Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients

About this board game

Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients is a tactical strategy game for 1–4 players, with solo, cooperative, and competitive play modes and an approximate 90-minute play time. Released in 2022, it is set in a dark, destroyed sci-fi world where otherworldly creatures fight for dominance and survival.

Each turn, players roll six action dice and spend them to move their faction’s units or activate faction abilities. The game’s factions are deliberately weird and asymmetric, giving each one a distinct way to expand its forces and pursue victory.

• Bohmerk: Split units to create new ones.
• Varpen: Grow units in size and strength.
• Dhargon: Collect resources and use them to replicate units.
• Orpal: Open portals to transport new units into battle.
• Alderkang: Fabricate units using the DNA of captured enemies.

Complete objectives to summon a powerful Ancient to the battlefield. These otherworldly leaders grant your faction a unique special ability, adding another strategic goal to the struggle for control.

Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients offers three core game modes. In Victory mode, players compete to collect a set number of victory points. Adventure mode combines map exploration, combat, objectives, and Event Tokens that guide players along a branching story path.

For a more directed experience, Scenario mode draws from the scenario book. Follow the scenarios in order to experience an overarching story campaign, or choose an adventure and get straight into battle.