Touched by Darkness 2024

The Dark One's eclipse has blotted out the sun. Darkness has swallowed the Empire and is coming for your outpost next! You must gather resources, perform arcane rituals, and attempt to survive. But beware! The shadows that attack your outpost are not the only threat. The Dark One may have corrupted the mind of a teammate, meaning you can no longer trust them. Can you hold this last bastion of humanity together and banish the Dark One?

In Touched by Darkness, teams of up to 4 players each cooperate to survive while competing to complete their team-specific goals. Teammates have varying responsibilities and access to different areas of the game, including:

Producing and trading consumable resources to maintain their faction’s Morale. Preparing for and participating in battles to fight back the forces of the Dark one. Attending Council to draft and ratify game-wide legislation. Coordinating a game-wide Ritual to banish the Dark One.

Players must work together to survive. However, they are hampered by the presence of Shadow Agents: secret traitors undermining the rest of the players in service to the Dark One. Whether or not the Dark One is banished determines who wins in the end.

Touched by Darkness requires a Control team of 2-3 members to moderate and manage the game. These Control members perform timekeeping, arbitrate rules, and direct the story elements of the game. Players are encouraged to propose out-of-the-box ideas that aren’t covered by the game’s mechanics. These ‘Freeform Actions’ are also adjudicated by the Control team, allowing for every game to be a unique experience.

Touched by Darkness is a full print-on-demand Megagame for 15-42 players. Inspired by Den of Wolves with gameplay tweaks and a new setting, this Megagame-in-a-box includes everything needed to play (except lanyards and writing utensils). Designed and adapted with first-time Control members in mind, the Control Handbook has step-by-step instructions and resources to help you organize and run a successful game. If you’ve ever wanted to start a megagaming group in your area, this game is for you.

—description from the publisher