Nightfall / Similar games

18 games like Nightfall

The best games like Nightfall are Aeon's End, Unmatched Cobble & Fog and Res Arcana — the closest of 18 ranked alternatives, scored by shared mechanics and category. Aeon's End shares card game, fantasy, fighting with Nightfall.

Every alternative below links to its own Nightfall-style fact page, drawn from MeeplePick’s card game / fantasy shelf.

Ranked by shared category (3 pts) and mechanics (2 pts), bonus within 0.7 of Nightfall’s 2.6 weight, then BoardGameGeek’s Bayesian rating — one entry per series, 18 shown.

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

  1. 1. Aeon's End (2016)
    1–4 players · 60 min · ★ 8.0 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Card Drafting, Deck, Hand Management · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · plays solo · ~15 min longer · same complexity
    View Aeon's End on Amazon →
  2. 2–4 players · 20–40 min · ★ 8.4 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Hand Management, Take That, Variable Player Powers · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~15 min shorter · 0.6 lighter
    View Unmatched Cobble & Fog on Amazon →
  3. 3. Res Arcana (2019)
    2–4 players · 20–60 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Take That, Variable Player Powers · 4 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (67%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · same complexity
    View Res Arcana on Amazon →
  4. 2 players · 45 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Horror, Hand Management, Take That, Variable Player Powers · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: both play at 2 · about the same length · 0.5 lighter
  5. 5. Summoner Wars (2009)
    2–4 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.3 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Hand Management, Take That, Variable Player Powers · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · 0.3 lighter
  6. 1–5 players · 30–60 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fighting, Horror, Card Drafting, Deck · 2 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–5 players · plays solo · about the same length · same complexity
  7. 7. Sorcerer (2019)
    2–4 players · 30–90 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Horror, Card Drafting, Deck · 2 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~15 min longer · +0.3 heavier
  8. 8. Thunderstone (2009)
    1–5 players · 60 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Card Drafting, Deck, Hand Management · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–5 players · plays solo · ~15 min longer · same complexity
  9. 2 players · 20 min · ★ 7.5 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Hand Management, Take That · 2 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Nightfall: both play at 2 · ~25 min shorter · +0.6 heavier
  10. 10. Hero Realms (2016)
    2–4 players · 20–30 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Card Drafting, Deck, Hand Management, Take That · 4 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (67%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~20 min shorter · 0.7 lighter
  11. 2–4 players · 60–120 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Variable Player Powers · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · ~45 min longer · +0.6 heavier
  12. 1–5 players · 45 min · ★ 7.9 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Hand Management, Variable Player Powers · 2 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–5 players · plays solo · about the same length · +0.4 heavier
  13. 13. Skytear (2020)
    2–4 players · 45 min · ★ 8.4 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Card Drafting, Deck, Hand Management · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · +0.5 heavier
  14. 14. Rune Age (2011)
    2–4 players · 20–60 min · ★ 6.8 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Deck, Hand Management, Variable Player Powers · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–4 players · about the same length · 0.4 lighter
  15. 15. Pixel Tactics (2012)
    2 players · 30 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Card Drafting, Hand Management, Variable Player Powers · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: both play at 2 · ~15 min shorter · same complexity
  16. 2 players · 30 min · ★ 6.9 · Medium
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Horror, Card Drafting, Deck, Hand Management · 3 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (50%)
    vs Nightfall: both play at 2 · ~15 min shorter · +0.3 heavier
  17. 2–6 players · 20–40 min · ★ 7.6 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Take That, Variable Player Powers · 2 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Nightfall: overlaps at 2–5 players · scales to 6 · ~15 min shorter · 0.6 lighter
  18. 2 players · 30 min · ★ 7.8 · Medium-light
    Shares with Nightfall: Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Deck, Hand Management · 2 of Nightfall’s 6 mechanics (33%)
    vs Nightfall: both play at 2 · ~15 min shorter · same complexity
Check Aeon's End on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, MeeplePick earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked

What game is most like Nightfall?
Aeon's End (2016) is the closest match to Nightfall, sharing card game, fantasy, fighting. It rates 8.0/10 on BoardGameGeek.
What should I play if I like Nightfall?
Aeon's End, Unmatched Cobble & Fog, Res Arcana are the top-ranked alternatives to Nightfall in the MeeplePick database, matched on medium complexity as well as mechanics. All 18 are ranked on this page with the shared mechanics shown for each.
Is Aeon's End harder than Nightfall?
Compared with Nightfall, Aeon's End is same complexity and ~15 min longer (2.8 vs 2.6 complexity on BoardGameGeek's 1–5 scale).

Narrow it down

best 2-player board games · best 3-player board games · best 4-player board games · best 5-player board games · card drafting games · deck games · hand management games · pattern building games

Looking for the original? See the full Nightfall fact page — players, play time, age and complexity.