Gloom

Gloom

Card GameHorrorHumor
Players
2-5
Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
4 players
Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
60 min
AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
13+
ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
1.6 / 5
Year
2005

About the game

Gloom is a darkly comic storytelling card game where players guide an eccentric family of misfits through as much misery as possible before granting them a merciful death. Using transparent plastic cards, players stack tragedies like 'Pursued by Poodles' onto their own characters to lower their Self-Worth, while playing happy events onto opponents' characters to raise theirs. Because the cards are see-through, layered modifiers show through or obscure earlier ones, letting you track a character's fate at a glance. The player whose family ends with the lowest total Self-Worth wins.

Hobbli's Notes

Gloom's transparent-card gimmick is more than a novelty: it genuinely enables a clever stacking mechanic while inviting hilariously morbid storytelling at the table. It's one of those rare games where the mechanism and the theme reinforce each other perfectly.

What we like

  • Darkly funny storytelling encourages real creativity.
  • Innovative transparent card-layering mechanic.
  • Take-that interaction keeps every player engaged.
  • Quick to teach and easy to set up.

Keep in mind

  • Take-that mechanics can single out one player.
  • Dark humor may not suit every group.
  • Best variety comes with additional expansions.

Who it's for

Great for creative storytellers and dark-humor fans aged 13 and up playing in groups of two to five.

Mechanics

Hand ManagementLayeringLose a TurnStorytellingTake That

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