Citadel of Blood

About this board game

Citadel of Blood is a heroic fantasy adventure game for 1–6 players, with play taking about 120 minutes. Players form a party of adventurers and journey into the citadel of the evil mage known as “X the Unknown.”

The citadel is not laid out in advance. Its map is randomly generated during the game as players draw and place rooms and corridors printed on 1/2-inch die-cut counters. This evolving layout creates the setting for the party’s expedition into X’s stronghold.

As the adventurers travel through the citadel, they encounter and fight its monsters. These battles allow them to gain experience and power during the course of the game, preparing them for the ultimate challenge at the heart of the adventure.

• For 1–6 players
• Approximately 120 minutes of play
• Heroic fantasy adventuring
• A randomly generated map made from room and corridor counters
• Monster battles that provide experience and power

The adventure’s final goal is to face and defeat X himself. This gives Citadel of Blood a clear arc: enter the evil mage’s domain, develop the party through encounters, and eventually confront the source of the threat.

Originally published in Ares Magazine #5 in 1980, Citadel of Blood combines a classic fantasy quest with a map that takes shape as the game unfolds. Each journey into the citadel is built from its drawn rooms and corridors, framing the party’s progression toward its decisive encounter with X the Unknown.