Designer Andy Hunt recently launched a Kickstarter for NecronomiCards, a strategy card game inspired by both mythological and Lovecraftian themes and creatures, and we have official details and a look at the game.

From Andy Hunt: "Introducing NecronomiCards, a fast-paced card game for 2-4 necromancers-in-training whose idea of a good time is to spend 30-45 minutes (or more) attacking each other with horrific monsters and ancient deities. Does that sound like you? Then you're in the right place, new best friend!

NecronomiCards is a deviously simple game to learn. You start with two decks of cards: SPELLS and SUMMONS.

Spell cards each have 4-6 different magic symbols on them. Each player starts with 2 Spell cards and then draws 1 new card every turn. You can never have more than 6 Spell cards in your hand at once though. The goal is to pair up matching symbols across your Spell cards to create hands, sort of like a weird, alternate universe version of poker.

Once you've matched up a complete Spell hand, you trade it in to draw Summon cards. How many Summon cards you can draw in a turn depends on the complexity of the hand you trade in for it.

Summon cards depict a deity, demon, or monster from a variety of mythological, religious, literary, or just plain made-up sources. Each Summon card has an ability that you can play against your competitors to make them lose turns, discard spell cards, or other nefarious setbacks. Each and every Summon card you play puts you one step closer to victory, until...

For a 30-45 minute game, the first person to play 7 Summon cards wins! Want a longer game? Really challenge yourself and play to 13 Summon cards. That's the basics. Pretty simple, huh? Oh, one little twist I forgot to mention...

Included in the Summon deck are the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They're extremely powerful cards by themselves, but if by some unholy fluke you manage to draw and play all four of them in a game, you win instantly, no matter how many other Summon cards you've played.

And...

Shuffled into the Spell card deck are also Curse cards, which can totally throw off even the best player's strategy. They can make YOU lose turns, give other players cards, or other setbacks, so watch out! The tables can turn at any time and nobody is ever safe for long.

NecronomiCards includes 40 meticulously illustrated Summon cards featuring entities from all over the mythological map. The sources range from literature (especially the grandfather of all weird horror, H.P. Lovecraft), the Bible (think fire & brimstone), Voodoo, Greek mythology, urban legends, and pop culture."

To learn more about the NecronomiCards Kickstarter, visit:

  • Tamika Jones
    About the Author - Tamika Jones

    Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.

    The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).