Four Against Darkness is a solitaire dungeon-delving game where players control a party of four heroes. It combines dice rolls, grid paper, and strategic choices for immersive adventures.
Gameplay Overview
Four Against Darkness involves exploring dungeons, battling monsters, and completing quests. Players use dice rolls and grid paper to navigate procedurally generated levels and manage character progression.
2.1 Dungeon Generation
Four Against Darkness features procedurally generated dungeons created through dice rolls, ensuring unique layouts and challenges for each adventure. This system allows for endless variety, with random room placements, hidden passages, and secret areas. Environmental themes, such as forests or ruins, add diversity to the dungeon designs. The game’s simplicity enables players to sketch dungeons on grid paper, making it accessible and portable. This dynamic generation keeps the gameplay fresh and unpredictable, offering a new experience with each session. The system caters to both casual and experienced players, providing depth without complexity. With dice determining every aspect of the dungeon, no two adventures are ever the same.
2.2 Combat System
Four Against Darkness employs a straightforward yet engaging combat system driven by dice rolls. Battles are turn-based, with players resolving attacks, defenses, and special abilities using two six-sided dice. The system emphasizes strategic decision-making, as players must allocate actions carefully among their four heroes. Monsters are represented by cards or descriptions, each with unique traits and challenges. Combat encounters are dynamic, with outcomes influenced by dice rolls, character abilities, and environmental factors. The game includes rules for morale, allowing monsters to flee or surrender, adding depth to interactions. Critical hits and misses introduce unpredictability, while character progression enables heroes to grow stronger over time. This accessible yet tactical system makes combat both thrilling and approachable for solo players.
2.3 Character Progression
Four Against Darkness offers a robust character progression system, allowing heroes to grow stronger through experience points and leveling up. As players delve deeper into dungeons, their characters unlock new abilities and enhance existing ones, providing a sense of advancement and customization. The game includes a variety of character classes and traits, such as druids and their unique spells, ensuring diverse playstyles. Supplements like Wayfarers & Adventurers expand these options further, introducing milestones and additional traits. This progression system keeps gameplay engaging, enabling heroes to tackle increasingly challenging encounters. With over 30 supplements available, players can explore countless ways to develop their characters, making each adventure unique and rewarding. Character growth is central to the game’s appeal, offering depth and replayability for solo adventurers.
Character Creation
Four Against Darkness allows players to craft unique heroes by selecting classes, races, and traits. Customization options like druids and milestones enhance character individuality and gameplay impact.
3.1 Classes
Four Against Darkness offers a variety of character classes, allowing players to create unique and diverse parties. The core game includes classic fantasy roles such as druids, mages, warriors, and rogues, each with distinct abilities and playstyles. For example, druids can summon nature’s power, while mages wield arcane spells. Expansions like Wayfarers & Adventurers introduce additional classes and character traits, further enriching customization. These options enable players to craft parties tailored to their preferred strategies, whether focusing on combat, magic, or stealth. The class system is designed to be flexible, allowing for a wide range of character builds and gameplay experiences.
3.2 Races and Traits
Four Against Darkness allows players to choose from a variety of races, each with unique traits that shape their characters’ abilities and playstyles. Races such as humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings are available, each offering distinct advantages. For example, dwarves may excel in combat, while elves might possess heightened magical affinity. These racial traits are complemented by additional character traits, which can be selected during character creation or unlocked through expansions like Wayfarers & Adventurers. These traits add depth to characters, offering bonuses to stats, skills, or combat effectiveness. The combination of race and traits ensures that each hero in the party is unique, allowing players to craft a diverse and balanced team for their dungeon-delving adventures. This system enhances customization and strategic gameplay.
