Hegemon: The Gallery of Nightmares is a dark board game for 2-6 players, set in a vision of hell divided into three unique factions: the Kingdom of Mold and Bones (Plague), the Dreams of the Accursed (Lament), and the Light of the Fallen (Inferno). The task of the players controlling these factions will be to obtain the ancient Sigils found on the Scroll. Each Sigil will provide cards representing a diverse group of creatures with their own dark histories, Death Points, Initiative, and unique Abilities. These creatures will serve their masters loyally in many ways - some as currency, others as sacrifices on the path to ultimate victory.
Win duels with brute force, cunning, or complex synergies. Form and break alliances, deceive, bluff, and scheme. Only one player will be able to conquer enough Sigils to claim dominion over the hellish reality. Do you dare to fight for the title of the Hegemon?
Languages
Hegemon: The Gallery of Nightmares is being produced by Ghost Chicken as a full game in Polish and English.
Game Overview - The Rules of the Scroll
The Idea behind Hegemon: The Gallery of Nightmares
Development of the game began back in 2017, originally within a different team. The premise was simple: to create a game that could be enjoyed on a quiet evening with a few friends. It was meant to be straightforward, with a short rulebook, yet deep enough to offer a wealth of strategic possibilities for those who wanted to dive in. Ideally, it would support two players, but also scale well for more. The horror theme was a natural choice - Feranos has always been passionate about horror.
The original concept was ambitious, but we remained persistent. Over eight years, we produced more than 50 test versions. Throughout that time, virtually every aspect evolved - mechanics, card balance, abilities, board size and layout, even the game's lore, all refined to better align with the gameplay.
Our biggest inspirations came from video games like Warlords Battlecry II and Heroes of Might and Magic III, along with card games such as Hearthstone, Gwent, and Magic: The Gathering.
We created three distinct factions based on a rock-paper-scissors principle - but without creating clear dominance. We didn't want a system where one Faction would automatically win against another just because of a single mechanic. That's why the damage advantage (Inferno deals double damage to Lament, Lament to Plague, Plague to Inferno) only affects Conventional Attacks - it never guarantees victory on its own. Everyone should be able to win.
Lament (The Dreams of the Accursed) represents ethereal, dreamlike entities - ghosts, poltergeists, and beings wandering through the Sands of Oblivion.
Plague (The Kingdom of Mold and Bones) embodies the mindless force of the swarm - creatures possessed by an all-consuming mold.
Inferno (The Light of the Fallen) draws from biblical imagery - fiery, demonic beings consumed by light and flame.
As a side note, in 2023, Feranos published a book titled Feranos' Nightmare Gallery - a collection of short stories interwoven with Goodnight's (something between short story and poetry), set in the world of the Hegemon. Three volumes are planned, though currently, the series is available only in Polish.
In 2019, visual development was taken over by Lycan, an artist with over 20 years of experience. The collaboration grew organically - many ideas were exchanged during casual meetings over a beer, where they discussed concept art, creative direction, and life in general.
Meanwhile, Feranos continued iterating on the game, testing and refining each new version until it became clear the project needed to move forward. And so, here we are.
The final result is a game that turned out to be more complex and attention-demanding than originally planned, yet deeply engaging and rewarding. It constantly encourages players to improve - to experiment with different card combinations and strategies. Sometimes it’s worth conceding ground to regroup for a stronger counterattack. Sometimes, forming an alliance pays off. And sometimes, direct confrontation is the only way.
Our guiding principle has always been:
“The game is about winning.”
Every rule and system is designed to reward strength, smart decision-making, and bold tactics.
About Ghost Chicken Team
The whole thing started back in 2017 with a casual “Hey, maybe we should make a board game?”
Feranos was supposed to handle the game design and lore. Unfortunately, the original artist bailed in 2018. That’s when Lycan entered the scene.
Turned out, Lycan was a total win.
Feranos would say stuff like, “Make him look kinda human, but with tentacles… and he’s blue… and glows a bit.”
Lycan would nod and go, “Got it, totally.”
Then Feranos would get back a glowing blue bird-man and say, “This is way better than what I had in my head.”
The partnership blossomed.
Fun fact: Feranos even met his future wife thanks to this project.
Over the years, the game would fall asleep for a while, then wake up again. It went through more than 50 test versions and was tried out by dozens of people. Eventually, it was ready. All that was left was figuring out how to actually do something with it.
The end.
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Our email address is: hegemon.tabletop@gmail.com
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