Koschei the Deathless

Koschei’s servants are spreading across the realm, villages whisper of a missing girl, and every road now leads deeper into danger.

Koschei the Deathless is a scenario-based adventure deckbuilder set in a dark world of Slavic folklore. Players follow branching encounter chains, build their decks with creatures and spells, complete quests, perform rituals, and make sacrifices in search of Lore.

Beyond every choice stand four powers struggling for the realm: Chaos, Order, Spirits, and Humanity. None is simply good or evil. Each offers strength. Each demands a price. The heroes may succeed together; but only one will become legend.

Enter a world of deep woods, drowned roads, ancient pacts, holy icons, restless spirits, and monsters whispered about by firelight. Koschei’s shadow stretches across the land; but he is not the only power fighting for its future.

Each scenario unfolds through encounter chains tied to places on the map. Follow tracks, question villagers, bargain with spirits, fight Koschei’s servants, and unlock new encounters through your choices.

Every card can matter in more than one way. Play creatures and spells, commit cards to quests, discard them during rituals to gain resources, or sacrifice them for desperate advantages.

The heroes must gather enough Lore to survive the scenario together. But victory has room for only one legend: the hero whose Fame outshines the rest.

The realm is not divided between good and evil. Four powers struggle to define what comes next; each with its own followers, temptations, and legendary champion. Every choice brings you closer to one of them.

Chaos is the path of blood, ambition, and impossible bargains. It offers strength when all other paths fail but nothing it gives is ever free.

Order raises walls against fear. It brings law, faith, discipline, and unity to a fractured realm but those who stand outside its walls may find little mercy.

Spirits are the old world that never left: forests that listen, rivers that remember, roads that open only to those who know the proper words.

Humanity is the strength of mortal lives: villages, families, oaths, grief, courage, and the stubborn will to stand again after falling.

Each round begins with a new Saga event: a shift in the realm, a warning, or another sign that time is running out.

During the day, players explore the map and use their cards to resolve encounters, fight enemies, complete quests, perform rituals, and make sacrifices. At night, they buy new cards, rebuild their hands, and prepare for the next step of the story.

As the scenario progresses, enemies become stronger, choices become harder, and the realm moves closer to one of the four powers.

Current prototype setup for a 4 player game:

The central board, currently split into two pieces, contains the map, the round tracker, and tracks for Ritual and Sacrifice actions. Around the board are the card market, available quests, and the encounter deck, shown here with encounter A on top.

Each player has their own player board, deck, resources, and alignment tracks. As the game develops, players will also build up their own tableau of creatures in front of them.

A young woman named Alina has vanished from a remote village. The tracks are confused, the villagers are afraid, and every rumor points to Koschei’s servants. Some believe she was taken to frighten the countryside. Others whisper that Koschei never reaches for something unless he already knows its value.

To find her, players will follow trails through forests and swamps, question frightened villagers, bargain with spirits, face Koschei’s guards, and decide what kind of heroes they are willing to become. Along the way, their choices will unlock new encounters and pull the realm closer to Chaos, Order, Spirits, or Humanity.

The first scenario begins as a rescue. It may not end as one.

I began working on Koschei the Deathless in late 2023. Since then, the game has gone through around 80 playtests, and the core gameplay loop is now largely stabilized.

The current development focus is on making the experience smoother and easier to play: improving clarity, streamlining progression, reducing clutter, refining encounter chains, and balancing the four powers of the realm. My goal is to complete this stage by the end of 2026.

In 2027, the main focus will shift to the campaign structure: progression between scenarios, long-term consequences, and the full storyline.

The crowdfunding campaign is currently expected to launch afterwards, likely in Q1 2028.

I have been playing board games for over 20 years, starting with Magic: The Gathering, Settlers of Catan, and Carcassonne. Today, my favorites include Brass: Birmingham, S.E.T.I., The Castles of Burgundy, Sleeping Gods, Destinies, or Runebound. I love thematic games with strong mechanisms, meaningful choices, and memorable stories, and those influences naturally shaped Koschei the Deathless.

My love of fantasy began with The Lord of the Rings and later grew even stronger with The Witcher, which introduced me to a fantasy world full of creatures and themes that felt familiar from Slavic stories and childhood tales. Koschei is my attempt to bring that fascination to the table.

Professionally, I work in finance and IT project management, where I have spent years coordinating complex projects and bringing ideas from concept to delivery. The game itself has already gone through around *0 playtests with more than 100 people, and I continue to iterate based on their feedback.

I launched this project early because I want the community to help shape the game while it is still in development. Every comment, question, and piece of feedback helps make the final version better.