A competitive euro-hybrid board game where noble houses expand across hexagonal terrain, pact with dragons, and forge a legacy through prestige or infamy across fifteen rounds of strategic warfare and political intrigue.
A competitive euro-hybrid where noble houses expand across hexagonal terrain, pact with dragons, and forge a legacy through prestige or infamy across fifteen rounds of strategic warfare and political intrigue.
The World
In Ardenrift, fifteen noble houses vie for dominion over a land shaped by elemental magic and ancient dragon lineages. Each house carries mastery in two elemental arts — Light, Earth, Fire, Shadow, Water, or Air — forging alliances, conquering hexes, and building infrastructure as the Dragon Council watches from above.
The map is modular: every game builds Ardenrift differently. Exploration cards reveal dragon lairs, resource caches, traps, and boons — and the tone sharpens across three ages as the stakes escalate toward the final reckoning.
Gameplay
Claim hexes with outposts, upgrade to strongholds, and build infrastructure — mines, banks, docks, druidic circles — that generate resources and lock territory under your domain.
Draw from the Exploration Deck to discover dragon lairs, resource caches, ancient traps, and magical events. Each of three ages has its own deck of forty cards — the deeper you go, the higher the risk and reward.
Wage war, pact with dragons as military allies, navigate the Dragon Council's political pressure, and fight for the Exiled King's Castle — the most dangerous and lucrative seat on the map.
Scoring
Every house accumulates both Prestige and Infamy throughout the game. At the end, the game determines which path defines you — the noble guardian or the feared conqueror — and measures your legacy from that identity.
The question is never whether you earn both. It's which identity you were truly building toward — and whether you committed hard enough to outpace every rival on that path.
At a Glance
Factions
Each house bears ascendancy in two elemental forms of magic. Their names, seats, and vows shape the political landscape of Ardenrift.
Mechanics
Every round begins with Upkeep — your territory generates resources automatically based on what you control. Then each house resolves two different actions before the Dragon Sigil passes onward.
The constraint of two unique actions per round means tempo depends on sequencing, not repetition. Planning a strong round means deciding which pair unlocks the most value before the board shifts again.
Move the time marker. Check for Dragon Council or age transitions.
Collect resources from influence and domain. Feed strongholds or suffer consequences.
Explore, expand, build, trade, recruit, attack — pick two, no repeats.
First-player rotates. Dragon Council resolves on rounds 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15.
Our Process
From the first hex sketch to the final dragon — our artists bring Ardenrift to life.
Playtesters
"Placeholder — playtest quote from LeiriaCon 2026."
"Placeholder — playtest quote from LeiriaCon 2026."
"Placeholder — playtest quote from LeiriaCon 2026."
Gallery
Scales of Ardenrift is in active development. The core mechanics, noble houses, and world-building are coming together through iterative playtesting and design. We're looking for players who want to shape this game with us.
If you're interested in trying an early version, book a playtest session and experience Ardenrift firsthand.
