The Last Lighthouse (2024) Board Game

The Last Lighthouse is a solo board game designed by Anastasia Khmelevska and published by Button Shy. It was released in 2024 and falls under the horror genre. The game is set in a mysterious lighthouse where players must navigate through a series of challenges to survive.

Game Components of The Last Lighthouse

18-card deck including Nightmare and Trap cards

1 Lighthouse card

Optional expansions: Strange Shores (3 Lighthouse cards) and Long Nights (5 Nightmare/Trap cards)

Standard card stock with a personalized wallet-sized packaging.

How To Setup The Last Lighthouse

To set up the game, you start by placing the Lighthouse card, which has 6 health points. The Nightmare deck is shuffled, and the game begins with the draw of Nightmare cards. These cards represent the threats approaching the lighthouse and must be managed using Trap cards. The setup is straightforward, allowing players to quickly dive into the game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Solo Play: Designed for one player.

Card Placement: Strategic placement of Nightmare and Trap cards is crucial.

Defend the Lighthouse: The objective is to keep the Lighthouse lit by surviving all the cards in the Nightmare deck.

Nightmare and Trap Cards: Each Nightmare card has unique abilities and health points, while Trap cards can be used to control or eliminate Nightmares.

Health Points: The Lighthouse has 6 health points, and the game ends if these are depleted.

Expansions: The Strange Shores expansion adds new Lighthouse cards, and the Long Nights expansion introduces additional Nightmare/Trap cards to increase the challenge[5%.

Player Experience

The Last Lighthouse offers a tense and engaging solo experience. Players must balance the placement of Trap cards to fend off Nightmares, which come at a steady pace and can attack from either direction. The game’s mechanics create a tug-and-pull effect, where defeating Nightmares earns more Traps, but poor timing can lead to rapid health loss for the Lighthouse. The artwork by Anastasia Khmelevska sets a cosmic horror theme, enhancing the game’s atmosphere.

Pros

Quick Playtime: Games last approximately 15 minutes.

High Replayability: The random draw of Nightmare cards ensures unique games each time.

Portable: The wallet-sized packaging makes it easy to carry.

Simple yet Challenging: Easy to learn but difficult to master.

Atmospheric Artwork: The cosmic horror theme is well-executed through the artwork.

Cons

Rule Clarification: Older iterations of the rules may cause confusion.

Limited Components: Standard card stock, though the personalized wallet is a nice touch.

Difficulty Variance: Some players find the game too easy on lower difficulty settings and recommend playing on harder modes or adding expansions.

Personal Thoughts on The Last Lighthouse

The Last Lighthouse is ideal for players who enjoy quick, challenging solo games with a strong thematic presence. It’s perfect for those who appreciate puzzle-solving and strategic card placement. The game’s short playtime and portable design make it a great addition to any solo game collection. For fans of cosmic horror and tower defense-style gameplay, this game is a must-play, especially when paired with its expansions to increase the difficulty and variety of gameplay experiences.

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