Riftforce
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Choose four guilds, destroy opposing elementals, control the Rift. Every game demands a new alliance, a new strategy. And each time you'll discover synergies you hadn't seen before.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A duel of asymmetric elemental guilds along a dimensional Rift
Designed by Carlo Bortolini and illustrated by Miguel Coimbra, Riftforce is a tactical card game released in 2021 that quickly won over the two-player gaming community. Rifts have changed the world: destroyed villages, elementals coming to life, guilds learning to control them. Now it's your turn.
Each game begins with a draft of four guilds from ten available: fire, water, air, earth, light, shadow, crystal, plant, lightning, beasts. Each has unique powers. Your goal is to accumulate Riftforce by controlling locations along the Rift and destroying opposing elementals. But elementals are also the resource you need to attack: each turn you choose between strengthening your position, launching combined attacks, or preparing for the next round.
What they say abroad
"A pure distillation of combo-driven card play."
A pure distillation of combo-driven card play.
— Space Biff
"Every game feels like a puzzle you're solving together with your opponent."
Every game feels like a puzzle you're solving together with your opponent.
— Meeple Mountain
Riftforce
FrogScore · editorial rating FroGames · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsYour guilds
Four alliances, infinite combinations
Fire Guild
Fire that burns everything, even your allies. Devastating but costly. Hurts you before it hurts your opponent.
Water Guild
Flexible, mobile, adaptable. Moves along the Rift like no other guild. Perfect for positional control.
Lightning Guild
Fast attacks, quick damage, no half measures. Strikes before the opponent can react.
Plant Guild
Slow growth, explosive yield. Strengthens over time and becomes unstoppable if you let it expand.
Recommended Sleeves 110 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63 × 88 mm | 110 |
| Total cards | 110 |
In half an hour you'll know if your alliance worked. And you'll want to try it again with two other guilds.
A five-act game
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The draft
Choose four guilds out of ten. Each choice closes one door and opens another. You look at your cards, search for synergies, imagine combos. Your opponent does the same. The game has already begun.
First elementals on the Rift
You place your first cards, occupying the central locations. Your opponent does the same. No one attacks yet, everyone builds position. But you can already see where it's heading.
The first combined attack
You sacrifice three elementals to unleash a devastating attack. You destroy two opponent cards, gain Riftforce. Your opponent looks at you, counts their resources, understands they must respond. The pace quickens.
The combo you didn't expect
You discover a synergy between two guilds you hadn't seen in the draft. Fire + Plants: you burn your own elementals to activate explosive growth. It works. Your opponent raises an eyebrow.
The final sprint
Twelve Riftforce points for you, eleven for your opponent. Whoever controls the next location wins. You play your last card, attack, destroy. They respond with a move you hadn't anticipated. Maybe you win. Maybe not.
How to play
The flow of each turn
Each turn you choose one of three possible actions. Only one. Then it's your opponent's turn.
You place up to three elementals of the same guild on adjacent locations. You strengthen your position on the Rift.
Discard one to three elementals to launch an attack. The more you sacrifice, the harder you hit. Destroy opponents and gain Riftforce.
If you control a location (you have more elementals than your opponent), you gain Riftforce and activate your guild's special powers.
You draw cards until you have seven in hand. Your opponent does the same. The cycle begins again.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Asymmetrical draft
You never play with the same deck twice. Ten guilds, you choose four. Each combination creates an alliance with unique powers, synergies, and weaknesses. The draft is half the game.
Elementals are resource and troop
The cards in your hand are your soldiers on the field and the fuel for attacks. Every elemental you play is one you can't sacrifice. Every attack empties your hand. Management is everything.
Combined attacks
You sacrifice up to three elementals of the same guild to launch an attack. The more you discard, the more damage you do. But then you're vulnerable. Every attack is a risk-reward calculation.
The Rift as a battlefield
Five locations in a row. You control a location if you have more elementals than your opponent. Controlling locations gives you Riftforce and activates guild powers. Position matters as much as strength.
Three actions, one choice
Each turn you choose: play elementals, attack, or control locations. You can't do everything. You must decide whether to strengthen yourself, strike, or collect points. No perfect turn.
Race to 12 Riftforce points
You win by accumulating 12 Riftforce. You get them by destroying opponent elementals and controlling locations. Two paths, one victory. You can focus on one or balance both.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when a player reaches 12 Riftforce points. Or when one of the two can no longer play.
Victory
- Accumulate 12 Riftforce by destroying opponent elementals and controlling locations
- Exploit synergies between your four guilds better than your opponent
- Balance attack, defense, and territory control without ever running out of cards
Defeat
- Your opponent reaches 12 Riftforce before you do
- You sacrifice too many elementals to attack and are left defenceless
- You never control locations and your opponent accumulates points undisturbed
Riftforce is pure asymmetrical strategy in half an hour. Every game asks you to discover new synergies, every turn chokes you with impossible choices. And in the end, you start over.
Frequently asked questions
Riftforce FAQ
How long does a game of Riftforce last?
Between 20 and 30 minutes once you know the rules. Setup is quick (one minute), the draft takes three, the rest is pure gameplay. There's no downtime: when you finish your turn, it's immediately your opponent's turn.
Is it difficult to learn?
No. The basic rules can be explained in 10 minutes: place elementals, attack, or control locations. Complexity arises from synergies between guilds, not from the rules. First game immediately playable, depth emerges later.
How important is the initial draft?
Very. Choosing four guilds that work well together is half the strategy. But even with a mediocre draft, you can win if you play better. The draft opens possibilities, execution realizes them.
Does it hold up well after many games?
Yes. Ten guilds mean 210 possible combinations of four-guild alliances. Each pair of guilds creates different dynamics. Add to that that each game your opponent drafts different guilds, and you understand why replayability is very high.
Is it available in Italian?
This is the English language edition from Capstone Games. The text on the cards is present but limited (guild names and powers), the rulebook is in English. An Italian edition published by Playagame Edizioni exists.
Riftforce is a tactical card game for two players designed by Carlo Bortolini, with games lasting 20-30 minutes and accessible rules for ages 10 and up. The game is based on asymmetrical drafting of elemental guilds: each game you choose four guilds out of ten available (fire, water, air, earth, light, shadow, crystal, plants, lightning, beasts), each with unique powers. The goal is to accumulate 12 Riftforce points by destroying opponent elementals and controlling locations along the dimensional Rift. The main mechanic revolves around card management, where cards serve both as troops on the field and as a resource for combined attacks. Published by Capstone Games and illustrated by Miguel Coimbra, Riftforce offers high replayability thanks to the 210 possible alliance combinations and the strategic depth that emerges from guild synergies. Available at FroGames.it.
Riftforce
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