The Stifling Dark is a one-versus-all board game with Dead by Daylight vibes
Let’s shine a light on this title.
A new hidden-movement board game that sees one player hunting the others, is giving off serious Dead by Daylight vibes.
The Stifling Dark is an upcoming board game that sees one player controlling a deadly killer who must hunt down the others. Similarly to the online multiplayer video game Dead by Daylight – which has its own board game adaptation coming – The Stifling Dark sees players taking on the role of investigators who must survive against one deadly foe.
During the game, the players will need to move their chosen investigators across the board in search of items, pathways and an eventual exit: all whilst being hunted by a hidden adversary. As a hidden-movement game, The Stifling Dark will have one player, whoever is controlling the adversary, moving across the board without disclosing their location to the others.
Meanwhile, the rest of the players in the horror board game are working together to look for the evidence they need to prove the Adversary’s existence to the wider world. Three pieces of evidence are hidden behind the Adversary’s screen, with the investigators needing to find those pieces before selecting an escape route – which varies from game to game, with some having the players simply leave and others seeing them confront the Adversary.
To move across the board, players will need to use their flashlight components to light the way. By placing an acrylic template on the board in front of their character token, players will then be able to see what might be hiding on those spaces. The acrylic template can reveal the clues that players are seeking, as well as possible Adversaries hidden therein. If they find themselves in a tight spot players can choose to sprint across the board, thereby covering more ground than they’d usually be able to. However, characters have a limited amount of flashlight battery life and stamina, so they’ll need to be careful with their usage.
All the while, the Adversary will be secretly moving across the board using their character screen, attempting to sneak up on the unsuspecting investigators. The Adversary’s location will be revealed if an investigator shines their light on them, with the Adversary able to use their various abilities to catch their victims off guard. Players controlling the Adversary will win if they successfully murder all their victims.
The Stifling Dark was created by Sophisticated Cerberus Games, with this being the studio’s debut title. The artwork for the game was made by Cory Freeman, Judith Gastell, Márton Gyula Kiss and Allen Harwood.
The Kickstarter campaign for The Stifling Dark is live until November 3rd, with a pledge of $50 (£46) getting backers a copy of the core game in February 2024.