First Roll of 2026

Three print and play campaigns kicking off the year in style

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PnP Time
January 03, 2026

Just a couple of days into 2026, and it’s already full of action!

The year is starting with a bang, with a few print and play campaigns on the horizon, and I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on the games ahead of time. Let's walk through a few that caught my attention.

Essence by Florian Fiedler

Essence is a cooperative fantasy RPG built around tough choices and peak pressure. Players travel through a branching, node-based map of dangerous encounters, where every step forward drains Essence, the party’s shared life force. Once it’s gone, the expedition ends.

The game blends branching route choices inspired by games like Slay the Spire with deep, tactical combat. If a dark universe, pivotal decision-making, and high-stakes cooperative play are your cup of tea, this is one to keep an eye on.

One Card Dungeon: Hell’s Door by Little Rocket Games

Ever played a game that uses just one card? This is a full dungeon crawl that lives on a single card, paired with a handful of dice. No deck. No board. No setup overhead. Just one card standing between you and the abyss.

This new edition centers around a final descent. The gate of Hell has been opened, shadows twist, and the Lord of the Inferno rises to claim his dominion. Your goal is clear. Descend through escalating dangers, survive brutal encounters, and face a final battle to seal Hell’s Door forever.

If you’re up for a multi-level dungeon crawl packed into a single card, give it a shot.

Quickdraw: Battle for Silver City by Ryan Migalla

This one throws you straight into a tense standoff on Main Street, where Bandits are closing in and the Law is the town’s last line of defense. It’s a fast-paced, asymmetric dueling game built around sharp decisions, bluffing, and knowing exactly when to pull the trigger.

To top it all, Quickdraw blazed through the 2025 Two-Player Print and Play Game Design Contest on BoardGameGeek, picking up Best Theme, Best Graphics, and Best Rulebook, along with 2nd Best Mechanics and 3rd Best Overall.

If intense card duels with a twist sound like fun, Quickdraw should be on your radar.

Super excited to try these games and share my side of the story with you.

Stay tuned!

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