Doomlings expansions

Doomlings is a light card game themed around the evolution and demise of a species that's subject to successive waves of extinction events. When we (p)reviewed Doomlings back in 2021 we were confident the game would find an eager audience but - especially in the context of the cataclysm theme - we certainly didn't anticipate that it would thrive to the extent that it would spawn an entire ecosystem of expansions.

The core game involves playing cards from your 'gene pool' (hand) to add Traits to your species of Doomlings. Rounds represents 'Ages' (ie: epochs) and for each age an event card is flipped that sets out the special rules for that age. Some Age events are deemed catastrophic, and the world ends when the third catastrophe appears.

The Deluxe edition of the core game of Doomlings included additional cards representing various sub-species. The Dinoling cards represent fossil effects, primarily interacting with the discard pile. Mythlings introduce traits with 'magical' effects and Techlings' traits mostly involve creating combos for their in-game effects or to enhance scoring. The Meaning of Life cards add hidden objectives that incentivise players to collect particular colours or combinations of traits.

The Legends of Endaras expansion box incorporates many more Dinoling, Mythling and Techling cards, as well as Fuzelings that combine elements of all three variants. Legends of Endaras also introduces Treasures: a separate deck of cards which don't count towards players' hand-size limits but which give them additional in-game effects.

There are more Fuzelings in the Imaginary Ends expansion but this expansion also introduces Deeplings that allow cards to be 'suppressed' (played face down) where they don't count for their trait effects but where they instead give extra points in end-game scoring. Moonlings in this expansion are cards that are specifically designed for players with a low 'gene pool' (hand size). Glitterings primarily involve a gamble, usually where the outcome is dependent on the colour or value of the next trait card drawn. This expansion also introduces Magical Merchants and Trinkets. The Trinkets have an ongoing (often negative) effect but they can be 'pocketed' so that they score but only if a player can satisfy the objective on the Trinket card. Merchants are seeded in with the Ages cards and, when flipped, they affect the status of Trinkets.

And there's even more! With Overlush, Doomlings becomes a collectible card game. This expansion comprises four sealed booster packs, each of whch contains 15 'mystery cards'. They are drawn from >170 new Trait and Age cards but you won't know what you're getting in each pack until you open it. As in most collectible card games, the cards are classified as the equivalent of common, uncommon or rare; and the four packs in Overlush each contain 7 common, 5 'unusual' (uncommon) and 2 'scarce', 'endangered' or 'legendary' (rare). One of the cards in each pack is a foil card.

With its Fluxx-like rule switches, Doomlings is a fun hand management and set collection card game with an element of push-your-luck, and with just enough 'take that' interaction to keep things interesting. Each of the expansions offers a mix of more cards plus the option of just a nudge in complexity if you play with the Moonlings cards or add in the Treasures and/or Trinkets. If you already have Doomlings, you'll find the expansions give your game a new lease of life - tho' completionists will definitely find it a chore to try to collect all 170+ Overlush cards.

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