Expansions and Supplements
Four Against Darkness offers over 30 expansions, each introducing unique themes, enemies, and gameplay mechanics. Titles like Four Against the Empire and Four Against the Forsaken Depths expand the game’s scope with new challenges and adventures;
4.1 Notable Expansions
Four Against Darkness boasts an extensive library of expansions, each offering unique adventures and challenges. Four Against the Empire takes players on a galactic journey to track mythical beasts across four planets, blending sci-fi and fantasy elements; Four Against the Forsaken Depths dives into aquatic adventures, introducing underwater exploration and nautical-themed enemies. Four Against the Great Old Ones brings cosmic horror into the mix, pitting players against eldritch beings in a Lovecraftian-inspired setting. These expansions enhance the core game with new mechanics, environments, and adversaries, ensuring endless variety for solo adventurers. Additional supplements like Wayfarers & Adventurers and Monster Deck 1 further enrich the experience with fresh character options and card-based monster encounters.
4.2 Supplements
Four Against Darkness is supported by a wide range of supplements that enhance gameplay and provide new content. Wayfarers & Adventurers introduces fresh character creation options, including forest-themed classes like druids and their spells, along with character traits and milestones. Zealous Zouaves adds d66 additional character traits, offering players more customization and depth. Monster Deck 1 includes core book monsters in card format, making encounters more dynamic and convenient. These supplements, along with others, expand the game’s possibilities, providing players with new mechanics, classes, and challenges to explore. They are available as PDF downloads, making it easy for fans to access and integrate them into their adventures.
Resources and Support
Four Against Darkness offers extensive resources, including PDF guides for rules and gameplay, and a community forum for support and sharing experiences. Players can access play sheets designed for both new and experienced players, ensuring a smooth learning curve. The game’s official website provides tutorials and FAQs, addressing common questions and enhancing gameplay. Additionally, user-generated content and third-party expansions are available, fostering a vibrant and active player community. Regular updates and new releases keep the game fresh and engaging for fans worldwide. These resources help players dive into the world of Four Against Darkness with ease and confidence.
5.1 Where to Buy
The Four Against Darkness PDF and its expansions are available for purchase on platforms like DriveThruRPG and Itch.io. The core book, along with supplements such as Four Against the Abyss and Four Against Ragnarok, can be downloaded for USD 8.00 each. Notable titles like Four Against the Great Old Ones are priced at USD 9.99. Additionally, some expansions and supplements are available for free, providing players with extra content to enhance their gameplay. To purchase, visit the official Four Against Darkness website or search for the titles on your preferred digital marketplace. These platforms offer secure and convenient ways to download the game and its expansions, ensuring you can start your adventure quickly. Purchasing the PDF supports the game’s creator and allows access to a growing library of content.
5.2 Additional Materials
In addition to the core game, numerous supplements and expansions are available to enhance your Four Against Darkness experience. These include titles like Four Against the Abyss, Four Against Ragnarok, and Four Against the Great Old Ones, each offering unique scenarios, enemies, and challenges. Many of these expansions are priced at USD 8.00, with some, like Four Against the Great Old Ones, available for USD 9.99. Additional materials also feature character creation options, such as new classes and traits, and tools like the Monster Deck 1, which provides card-based encounters. Play sheets and quick reference guides are also available, catering to both new and experienced players. These materials expand the game’s depth and replayability, offering fresh adventures and mechanics to explore.
5.3 Community Support
The Four Against Darkness community is vibrant and active, with fans and players sharing tips, strategies, and custom content online. Forums and social media groups dedicated to the game provide spaces for discussion, where players can exchange ideas and experiences. Many enthusiasts create and share homemade expansions, character traits, and scenarios, further enriching the game. The publisher also offers a detailed guide to help new players learn the rules and navigate the world of Four Against Darkness. Additionally, the game’s accessibility—requiring only dice, paper, and a pencil—has fostered a strong sense of camaraderie among players. This supportive community ensures that players of all skill levels can enjoy and expand upon the game endlessly.
Four Against Darkness offers a unique and engaging solitaire gaming experience, perfect for fans of dungeon-delving adventures. With its simple yet strategic gameplay, the series has become a favorite among players who enjoy exploring procedurally generated dungeons, battling monsters, and uncovering hidden treasures. The availability of over 30 supplements and expansions ensures endless variety, while the active community provides additional resources and support. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to the genre, Four Against Darkness delivers a thrilling experience that can be enjoyed with minimal equipment, making it accessible to everyone. Its old-school charm and depth have solidified its place as a standout title in the tabletop gaming world.
