Dragons Of Etchinstone

Dragons of Etchinstone is a solo-only pocket adventure from Joe Klipfel, co-designer of Gloomhaven: Buttons and Bugs. Published by Chip Theory Games, it distils Mage Knight-inspired strategy into a minimalist card game that fits in the palm of your hand — no dice, no chips, no luck to hide behind.

You play as an apprentice mage venturing out from the Tower to investigate the reappearance of dragons across the Vale. Four ancient dragons have seized control of strongholds in every direction, and it falls to you — the strongest of the rare Ether Mages — to make the perilous journey to each one, defeat them, and restore peace to Etchinstone.

Your entire toolkit is 16 action cards. Channel them into Spells, Elements, and Boosts as you Attack and Move through monster-infested Regions. Clever combos and tight optimisation are everything — a narrow victory against a Journey costs you time, a narrow victory against an Enemy costs you card power, and the dragon waits at the end regardless. There is no backup plan.

What's good?

• Genuinely deep strategy in a pocket-sized format — remarkable depth-to-footprint ratio
• Cult classic print-and-play design, now with gorgeous Chip Theory Games production
• Solo-only and purpose-built for it — no multiplayer mode bolted on as an afterthought
• Fast to learn, hard to master — each run feels meaningfully different
• No dice, no randomness — pure decision-making from start to finish

Who is it for?

• ✔ Solo gamers who want a meaty challenge in a small box
• ✔ Fans of Mage Knight, Gloomhaven, or hand-management puzzles
• ✔ Commuters and travellers who want something more than a filler
• ✖ Players looking for a social or co-op experience
• ✖ Those who prefer dice-driven or luck-based games

Pair with: Take on a greater challenge with the Dragons of Etchinstone: Siege Expansion, or browse our Solo-playable games collection for more titles designed to be played alone.