There’s a game perched on my shelf right now with a single crow on the box and a title that sends a little shiver down my book-loving spine: Nevermore. I haven’t played it yet, but I’ve been thumbing through the cards and reading the rulebook, and oh—what a mysterious little gem it seems to be.

Nevermore is a card drafting game with a deliciously eerie twist. Players are cast into a shadowy world of shifting powers, secret plotting, and poetic danger. It’s fast-paced, filled with decisions, and carries a clever mechanic that’s unlike anything I’ve quite seen before: the moment your character loses all their health, you’re transformed into a crow. Not figuratively. Literally. You stop being human, and your entire objective shifts.

The game’s rhythm is all about card drafting. Players are dealt a hand of five cards, and each round is a draft—pick one, pass the rest, and repeat. The suits you collect determine the outcome of each phase. For example, gathering the most Attack cards lets you deal damage to another player. Healing cards restore your health. Victory Points are the classic route to winning. Shadow cards—well, they’re a bit of a mystery, and Radiance gives you access to powerful one-use cards with unusual effects.

What fascinates me most is the transformation. If your health drops to zero, you become a crow. From that moment on, your game changes. You’re no longer fighting for victory points—you’re trying to claw your way back to human form by collecting Radiance and Healing. It’s this eerie little arc of downfall and redemption, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out at the table.

The artwork is striking in that moody, slightly surreal way. Think feathers, candlelight, and glinting shadows. Each card feels like a little piece of a darker story, and I can already tell the game will inspire dramatic table talk, alliances, and sudden betrayals wrapped in poetic irony.

From what I’ve read and seen, Nevermore plays quickly and with just enough bite to keep everyone on their toes. It’s easy to teach, but layered enough for players who like just a bit of mystery with their mayhem.

So while I haven’t played it yet, I’m ready. The crows are calling. And if the game lives up to the rules and the mood it’s already set—I have a feeling it’ll be a favorite for stormy night game sessions, complete with tea and a few dramatic gasps.