FAQ

Frequently Asked

(scroll down for game-specific FAQ)

How many players? How long?

Doomlings plays 2-6 players, ages 10+. A typical game takes 20-45 min, depending on the number of players. A game with 2 players usually lasts 20 min, and a game with 4 might last 40 min. It depends on the group and everyone's playstyle! Because the ages are randomized, each game is unique!

 

Is this actually fun for 2 players?

Yes! In fact, Doomlings is a BLAST as a quick, 2-player game. With the current state of the world, it’s important now more than ever to have playable 2-player games for couples, siblings, roommates, imaginary friends and what have you. Doomlings works just as well with 2 players as it does 6.

 

I'm a retailer: how do I carry Doomlings?

We would love to see our Doomlings in your store! Please reach out to sales@doomlings.com and we'll take care of you.

 

What shipping carriers are you using?

For domestic (U.S. lower 48) orders, we use a combination of UPS SurePost, and either FedEx Ground or UPS Ground. International orders outside the US are almost always shipped through Asendia.

 

I'm a customer from outside the US. What happens when I buy my game?

If you live outside the US, Doomlings are shipped DDU (duties unpaid). You may be required to pay customs and duties fees when the package enters your country. These fees are based on your country's laws, and often vary by postal code. Please contact your local post office to see if duties apply.

To our customers in the UK: we are obligated to charge VAT on all orders below £135. If your order exceeds 135 GBP, you will not be charged VAT on Doomlings.com. However, upon your package's arrival in your country, you will likely be required to pay VAT and duties fees well above what would normally be charged.

 

What is your refund policy?

At Doomlings, our goal is 100% satisfaction with our game for every customer. While all sales are final, we recognize that sometimes things happen. If your game arrives damaged, or is misplaced by our shipping provider, please reach out to us via info@doomlings.com and we will work to replace your game. Please see our terms and conditions for further details on refunds.  

How do you score Doomlings?

 

How big is the box?

Both the Classic and Deluxe boxes are 6.88” W x 4” L x 3” H. If you decide to sleeve your cards, you can remove the cardboard tray to create more space. Additionally, all Deluxe Boxes contain a foam block, hidden beneath the tray, to use as a spacer for future content.  

 

Will the Playmat Bag have space for the game itself?

Yes! It will fit all seven playmats AND the game box. The below photo demonstrates this, using one of our First Edition Gold Boxes, but the new 'Lightning' Classic and Deluxe Boxes will also fit.

 

 

 

How big are the cards? What cardstock?

These are standard poker sized playing cards, 2.5''x 3.5''. They are 300 GSM with an aqueous oil coating and a linen finish. We have found that this cardstock is durable and really allows the colors to shine. Our holofoil cards are slightly thicker, to combat the natural curling that occurs via the holofoil process. We recommend storing your holofoils in a rigid card sleeve (sometimes called "card protectors")

 

Will Doomlings be posted in other languages?

We hope to publish in other languages in the future, but currently we are focused on having a successful launch in English.

 

How can I be sure this will be a good quality game?

As of Oct 2023, Doomlings has received over 4700 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews from real customers around the world, as verified by Yotpo. Doomlings has been played in over 80 countries, and we continue to make improvements and listen to feedback from the community. We also strive to exceed all quality expectations and have partnered with some of the most trusted vendors in card game manufacturing (AdMagic) and fulfillment (Blackbox). If there is anything we can improve upon, please don't hesitate to reach out to our care team at info@doomlings.com.

 

What are the specs of the playmat?

11'' x 22'' (28cm x 56cm) so that multiple mats can fit on a standard dining room table. The mats are made of neoprene, stitched along the edges, and full color custom print. The current Community Playmat is a Kickstarter Exclusive, and will only be sold in this initial batch!

 

Do your playmats contain latex?

No, Doomlings playmats do not contain latex.

 

Is there a way to separate the expansions (contained in the Upgrade Pack and Deluxe Bundle) from the Classic game?

Yes! Dinolings, Techlings, and Mythlings each have a respective identifier, tucked in the upper-right corner unobtrusively, but easy to see:

  • Most dual-color cards are easy to identify because they'll have a split color border. A few cards in that expansion play off color effects, but do not have split borders.  
  • The Meaning of Life expansion will be easy to separate because these cards have their own unique card back.

 

Where can I find the Holofoil Rarity chart?

Here's a link to the First Edition Holofoil rarity chart.

You can also find Overlush Rarities here.

 

GAME FAQ

We did our best to address every possible question in our rules sheet, however, there are a few inquiries about specific cards that the community has asked us to clarify... 

Negative numbers won't show up on the Doomlings Score Tool on my phone. Some phones do not offer a negative symbol on their keyboard. Our recommendation is to install Google's G-Board app, which will allow you to use negative numbers (as well as a pretty cool swipe-type feature).

When I swap or steal, where are these cards going to? If you swap or steal from a hand, it goes to your hand. If you swap or steal from a trait pile, it goes to your trait pile.

Regarding Juicy's effect, what does "Swap 2 traits between any 2 trait piles" mean? We recognize this was unclear. This means swap one trait from any trait pile for another trait in any other trait pile.

