Ever wanted to build a deck of unspeakable horrors to shatter your opponent’s sanity? Cthulhu Realms lets you do just that. Based on the Cthulhu mythos, this tongue-in-cheek deck-building game challenges players to conjure sinister combos, manipulate minds, and adapt their strategy on the fly to drive opponents into madness.
Cthulhu Realms is a Lovecraftian-inspired board game where up to four players compete to drive each other insane. Unlike traditional collectible card games (CCGs), where you pre-build a deck, Cthulhu Realms has you construct your deck during gameplay. This approach makes every match unpredictable and forces players to evolve their strategy turn by turn.
Game Mechanics
Each turn, you’ll play cards from your hand to generate Conjuring Points, which are used to buy from a rotating selection of five Available Cards shared between all players. These cards are randomly dealt from the main deck and instantly replaced when purchased. With only five options at a time and all players shopping from the same pool, you’re constantly balancing long-term synergy with short-term opportunity.
Some cards generate Sanity Loss, which you use to reduce an opponent’s Sanity. Reduce them to zero, and they’re driven mad and eliminated from the game.
Cards often have additional abilities: restoring your own Sanity, forcing opponents to discard a card next turn, or drawing extra cards. Many also offer a choice between effects, typically between Conjuring Points or Sanity Loss, allowing you to shift tactics based on the game’s tempo.
A key mechanic is Abjuration, which lets you permanently remove cards from the game. Use this to thin out your weaker cards and streamline your deck’s power. This even allows you to Abjure one of the Available Cards, essentially “flushing” an unwanted card in the hopes of a better option.
Certain abilities cause cards to Abjure themselves after unleashing powerful one-shot effects. It’s a steep cost, but some cards can recover cards Abjured in the current turn, letting you reuse them in future turns.
These mechanics combine into a deeply strategic experience. Learning how cards synergise, and when to pivot from building to attacking, is where the real fun lies.
Digital Implementation
The Steam version of Cthulhu Realms is a clean and faithful adaptation. The interface is intuitive, and a 3D-rendered playing table resembling a ritual site lost to time adds great atmosphere. The art from the physical game is beautifully preserved and integrated into the UI.
Unfortunately, this version supports only two-player matches, limiting the chaotic charm of a full four-player game. That said, the digital version introduces a campaign mode with a quirky (if slightly forgettable) storyline. While the narrative didn’t hold my attention, the campaign’s custom scenarios, each with unique rules, kept the matches fresh and engaging.
AI and Online Play
The game offers two campaigns: one against Easy AI, and one against Hard AI. The Easy AI serves as a great tutorial, while the Hard AI teaches you how to win with efficient strategy and smart synergy.
Once the campaign is complete, you can play standard games against either AI with no special rules. There’s also online matchmaking, but in my experience, the lobbies were always empty. If you want to play online, your best bet is to directly invite a friend.
Final Thoughts
Cthulhu Realms on Steam is a smart, stylish deck-builder with satisfying mechanics and a challenging AI campaign. Its limited two-player support and empty online lobbies are unfortunate shortcomings, but the core gameplay remains strong.
If you’re looking to test your sanity solo or go head-to-head with a friend, the digital version is worth the price. But if you crave a more chaotic, social experience, consider summoning the physical edition to your tabletop instead.
