Card game co-created by local games group picked up for full release as The Banishing

Publisher WizKids has dropped a surprise announcement for a new fantasy card game designed by Sean Rumble with the help of his local games group.

The Banishing pops players in the shoes of spell-casting guardians tasked with beating back the advancing forces of evil undead who are spewing forth from a mysterious void. Three to five players pick up cards to combine into spells and work together to overcome the darkness in around 45 minutes.

It’s a very similar concept to a print-and-play game posted on BGG by Rumble last year, called The Ritual. That game also featured co-operative card-combining mechanics themed around demons emerging from a void. Some differences – beyond the name – include dropping the number of maximum players to five from six and slight tweaks to the cards and theme.

It looks like WizKids has picked up the game for a full release, which is currently planned for May 2017. In the box will be 98 cards and eight character sheets, at a US price of $20. Thanks for the heads up, ICv2.