An exclusive preview of Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble for Disney Lorcana
When Disney Lorcana It launched in July 2023 and was strictly a competitive trading card game. As with any game, there is a graceful way to play with newcomers or the kids at the local game store. But the hunger for lore (the gaming version of victory points) is real, and few can stand in the way of a parched Illumineer. Now publisher Ravensburger is expanding the format. The new standalone game, Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble, is coming soon and Polygon is giving you your first look inside the box. Get ready for the cooperative and single-player game modes, both of which make use of the cards and decks you may already have.
In Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble, players take on Ursula, the tentacled villain The little Mermaid. The subtitle of her oversized card in the game box is Ruler of Lorcana, and she achieved that title by corrupting copies of well-known characters from the Disney catalog – creatures called glimmers. It’s a conquest that has played out over the course of Disney Lorcana’s first three card sets, inclusive The first chapter, The rise of the FloodbornAnd To the Inklands. Even more details will be released on May 17, with the mass market launch of Disney Lorcana’s next set of cards, Ursula’s return.
Image: Ravensburger and Disney
To save Lorcana, four Disney characters head two new pre-assembled 60-card decks. Mickey Mouse and his mentor, the wizard Yen Sid, are on the scene. They are supported by a group of buffs that can defeat Ursula with just a set of brooms. They are supported by Mulan, Elite Archer and Piglet, Pooh Pirate Captain, each with some particularly good offensive skills. Players can take on Ursula all alone with one deck or the other, or with up to three other players. You can even bring your own deck.
Image: Ravensburger and Disney
Image: Ravensburger and Disney
Ursula, for her part, is surprisingly powerful. Automated by a short list of easy-to-understand rules, her unique card game deals a lot of damage and collects knowledge by the boatload. But players have a serious advantage: they all go at the same time and take actions in any order they want. Better yet, all effects on their cards apply equally to all players at the table. That means your friend can use his or her sparkle’s support ability to add power to your attacks, while one player’s powerful buffs, which last until the end of the turn, can be applied equally to everyone at the table applied.
“When Steve Warner and I started working on the idea for The Illumineer’s Quest: Deep problems“We only had a few concepts that we knew we wanted to include,” senior brand manager and co-designer Ryan Miller told Polygon in an email. “As we worked out what the player’s turn would be, it quickly became clear that the pace of the game slowed down too much if each player took a separate turn. I think it was Steve who suggested the simultaneous twist, and once we tried it that way we never looked back. It just flowed so well and had the added benefit of being able to be naturally combined with support skills that enhanced the cooperative nature of the game.”
As an added benefit, these are simultaneous turns Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble a great way to teach the core concepts of the game to new players.
“Because it’s cooperative,” Miller said, “there’s a lot more permission (…) to ask questions about card skills and interactions without feeling like you’re giving away your strategy to an opponent.”
And what about the youngest players who may not even be able to read? Well, it turns out there’s a place for them at the table too.
“One of my favorite moments of playtesting occurred when a family was playing and one of the kids was too young to actually play,” Miller said. ‘So they had her ‘play’ as Ursula, turning over the cards from her deck each turn. That little girl loved it, every turn she cackled with joy as she laid down the cards and her brothers and parents groaned at the series of new challenges they had to overcome.
Image: Ravensburger and Disney
The game comes with four different difficulty levels, each represented by a side of a different pair of oversized cards. Miller said this is a great way to try out new decks quickly, as Ursula is quite overpowered on the highest setting.
The game also comes with a special gold envelope containing a unique, ultra-rare card. Yes, I opened it and no, I can’t tell you what’s inside. But I can say that it is not what I expected. It’s a powerful card for sure, but it packs just as much narrative power as it does mechanical punch.
“We have an absolutely amazing team of story people who have been working hard for years to put together the story behind Lorcana’s empire, as well as the ongoing story behind each set and how they all connect together,” Miller said. . “It’s a diverse team of writers, concept artists and art directors who bring stories together with stories and visuals that set the stage for the game designers and artists to come in and create some beautiful maps.”
Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble will be available at hobby stores on May 17th and at mass retailers on May 31st.