move, react, block. You must calculate when to cross their zones and when to deviate.
Direct, no-quarter race
There's no direct combat, but the race is fierce. Every move you make influences your opponent's options. You arrive first or you don't come back. The tribe doesn't reward second place.
15-30 minute games
A full run lasts as long as a coffee. Enough to feel the weight of your choices, fast enough to immediately want another one. Setup is quick, rules are explained in 5 minutes, the table starts.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when a runner reaches the city's core, or when both collapse under radiation and Demons.
Victory
- Reach the tech center in the heart of the city with enough accumulated beacons
- Retrieve hidden information and report it back to the tribe
- Your opponent collapses from radiation or Demons before reaching the core
Elimination or defeat
- Accumulate too much radiation and your health drops to zero
- Demons block you and you can no longer move
- Your opponent reaches the core before you
City of Demons is a dirty race where every die counts. The one who pushes at the right moment wins, not the one who plays it safe. In half an hour, you'll already have a story to tell.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about City of Demons
Does it work well solo or is it designed for 2 players?
It includes an official solo mode with dedicated scenarios and specific objectives. The experience is complete, but it loses the tension of a direct race against a human opponent. It remains an excellent push-your-luck game for those who want a quick and tense solo challenge.
How much does luck weigh compared to choices?
Dice are everywhere, but deciding when to push them is the real skill. You can build equipment to mitigate bad results, you can choose less risky routes, you can stop before disaster. Luck is a factor, but better players win more often.
Do games really last 15 minutes or is that an optimistic estimate?
The first few games take 25-30 minutes because you're still learning the symbols and interactions. After 2-3 games, 15-20 minutes is the norm. Super-fast setup, quick turns, zero downtime. It's a quick filler that plays like a real game.
Is it just a race or is there tactical depth?
The race is the engine, but the depth lies in risk management. Every turn you have to balance: push towards the core or gather resources? Build defensive or offensive equipment? Cross dangerous zones or deviate? Choices matter, even if they're quick.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The text on the cards is limited (mainly symbols and equipment names), so it's accessible even with basic English skills. Nightingale Games has not announced an Italian localization at this time.
City of Demons is a push-your-luck race game for 1-2 players designed by Jim DuBois and illustrated by Thomas Gale, published by Nightingale Games in 2025. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it brings 15-30 minute games to the table where you roll dice, collect beacons, build bizarre equipment, and race towards the tech center in the heart of a city infested with Demons. Die Icon Resolution and Push Your Luck mechanics create constant tension: every die can save you or kill you. Suitable for players aged 14 and up, it combines speed, calculated risk, and a fierce sci-fi setting. Available on FroGames.it.
Città dei Demoni
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