Image taken from https://boardgamegeek.com/image/8537755/doom-pilgrim-pocket

Designer: Waclaw Traier
Publisher: War Claw Games
Artist: Waclaw Traier

I’ve never played the original Doom Pilgrim, but from my understanding, this is a smaller version of that game; it is all contained in a tin that could fit in your pocket. Before we get into it, I do want to say I was very surprised at how quickly they shipped this out! The original campaign said it would be March of 2025, and I received mine at the end of December (2024). 🥳

Doom Pilgrim pocket is a card based narrative adventure game. Each turn, you draw three cards from the deck and based on the art on the back of the cards, decide which card you want to discard, which to put at the bottom of the deck, and which to flip and read for this turn.

While not really being a strategic game, the art design is unique, and I find the decision-making process for the cards fun and interesting. Once a card is selected, sometimes there are options for you to choose a path or make a selection, while other times the outcome is dependent on your game state, how far you’ve gotten, etc. As you explore the deck, you keep track of your wounds, gold, physical and mental afflictions, equipment, companions, etc. in a separate journal (or similar), as the effects of some cards are contingent on where you are at physically, mentally, financially, etc. and some have lasting effects that could resurface later in the game.

One minor complaint: for space purposes (I assume), they didn’t include any rules in the tin, just some terminology on the back. As someone who hasn’t played the original, I had to go find them on their website (which wasn’t difficult) but based on the fact the instructions fit on one page (online), they probably could have squeezed something inside.

Overall, Doom Pilgrim Pocket is fun and well designed for what it is, and I appreciate its small footprint both in the tin and while playing. Unfortunately, sometimes death in inevitable, but it is fun to adventure and see how far you can get. The ailments you end up with and some of the other items or companions you have can be quite humorous, especially to share with someone not playing (ex. I have leprosy and rabies, but at least I have a cat companion). Due to the nature of the game, its replayability factor is pretty high. The cards can be shuffled each game, so they appear in different orders and combinations. You can also make it a memory game and try to remember and avoid certain problematic cards as you play through the deck.

I don’t know how often I’ll get it off the shelf just because this isn’t the usual type of game I prefer, but I’m glad we have it in our collection and look forward to more explorations. It also may travel with me sometimes!