Designers: Trevor Benjamin (Mandala, Undaunted: Normandy, War Chest), Adam Sadler (Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition, Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game – The Force Awakens Core Set, Warhammer Quest: The Adventure Card Game), Brady Sadler (Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game – The Force Awakens Core Set, Street Masters, Warhammer Quest: The Adventure Card Game), David Thompson (Pavlov’s House, Undaunted: Normandy, War Chest)

Artist: Chris Doughman

Publisher:  Blacklist Games (Altar Quest, Brook City, Street Masters)

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative game, deck building, dice rolling, horror, miniatures

Funding Status: At the time of this posting, Dire Alliance: Horror is already fully-funded. Pledges currently total more than 2x the initial funding goal with 4 days left to go on the campaign.

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

What It’s About: “Set in a world of classical horror and the first title in the Dire Alliance series of cross-compatible games, Dire Alliance: Horror is a game of tactical deck-building. Players use a hand of cards to make their fighters move, battle, gain new cards, and perform special abilities, and can only win by accomplishing the goal as described on the chosen scenario sheet. Battle Mode lets 2 players go head-to-head, and Raid Mode allows 1 to 4 players to work together to take down an A.I. controlled enemy and its minions before they achieve their nefarious goals.”

How It Works: “Battle Mode is played over the course of several game rounds until a player wins by completing the goal as determined by the scenario. In the “Beaten Path’ scenario, a player wins by claiming three of their opponent’s objectives. The game immediately ends when a player claims a third objective and that player wins the game.”

“During a game round, players take turns playing cards from their hands and activating their fighters. The player who has initiative is referred to as the aggressor and their opponent is refferd to as the defender. Each game round consists of the following steps resolved in order: Aggressor Turn 1, Defender Turn 1, Aggressor Turn 2, Defender Turn 2.” During their first turn, each player plays 2 cards from their hand and then activates fighters. During their second turn, each player plays all remaining cards from their hand and then activates fighters. “After resolving these steps, each player draws a new hand of four cards from their deck. Each time a player needs to draw or reveal a card from their deck and none remain, they shuffle their discard pile together to create a new deck, and draw or reveal any remaining cards needed in order to have a hand of (4) cards.”

“In Raid Mode, one to four heroes cooperatively take on a dangerous villain. Raid Mode utilizes most of the standard rules from Battle Mode but uses specific components and rules exceptions.”

Comparisons: Because Dire Alliance: Horror seems to be such a melding of the tactical deck construction commonly used by the Sadlers and the abstract, war game tactical battles of the games of Trevor Benjamin and David Thompson, the best comparisons are probably games by both pairs of designers, although each pair only represents half of the gameplay of Dire Alliance: Horror. For the Sadler Brothers, check out Altar Quest, Brook City, Hour of Need, and Street Masters. For Benjamin and Thompson, check out Undaunted: Normandy, Undaunted: North Africa, and War Chest.

What Should I Pledge?:
$50 Dire Alliance: Horror Pledge: a copy of Dire Alliance: Horror plus all unlocked stretch goals.
$70 Horror: Series 1 Pledge: the Horror: Series 1 miniature set with all unlocked stretch goals. This pledge level does not include a copy of the game.
$109 Complete Horror Pledge: combines the rewards from the previous two pledge levels and includes a copy of Dire Alliance: Horror, the Horror: Series 1 miniature set, with all unlocked stretch goals for both.
$209 Complete Dark Fantasy Pledge: includes everything in the Complete Horror Pledge, plus the Fantasy: Series 1 Adventurer Tier and The Desecrated Faction Pack.

Add-Ons:
$125 Fantasy Series 1: includes 201 miniatures and the Fantasy Series stretch goals pack
$10 Dire Alliance Dice: 5 blue dice & 5 red dice
$15 The Desecrated Faction Pack: double-sided Faction board, 20 Fighter cards, and 33 tokens
$25 The Desecrated Minis Pack: 25 miniatures (these are already included with Fantasy Series 1)
$5 Count Leader: miniature and 6 cards

KS Exclusives
The Unstoppable Glob! is a giant miniature with 6 Leader cards, 21 Villain cards, and 5 tokens that comes with all pledge levels at the Horror: Series 1 Pledge or higher (so just not with the $50 pledge level that only includes the base game with no miniatures) and is a Kickstarter Exclusive.

All-In Total: In the continental U.S., you’re looking at $209 for the Complete Dark Fantasy Pledge, $5 for the Count Leader, and $24 in shipping for a total of $238.

Dire Alliance: Horror completes its Kickstarter on Tuesday, November 17th and tentatively ships in November 2021.