Smallfolk - Game Review

Title: Smallfolk

Designed By: Gloria Lau and Alfie Wright

Art By: Thomas Chamberlain-Keen, Ver Fadul, Angela Gubert, Nadine Jakubowski, Moreno Paissan, and Sandra Singh

Published By: Roc Nest Games

Released: 2025 (on Kickstarter)

Player Count: 1-4

Time to Play: 30-60 Minutes

Ages: 10+

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Overview:

Smallfolk is a whimsical tableau-building game that invites you to craft your own folklore tale using characters, creatures, and items pulled from Greek, Japanese, Arabian, and Celtic myths. Designed for 1–4 players, the game blends simple turn structure with meaningful decisions, letting you build out your story one mythological moment at a time. With dreamy art, satisfying combos, and a cozy solo mode, Smallfolk delivers a magical experience wrapped in a snug little package. Currently live on Kickstarter, this game is well worth checking out if you love card-driven strategy with a touch of storytelling charm.

What's purr-ty cool:

Simple Turns, Smart Choices

On the surface, Smallfolk keeps things delightfully straightforward—each turn, you choose one of three core actions and execute it. But beneath that simplicity lies a clever puzzle that rewards timing and intentional play. Cards serve double duty in this game: they can be added to your story tableau or used as a resource to help play other cards. This dual-use system makes every hand feel flexible, and it challenges you to make the most of what you’ve got. When to play a card versus when to sacrifice it is a constant—and satisfying—tug-of-war.

Hero Cards and Combo Moments

One of the coolest mechanics in Smallfolk is the one-time-use hero cards. These powerful allies can create game-changing moments when played at just the right time. They give you a nice edge, but since they’re limited, you’ll need to plan when and how to use them. The action that lets you gather new hero cards also serves a strategic purpose, encouraging you to travel down the path for additional benefits. When you line up your cards just right—balancing exhaust effects, instant plays, and multi-card gather actions—you can pull off turns that feel impressively combo-y.

Storytelling with Strategy

Managing your tableau is about more than just playing high-value cards. Some cards trigger once, while others can be activated multiple times throughout the game. Early in the game, you might prioritize lower-point cards for their utility, but later you'll want to pivot to higher-value cards to maximize your final score. Swapping cards out of your tableau at the right time can boost your points, especially if you can line up effects that let you replay cards from the discard pile at a reduced cost. It’s all about balancing long-term payoff with short-term gains—and knowing at what point to shift gears.

Charming Visuals, Clever Design

Smallfolk has a strong aesthetic identity that ties its world together. The saturated colors and charming illustrations give the game a cozy, almost storybook-like feel. It does a great job of blending four very different mythological traditions into one cohesive and visually pleasing world. Even in prototype form, it’s lovely. And there’s more cuteness on the horizon—the final version will replace standard meeples with custom player tokens that add even more personality to the game. You can catch a preview of them on the Kickstarter page, and trust me, they’re so cute!

A Solo Experience That Invites a Second Game

If you enjoy solo gaming, Smallfolk is a fantastic way to unwind. It’s a beat-your-own-score format with low upkeep and easy flow. The solo mode uses only half the deck, which means that when you're done with one game, it’s super quick to reset and dive into another. There’s no fiddliness or complicated upkeep—just you, your story, and the satisfaction of trying to improve on your last run. It hits that sweet spot of cozy and clever, perfect for solo players who like a calm but engaging challenge.

The cat's meow:

I don’t need nine lives to know this is a purr-fect little world worth curling up in. Mythology, magic, and meeples? Count me in." - Solo the Spokescat

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Disclosure: Pudgy Cat Games was provided a copy of this game in exchange for a review, however, this review reflects the honest thoughts of the author.