Disclosure: This product was sent to us free of charge for the purpose of this review. However, as per my PR Info page, this review represents our honest opinion of the product. This post may contain affiliate links.
Product: Doomlings – a Delightful Card Game for the End of the World
Price: £25.95
Age Range: 10 years+
Manufacturer’s Description: Doomlings is a funny, lightweight card game that takes 5 minutes to learn, 20-45 minutes to play, and is suitable for 2-6 players ages 10 and up. Play traits for points over multiple rounds, called ages and catastrophes. Win by having the highest score before the third and final catastrophe brings about the end of the world.
Rating: (5/5 stars) Review: As a family, we enjoy playing games together, so we were happy to be sent this fun card game to review. Doomlings is a strategic card game for 2–6 players that has you trying to survive the end of the world, evolving your Doomlings over several ages and through various catastrophes. Originally launched in 2021/2022 via Kickstarter, Doomlings has become a very successful franchise, with several versions of the base game released, along with a plethora of expansions, a variety of play mats, and a whole host of adorable plushies. The game is suitable for ages 10+, for 2–6 players, and takes around 30 to 45 minutes to play. Lydia was delighted to be allowed to choose two of these super soft and squishy Doomlings, and has welcomed Fawn and Talia to her plush collection. We were sent the base version of the game, which includes a rule sheet, 15 catastrophe cards, 25 age cards, 1 Birth of Life card, 6 Gene Pool cards, 4 quick reference cards, and a huge stack of 116 trait cards. You also get one mystery holofoil card, which is always a bit of a thrill to pull from the trait pile while playing. Doomlings is easy to set up, though I’d definitely recommend keeping the guide to hand the first few times so you don’t forget anything. You begin with a face-down pile of 13 age cards, starting with the Birth of Life and with three catastrophes hidden in the pile. This involves building it in thirds and a lot of shuffling to make sure the catastrophes are spread out amongst the ages, and you don’t know what you’re going to get. Each player starts the game with a hand of 5 trait cards, and the rest form a draw pile in the centre. Hand size changes throughout the game, as playing different traits and age cards can affect your Gene Pool – i.e., your hand size. Each player has a Gene Pool card that lets you easily track how many cards you should have at the end of your turn when you stabilise your Gene Pool. Every time something changes the size of your Gene Pool, you simply spin or flip the card so the correct number is displayed at the top. Gameplay begins with the first player flipping the Birth of Life card over, and then each player takes a turn choosing one of their trait cards to add to their trait pile. At the end of each round, another age card is flipped, which leads to a variety of consequences for all players. Each time a catastrophe occurs, a new era begins. The aim is to score the most points by the time the third catastrophe occurs, which triggers the World’s End and ends the game. You build up your trait pile to evolve your Doomlings through the ages, scoring as many points as you can – and ideally sabotaging your opponents along the way. There are four colours of traits, along with a fifth ‘colourless’ category. Each trait card includes the trait’s name, a funny quote, an adorable illustration, gameplay information, and a trait score. Every card is unique – even the green Swarm cards and the red Kidney cards (both of which have multiple copies in the deck) feature slightly different quotes and illustrations. Trait cards may include actions or effects that impact gameplay immediately or at World’s End. These can range from drawing extra cards to swapping hands with an opponent. You can preview the trait cards included by checking out the compendium on their website. A handful of traits are dominant, with extra-special effects—but you can only play two of these. Doomlings is easy to learn once you get started and is definitely addictive. There’s a good amount of random chaos introduced by the luck of the draw and the different ages and catastrophes. So although you can try to strategise and play your hand carefully, sometimes your plans are completely derailed. I had such a great hand at the weekend with my next few plays mapped out – and then we all had to swap hands. Oh no! Scoring can be slightly tricky at first, as you need to consider the World’s End actions and effects of everyone’s trait piles. Fortunately, there’s an online Doomlings Score Tool web app and a printable score sheet available on their website to help. We’ve played the game with three players as well as four, and it is definitely coming along to my parents’ house next time we visit so we can try it with six players. You can shorten or lengthen the game by adjusting how many eras there are before the world ends, and you can add or remove cards from the deck to customise gameplay as you like. The box includes cardboard spacers that you can remove as you expand your deck with expansion packs. Getting the base game and then investing in expansions over time is a great way to dip your toes in and see if you enjoy it before paying bit by bit to build out the full experience. Overall, we’ve had such a brilliant time playing Doomlings, and it’s quickly become one of those games we find ourselves reaching for again and again. It’s fun, chaotic in the best way, easy to learn, and full of charm, with plenty of room to grow if you choose to add expansions later on. We’ve genuinely loved exploring its quirky world together, and we’re happily giving it a full 5-star rating. You can also purchase Doomlings on Amazon, including the deluxe pack which looks extra shiny and comes with a playmat. The Upgrade Pack of 5 expansion packs has definitely gone on our Christmas list and may have already been messaged to a family member as a gift idea!
