Folklore: The Affliction
- Players
- 1-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 4 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 120 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 14+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 3.7 / 5
- Year
- 2017
About the game
Folklore: The Affliction is a cooperative horror RPG board game where players battle the supernatural forces of vampirism and lycanthropy plaguing the land. Choosing from six highly customizable characters, players explore dark locations that unfold into miniature-based dungeon crawls, uncovering deeper story threads as they go. Even death isn't the end - fallen characters continue playing as ghosts with unique ethereal powers. Character development and customization run deep, letting players tailor abilities across an expandable, ongoing campaign. Supporting 1 to 5 players, sessions run around 2 hours.
Hobbli's Notes
Folklore: The Affliction stands out for its willingness to keep dead characters meaningfully in the game as ghosts, which is a clever twist on typical dungeon-crawl mortality. The character customization is genuinely deep, giving players a lot of ownership over their build. It does demand a serious time and rules investment, and the heavy downtime at higher player counts is worth knowing going in. A rewarding pick for groups who love immersive, story-driven horror crawls.
What we like
- Immersive RPG-style storytelling with deep character customization.
- Unique ghost mechanic keeps fallen characters in the action.
- Miniature-based dungeon crawling delivers strong tabletop presence.
- Expandable, ongoing campaign structure offers long-term content.
Keep in mind
- Long 120-minute sessions with high complexity and heavy downtime.
- Large miniature and component footprint takes real setup time.
- Horror, vampire, and werewolf theme may not suit every group.
Who it's for
Best for dedicated cooperative gamers and horror fans (ages 14+) who enjoy deep character customization and long dungeon-crawl campaigns.