What color is Fulfilled? Fulfilled should be considered colorless, and should count towards any bonuses associated with the number of colorless cards in your trait pile. It also will face any restrictions associated with colorless cards (i.e.: "Players cannot play colorless traits this round.")

I played Pycnofibers and have drawn a card that the current age is restricting me from playing. What do I do? Unless the card you drew is a dominant trait, which Pycnofibers tells you to discard, or something you choose to discard as part of stabilizing, keep that card in your hand.

Can I play Heroic unrestricted from the discard pile during Birth of a Hero? No. Birth of a Hero only lets you play Heroic without restriction if you're holding it when the age is turned. If you use a trait action to play Heroic from the discard pile, you must still be able to satisfy the requirement of already having 3 green traits in your trait pile.

My friend and I have conflicting World's End effects on our trait cards. How do we resolve them? As the rules state, the World's End effects on traits are resolved in turn order. If you have Hyper-Intelligence and your friend has Faith, and if you are 1st player, your friend cannot change the color of any of their cards to avoid having to discard because it is not their turn yet. However, if you have Viral and your friend has Faith, and if you are 1st player, you can choose a color that would give them a lot of negative points, but your friend can choose to change those traits to a different color to avoid getting dinged because scoring hasn't started yet.

To play Terror Beak, do I discard a green trait from my hand or my trait pile? The intention is for you to discard a green trait from your trait pile. However, because the language on the card isn't clear, we won't fault you for treating it as either/or. (We're getting new fine tooth combs for our retail edition.)

Can attachment traits be played on dominant traits? I want to attach Nano to Tiny for 17 points! No.

If I start my turn by playing a trait that says, "Play another trait," do the effects of the second trait apply? Yes.

I have a trait in my hand with an effect that reads, "To play, you must..." What does this mean? It means you must fulfill the requirements mentioned in order to play the card. (Note: If you swap or steal a card with a requirement effect from another player, you do not need to fulfill the requirement.)

I have a trait in my hand with an effect that reads, "You may play..." What does this mean? It means you may choose to play the effect mentioned or disregard it.

If I play Denial before the third and final catastrophe, do I get to ignore the World's End effect, in addition to the Gene Pool and Catastrophic effects? If so, do I still get to ignore the World's End effect if an opponent plays Preper and chooses a World's End effect from the first or second catastrophe? Yes, and yes. In both cases, however, you cannot ignore The Four Horsemen.

Alien Terraform reads, "You may discard dominant cards from your hand. If you do, then stabilize immediately." If I do this, do I still get to play my turn? Yes.

Temporal Sands reads, "Play the effect of the previous age. (Excluding catastrophes.)" If the previous age was a catastrophe, or The Birth of Life, what do we do? You would replay the effect of the age that was played before the catastrophe, or set your Gene Pool to 5 and play a normal round, if the previous age was The Birth of Life.

Beauty reads, "Return 1 trait to your hand." Can I take a trait from an opponent's trait pile? No, you can only pick up a trait from your own trait pile.

When the third catastrophe hits, do we have to resolve all of the effects on the catastrophe, or just the World's End effect? All of the effects. Sorry!

If I steal a trait from an opponent's trait pile that has an action, do I get to play that action? Only if the trait you're playing to steal the card says you can. For example, Vampirism allows you to play the action of the stolen card, but not Tiny Little Melons.

When do traits with the "star" point value get assigned that value? Immediately or at the end of the game? Those points are not calculated until the end of the game.

If I play an attachment trait like Nano, Subdermal Plating or Lyonization into an opponent's trait pile, who gets the points for those cards? Your opponent.

How many points are multi-color traits worth? Their face values are only counted once; however, every color counts toward any end game bonuses you may have.

What are the spaces on the community playmat for? At the start of the game, the "Traits" slot is where you'll put all the trait cards that weren't dealt out face down. This is the stack you'll draw new traits from. The "Ages" slot is where you'll put all of your ages, face down, with The Birth of Life on top, as it is always the first age. As you play and turn over new ages, you will place them in the "First Era" slot, until you hit your first catastrophe, at which point you will turn subsequent ages over into the "Second Era" slot, and so on. The "Discard" slot is for discarded trait cards. Discarded trait cards should be stacked face up.

Can I play this game with more than the recommended number of people? Sure! It's only been playtested for 2 to 6 players, but we can't stop you from playing it with more people.

What do you do when the trait deck runs out? You can reshuffle the discard pile and make a new trait deck.

What do you do in resolving a tie if one player draws a conditional points card? If you are drawing traits to break a tie, you are only considering the face value of the card. If it has a requirement effect, ignore it. If it has a "star" symbol as its face value, it's worth 0.

If you’re supposed to select a card “at random,” whether it is in your hand, your trait pile, or someone else’s, do you flip over the cards, mix them up, and draw “at random”? Yes.

Legendary reads, "Discard your hand. Do not stabilize." Does this mean I skip my next turn? Yes. Per the rulebook, if you start your turn with 0 cards, you will draw 3 cards and skip your turn. However, if the next age tells you to draw cards, it's your lucky day!

Is there any scenario in which a dominant trait can be discarded from a trait pile? No.

Since Ruggedized is an attachment trait and not a host trait, does it still count towards the limit of 2 dominant traits per trait pile? Yes.