WizKids, the company behind Sushi Go and other popular games, has announced a Dungeons & Dragons map-building game called Edge of the Realms: Fields of Faerun. It is a deckbuilding game that will see players draft and play cards in a bid to build and connect their maps, go on adventures, and beat opponents.
The game is quick-paced, as everybody plays simultaneously, similar to Sushi Go!, and play finishes after 15 rounds. Edge of the Realms is slated for launch in June 2025 and will appeal to fans of card drafting, high fantasy, and D&D.
As any D&D player will attest to, any good adventure is built on a good map. WizKids has tasked players with creating their own maps in its upcoming title, Edge of the Realms: Fields of Faerun. The game looks to offer simple rules, fast-paced action, and plenty of scoring opportunities.
The primary game engine is that of card drafting. Initially, players draw map tiles until they have four tiles. Each player then plays a single map card face down. When all players have chosen, the map tiles are turned over simultaneously. This simultaneous play is similar to the way Sushi Go! works, as well as other popular drafting games like 7 Wonders, and it helps ensure that the game moves quickly and smoothly. After map cards have been played, any completed quests are scored, and players pass their hand to the player on the left.
The game will include more than 100 cards, 50 exploration cubes, quest tokens, five pawns, and a scorepad. The retail price is set at $24.99 and the game is available for pre-order now.
Although it is loosely based on the premise of building a D&D map, players don’t need any knowledge of the D&D system or prior experience of the TTRPG game. It will help if participants enjoy the dungeon adventuring setting, but it likely won’t be a dealbreaker.
WizKids was formed in 2000 and is best known for its minis games. Mage Knight is a deck-building game that is heavy on combat and has proven especially popular as a solo board game. It is a meaty game with a lot of components, and it can take hundreds of hours to play. It is also slow-paced.
At the other end of the pacing scale, WizKids is also responsible for Sushi Go! In that game, players draft and lay down cards before playing them simultaneously and then passing the deck on to the next player. This conveyor belt system is very similar to the one used in Edge of the Realms, and it helps ensure that games keep up their fast pacing. Slow players are generally encouraged to pick their cards quicker and play sooner. But, where Sushi Go! tasks players with creating the most appealing dishes from a selection, Edge of the Realms has players building maps for adventuring.
Wizkids has a licensing partnership with Wizards of the Coast which enables them to create Dungeons & Dragons-themed games, and they have created themed minis, including new designs to celebrate this year’s 50th anniversary of the TTRPG’s creation. Other related products from the company include book tabs and a Baldur’s Gate-styled game.
