Disclaimer: The publisher provided the prototype copy of The Calling | A Roguelike Game. The opinions expressed in the review are completely my own.

Please note: This is a preview copy. The artwork, components, and rules may change before the final release.

Review:

Overview:

When I first heard about The Calling from G. Wesley Cone, my interest was immediately piqued. As a fan of roguelike video games, I was curious how mechanics like permadeath and the “try again to do better” mechanic would translate into a board game format. 

I want to thank the designer and publisher for giving me the opportunity to preview their project.

To set up, place the main board in the center of the table. Each player chooses one of the four available colors, takes the matching tray (with dice and cubes inside), and selects a miniature to use as their pawn. Players also receive a player board, two reference cards, and two D12 dice.

Each player is dealt an occupation card and sets up their board accordingly. While there are rules for creating custom occupations, it’s recommended to use the premade ones for your first game. Next, deal each player three feat cards. They must keep at least one but may keep all three.

Place all miniatures at the starting space, with the fifth miniature (the Suit) positioned at the rear. Put a black cube on round one of the tracker and place the large D6 dice within reach. You’re now ready to begin The Calling.

Turns in The Calling have several steps:

1. Movement: Roll one of your dice and add the result to your Speed (SP). Move your miniature that many spaces along the main path. You may also enter a side alley to gain XP or emergency kits—but beware! If you linger too long, the Suit may catch up.
2. Encounters: After moving, roll the encounter die and check the chart. Encounters can provide bonuses, but more often lead to facing hordes or traps. These are the main ways to earn XP, other than numbers in the side alley.
3. Level Up: Spend XP to upgrade attributes (or in multiplayer, to gain new feats).
4. Suit Movement: Roll the D6 and move the Suit forward. The Suit never takes side alleys, but if it reaches a space where a player is in an alley, that player is caught.
   1. In multiplayer, being caught means losing all XP and restarting in front of the Suit.
   2. In solo mode, being caught ends the game.

You can fail in two ways:

• Losing all hit points to hordes.
• Being caught by the Suit.

An emergency kit (E.K.) can save you once from either outcome.

I’ve played The Calling both solo and with four players. The solo mode is fantastic—tight, tense, and highly replayable. The multiplayer version is fun as well, though it often feels like four solo games happening side by side. The main interaction comes from passing others in alleys, which pushes them closer to the Suit. Feats and goal cards add competitive tension, but the real gem is the solo mode—an absolute “chef’s kiss.”

In my first solo game, I spotted a shiny 25 XP square and went for it. Big mistake. The Suit caught me immediately. Lesson learned: don’t always chase the shinies.

The Calling rewards patience and timing. Early rounds are about survival—staying just ahead of the Suit. Later rounds give you more freedom to push for bigger rewards once you’ve built defenses and gathered emergency kits. The game has a “grind” element: if you prepare well early on, you can become nearly unstoppable by the end.

• Multiplayer: Play two rounds, then tally scores.
• Solo: Play one round or attempt to survive all five. (For the record, I’ve yet to make it to the fifth round—the Suit and hordes scale up right alongside you!)

The Calling is already an exciting, strategic, and fun game, but I see a couple of ways it could be even better:

• Modular Boards: As a roguelike, the game would benefit from procedural-feeling modular maps for variety.
• Asymmetric Characters: Currently, the miniatures are interchangeable. Giving each character unique powers would make those choices more meaningful.

Even without these additions, The Calling is a fantastic experience. Whether solo or multiplayer, the game delivers tense, engaging gameplay that keeps you coming back for “just one more run.”

The Calling will be launching on Kickstarter on September 1st.

After reading Steven Foster’s review, if this sounds like a game for you at the time of this posting The Calling | A Roguelike Game
will be live on KICKSTARTER beginning on Mon, September 1 2025.

Check it out and click to get notified upon launch so you can back it on day 1 HERE.

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