Spotlight - Fantasy
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Someone screams 'found it!', someone else curses because it was right there. The sand falls, the Moon advances, and in the end, you hug because you won together.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A frantic race against time in an absurd fantasy realm
Spotlight: Fantasy is the second chapter in the Spotlight series by Hjalmar Hach and Lorenzo Silva, published by Horrible Guild. Illustrations by Giulia Ghigini transform each board into a fantasy realm overflowing with details: heroes, villains, mythological creatures, magical objects, and surreal situations. Five different scenes, each hidden behind a transparent black layer that makes everything dark.
At the table, you hold a magic lantern with a white spot that illuminates the board. The sand timer starts, you draw a card, and you must find as many hidden objects or characters as you can before time runs out. Then you declare how many you found, compare with the card, and advance on the track. But if the Moon catches up to you, the game ends. Cooperative, frantic, immediate.
What they're saying abroad
Spotlight: Fantasy promises to transform the anxiety of searching into pure cooperative adrenaline.
— FroGames
The magic lantern is an ingenious physical expedient: it makes each board a mystery to be unveiled in real time.
— FroGames
Spotlight: Fantasy
The game includes official solo rules: you play against yourself trying to cross the finish line before the Moon. The experience works, but it loses the cooperative component (the collective shout when someone finds an object, the sharing of hints). It remains a valid challenge to train sight and speed.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsWhat you find in the box
The components that make the magic possible
Magic lantern
A plastic disc with a bright white spot that illuminates the darkened board. It's the heart of the game: without it, everything remains dark.
5 transparent boards
Five different fantasy scenes, each with a transparent layer on top and a black background underneath. Creatures, heroes, hidden treasures everywhere.
Search card deck
Each card shows the object or character to find, and on the back reveals how many copies exist on the board. The challenge is not to miscount.
Moon and player pawns
Linear track: you must reach the finish line before the Moon catches up to you. Every mistake brings it closer. Every success pushes you forward.
In a few hours, you'll discover that seeing things under pressure is difficult. But winning together is wonderful.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The Discovery
Open the box, place the transparent board over the black background, grab the lantern. Someone says 'but it's all dark', then you move the lantern and you realize: the white light reveals hidden details. You're already smiling.
The First Round
You draw the first card, flip the hourglass. Chaos immediately erupts: everyone frantically points their lantern at their board. Someone shouts 'found it!', someone else curses because they can't find anything. When time runs out, everyone declares, you compare. The Moon advances a bit, but so do you.
Pressure mounts
Third round, the Moon is close. The timer runs out too fast, and you're convinced you've found four objects but you declare three just to be safe. The card reveals there were five. You look at each other: you have to do better or it's over.
The token rush
Someone is caught by the Moon. Silence. Then you remember: you have the rush tokens. You spend one, bring the player back. Now you have none left. The last card must be perfect.
The Finish Line
Last round. Everyone is focused, no one speaks. Time runs out, you declare, you flip the card. Everyone across the finish line. Shouts, hugs, someone says 'I want to play again right away'. The table is still laughing.
How to play
The flow of each round
Five identical rounds: draw, search, declare, advance. The structure is rigid, the emotion is not.
Reveal the top card of the deck. Everyone sees what to look for (e.g. 'knight with red helmet'). Don't flip the back yet.
Flip the hourglass. Everyone simultaneously illuminates their board with the magic lantern, searching for the hidden object. You can talk, shout, suggest to others.
When time runs out, everyone puts down their lanterns and sets their personal dial to the number of objects found (or believed to have been found).
Flip the card: the correct number is on the back. Each player advances based on how many they found. Then the Moon advances. If someone is caught, you can spend a rush token to save them.
Why it's different from others
Six details that make the difference
Physical lantern
It's not a gimmick: the lantern transforms each board into a mystery. Without it, you see nothing. With it, you discover absurd details hidden in the darkness. A physical device that works beautifully.
Five different scenes
Each board is a different fantasy realm: the king's castle, the enchanted forest, the wizard's market, the battlefield, the monster tavern. Each overflowing with surreal details and funny creatures.
Pure real-time
There are no turns, no downtime. When the hourglass starts, everyone plays together simultaneously. The adrenaline is real, and so is the pressure.
Cooperative chase
The Moon advances every round. If it reaches a player, you can save them by spending a rush token, but if you run out of tokens, the game ends immediately. It's not just 'find objects': it's a race against an inexorable pursuer.
Total accessibility
Six years is the minimum age, but it works very well with adults too. No reading is required (cards have symbols), no complex strategy. It requires sharp eyesight and composure.
Punished but not catastrophic error
You declare a number, then compare. If you're wrong, you don't advance as much as you thought, but you're not eliminated. The Moon advances anyway, so the error is felt, but the game forgives and allows for recovery.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Five rounds to cross the track. But the Moon forgives no delays.
Cooperative Victory
- All players cross the finish line before the end of the fifth round
- At least one player reaches the finish line and no one is definitively caught by the Moon
- Use rush tokens wisely to save those who fall behind
Collective Defeat
- The Moon catches a player and you no longer have rush tokens to save them
- You finish the fifth round and someone is still far from the finish line
- Overly optimistic declarations slow you down and the Moon catches you all
Spotlight: Fantasy is a cooperative game that includes everyone at the table without excluding anyone, where the only skill required is to look carefully under pressure. And winning together is always wonderful.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Spotlight: Fantasy
Does it really work with 6-year-olds?
Yes. The rules are immediate, no reading is required, and the magic lantern is an object that children love to use. In fact, children are often faster than adults because they don't overthink. The important thing is that they see well up close.
How many games can I play before it becomes repetitive?
Five different boards, a deck of cards shuffled each time, infinite combinations. After ten games on the same board, you might start to memorize some positions, but the experience remains fresh. The real limit is how much you can handle the pressure of the timer.
Can I play solo?
Yes, there are official solo rules. You play against yourself trying to cross the finish line before the Moon. It works, but of course you lose the cooperative component: the shouting, the suggestions, the final hug. It remains a valid challenge to train your eyesight.
How long does a game really last?
Five rounds of about 2-3 minutes each, plus setup and final comparisons. In practice, 15-20 actual minutes. It's a perfect filler or a game to start the evening without heavy cognitive commitment.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. However, the game is language-independent: the cards have clear graphic symbols, there is no text to read during the game. The rulebook is in English but very simple; once you understand it, you no longer need to consult it.
Spotlight: Fantasy is a real-time cooperative game for 1-5 players aged 6 and up, with 15-minute games. Designed by Hjalmar Hach and Lorenzo Silva and illustrated by Giulia Ghigini, published by Horrible Guild. The game uses a pattern recognition and hidden object mechanic with a magic lantern: each player illuminates their obscured transparent board, searching for hidden creatures and objects before the Moon catches them. Five different fantasy scenes, sand timer, cooperative chase. Accessible, frantic, inclusive. Available on FroGames.it.
Spotlight - Fantasy
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