Darkleaf Gambit

Darkleaf Gambit is an entirely new game for your chess set. Even though it’s played with a chessboard and pieces, no chess experience is required. Whether you love chess or have never played, Darkleaf Gambit is simple to learn, offering deep strategy and heart-pounding rolls of the die for tabletop gamers of every level.

Looking for 3 more ways to learn how to play Darkleaf Gambit?

• Watch the Good Time Society’s How to Game with Becca Scott.
• Delve into the 20-page rulebook with complete clan compendiums.
• Hop into the full digital version of the game on Tabletopia…for free!

Six clans duel for the last light of the forest. Each clan commands its own story, playstyle, and level of complexity. Introduce yourself to each before deciding who you will champion!

Just the One Add-On? We’re fans of both types of Kickstarters: the ones where you have oodles of options for shiny tokens and metal upgrades and kickass expansions, and the ones where you can see exactly what you are getting without even scrolling. For this campaign, we’re executing the latter. Darkleaf Gambit is a tightly focused game. Its components are already premium in every way. And the asymmetry was a bear to balance. We thought it would be insincere (and even damaging to the core mechanics) to concoct an expansion or an extra add-on to simply raise more revenue. Every parent says this, but Darkleaf Gambit is perfect just as it is.

How About Stretch Goals? We have some fun things planned that are dependent upon the level of this campaign’s success. These things primarily entail a) extending the game’s Haggedorn's Will mechanic and b) forest conservation. We are thankful to every tree that inspired the mythology behind Darkleaf Gambit, and every tree that will go into manufacturing your games. We’ll discuss these plans with you in the campaign updates rather than building a ladder of stretch goals.

Special thanks goes to all of Darkleaf Gambit's wonderful playtesters (both in the physical realm as well as on Tabletopia), Dalla Croce Studios for 3d modeling support, and In Depth Films for being our videography wingman!