“Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon” is a story-driven cooperative game about exploration and survival for 1–4 players. The events unfold in a grim universe where Arthurian legends and Celtic mythology intertwine with the unique dark vision of Awaken Realms’ authors and artists.

Description of the Board Game “Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon”

Each player embodies one of four heroes who, against their will, must face trials that proved too much even for far stronger and wiser champions. Fleeing the advance of the malevolent force of Wyrdness, the characters embark on a long journey during which they will repeatedly fight unequal battles for resources and face dangerous encounters — all to achieve the impossible or perish on the way to their goal.

Every stone and every tree in Avalon hides a legend. All locations have their own rich histories and secrets. Places and characters are often far deeper than they appear. As you gradually piece together the big puzzle, the land always prepares a surprise around the next turn. Many secrets are revealed only after several playthroughs. The author of the story is one of Poland’s finest fantasy writers — Krzysztof Piskorski. He has created a truly non-linear narrative that pushes the boundaries of the genre and draws on vast experience.

Gameplay

During a standard session of “Tainted Grail,” you will travel across the dangerous lands of the island of Avalon. Your character will move from one location card to another, spending energy and revealing new locations. To progress further, you will occasionally need to activate menhirs (monuments) that rise in different parts of the island.

Over time, the power of the monuments fades, and restoring them requires significant resources, so carefully weigh your actions when planning journeys and gathering supplies.

Branching Stories

At any moment, you can explore the location you are in by diving into a branching, non-linear story from the explorer’s journal. Such a story can transform the surrounding world: it can reveal an alternate version of the location card or grant you statuses or Mystery cards that affect the further course of the game. Eventually, your day will end. And at dawn, a new event card will open, marking the passage of time and offering you new missions.

Combat or Diplomacy

Throughout the game, you will face many random encounters. To resolve them, you will use your combat and diplomacy decks, so tactical and deck-building skills will come in handy. Rewards from these encounters will help your character improve.

You will be able to expand and refine both decks, gain interesting skills, improve characteristics, and eventually reach previously inaccessible parts of the island — until you complete the current story chapter or the entire campaign. That is, of course, if you don’t perish in the clutches of death and madness. From the very beginning of the adventure, their shadow will relentlessly follow you.

We recommend watching the video rules in the “Video” section and, if desired, exploring the illustrated PDF rules in the “Files” section.

One Last Note

The game automatically adjusts difficulty to the number of players, and the tight interaction between participants makes every session special. Between different campaigns of “Tainted Grail,” many years pass, so the consequences of players’ actions will unfold in the long term. And thanks to the deep and branching story that allows problems to be solved in different ways, no two of your games will ever be the same! After all, the Fall of Avalon is not the best time to be alive… Yet you will return wiser and better prepared for new trials!

Galu the Rooster recommends adding this big box to your collection and enjoying the adventures with friends or solo.

We also recommend checking out another cooperative board game of AAA class with a strong narrative component by maestro Krzysztof Piskorski — “ISS Vanguard”, which lets you explore the vast galaxy, manage and upgrade your ship, conduct research, craft gear, and land on countless worlds — all to unravel the grand mystery of the ancient star map embedded in our DNA.