Up until now, the Crucible has been a wild, wacky, and wondrous place, a realm full of bizarre beings and colorful creatures. The tone for KeyForge has always been lighthearted, fun, and a bit silly, which has historically been a large part of the game’s identity.

No longer.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce KeyForge Noir, a new spinoff to the world’s first Unique Deck Game. In this version of KeyForge, everything is grim, gritty, and grayscale, a version of the Crucible that is devoid of all joy. This game is perfect for people who want a super-serious gaming experience or wish to reminisce on the year 2020 in tabletop form. Break out the trilby hats and the trench coats, friend—it’s time to get hard-boiled.

A Gray Area

In KeyForge Noir, you take on the role of a special type of Archon known as a Private Investigative Entity, and you must race to solve mysteries and catch criminals before your rival PIE can steal all the credit. The Crucible is a bizarre and dangerous world, and each case is more challenging than the last. You may find yourself tracking down the elusive Agent Hoo-Man (KeyForge Noir, 160) for information, engaging in a back-alley brawl with Citizen Shrix (KeyForge Noir, 186), or withholding information from the suspiciously-persistent Aubade the Grim (KeyForge Noir, 213).

“The Shadows didn’t invent crime, but they definitely know how to improve it.” – Information Officer Gray

Just like in a normal game of KeyForge, you will amass Æmber (to pay off informants) and forge keys (to unlock the secrets of the case) as you play. However, there’s a twist. In addition to having its own versions of existing KeyForge cards sapped of all vibrancy and color, KeyForge Noir also comes with its own special set of rules. This is a gritty reimagining of the Crucible, so the game will punish you the more you emote. Whenever you declare your active house, you must say it in as stoic and gravely a voice as possible, or else your opponent will get to choose the house for you. Smiling is forbidden when playing KeyForge Noir—if you so much as smirk, you lose half your Æmber right then and there. Remember, this is a game about taking things seriously, which means that if you ever laugh, even if it’s just a simple chuckle, you must immediately unforge a key. The purpose of the game is not to have fun, after all—it’s to get the job done.

“Y’know, Dis has been waitin’ for dis since da beginnin’.” – Tommy Two-Toes of the Yantzee Gang

However, there is more to KeyForge Noir than simply keeping a straight face. In order to truly succeed in this grimdark, colorless world, you will need to shake your opponent’s resolve. Whenever you aren’t looking at the cards in your hand, you must stare with as much intensity as you can physically manifest into your opponent’s eyes. The first player to break eye contact between each turn must give an Æmber to the other. Blinking is allowed, but only if your stare becomes more intense with each blink. Clearly this game is not for the faint of heart—can you rise to the challenge?

“The Fuzzy Gray-en. Just look at how menacing it is. We’d best be careful.” – Dr. Escotera

Nothing is Simply Black-and-White

Now that you’ve steeled yourself and are prepared for the intensity that is KeyForge Noir, you might be wondering when this monochromatic wave washes over the Crucible. Well, you’re in luck, pal—you can download the KeyForge Noir version of any of our existing print-and-play decks starting today. You can find instructions on how to acquire your Noir decks here . Or, if you’ve got the guts, you can wait for the physical release when it slides into stores on April 1, 3021.

Good luck out there, friend. You’re going to need it.

Pre-order your physical copy of KeyForge Noir (KFN01) online through our website today!