A Cooperative Dungeon Crawler Focused on Family and Survival

Children of Morta: The Board Game is a cooperative, light-to-medium weight dungeon crawler for 1–4 players that blends adventure gameplay with a strong focus on family progression. Set in the land of Rea, players take on the roles of members of the Bergson family, working together to stop the spreading corruption. Unlike many dungeon crawlers that focus heavily on story or exploration, Children of Morta leans more into tactical combat and long-term development. While there is a narrative framework, the real focus is on how your characters grow stronger over time and how you manage each run as a team.

The game offers both one-shot and story modes, but the story mode is clearly the main attraction. It connects individual sessions into a longer experience, where each run feels like part of a bigger journey rather than a standalone scenario.

Structure of the Game: Runs, Chapters, and Progression

The game is divided into chapters, and each chapter is played as a “run.” During a run, players select characters and move through a branching map, facing a series of encounters that lead to a final objective. This structure works well. It creates a natural rhythm: prepare, fight, survive (or fail), return home, upgrade, and try again. Failure is part of the experience, and the game expects you to replay chapters to improve your chances.

The branching paths introduce meaningful decisions. Taking a longer route may give you more rewards and experience, but it also increases the risk of weakening your team before the final encounter. Choosing the right path becomes a small but important strategic layer on top of the combat. An interesting detail is that while characters gain experience individually, some upgrades—especially those tied to the shared bag—benefit the whole group. This creates a sense of collective progress, even when switching characters between runs.

Combat as the Core Experience

Combat is the heart of Children of Morta, and it’s where the game stands out the most. At its core, the system is based on a shared bag-building mechanism. Players draw chits from a common bag, and these chits determine what actions can be taken. The symbols on them allow you to activate abilities, deal damage, gain defense, or build up focus for stronger actions. This creates a system that is both tactical and slightly unpredictable. You need to plan your turn carefully, but also adapt to what the bag gives you.

Each fight feels like a puzzle. You need to decide:

• which enemies to prioritize,

• how to manage your defense and health,

• when to spend focus for stronger actions,

• and how to prepare for the next round.

Enemies that survive will attack, and if you don’t control the situation properly, things can spiral quickly. There’s constant pressure to deal damage while also protecting yourself. One of the more interesting aspects is how rewards chain together. Defeating enemies can trigger effects that help you deal with others, creating small but satisfying combos. These moments don’t always happen, but when they do, they feel earned. The system is not overly complex, but it has enough depth to stay engaging over multiple sessions.

Simultaneous Play and Team Cooperation

One of the strongest elements of the game is how it handles cooperation. Players take their turns simultaneously, discussing options, planning together, and adjusting their actions in real time. This keeps downtime very low and makes the experience feel dynamic. The cooperation feels natural. Ranged characters can support others across the table, melee characters handle close threats, and players constantly help each other survive. There’s a real sense of playing as a team rather than taking individual turns.

This approach works especially well in a co-op setting. It encourages communication without making the game feel overly complex or slow.

Character Development and Bag-Building Progression

Progression is one of the most satisfying parts of Children of Morta. After each run, players return to town and spend their rewards. Coins are used to improve the shared bag by adding better chits, while experience points are used to upgrade character abilities. The bag-building system is particularly strong. Adding new chits that grant extra dice, bonus effects, or additional resources has a noticeable impact on gameplay. These upgrades feel meaningful and immediately useful.

At the same time, the game balances this progression by introducing negative chits, which adds tension and prevents the system from becoming too easy. Character upgrades are also impactful, but they are tied to specific heroes. This creates an interesting dynamic where switching characters means losing access to some upgrades, while still benefiting from the shared improvements. Overall, the progression system strikes a good balance between individual growth and team development.

Replayability and Game Modes

With multiple characters, branching paths, and a large pool of encounters, Children of Morta offers solid replayability. Even within the same chapter, different paths and outcomes can change how the game plays out. The variability in combat, combined with the randomness of the bag, ensures that no two runs feel exactly the same. The game also works well in solo mode. Controlling two characters is manageable and often recommended, as it allows you to experience more of the game’s cooperative systems. Playing true solo is possible, but it removes some of the synergy that makes the game interesting.

While the story itself may not be the main driver, the mechanical replayability is strong enough to keep players engaged over time.

Accessibility and Learning Curve

Children of Morta sits in an interesting space in terms of complexity. The rules are relatively straightforward, especially compared to heavier dungeon crawlers. The core systems are easy to understand, and the game flows smoothly once you start playing. At the same time, the decision-making during combat can be quite demanding. Managing multiple resources, planning actions, and reacting to randomness requires attention and teamwork.

This makes the game approachable, but not shallow. It’s a good fit for players who want a tactical co-op experience without diving into overly complex systems.

Visual Design and Component Quality

In terms of production, the game delivers a solid experience. Components are well-made, with thick cardboard and durable tokens. The overall quality supports repeated play without issues. The artwork is more mixed. Some parts of the game look very good and help build the atmosphere. However, the monster designs in particular may not appeal to everyone. They have a more digital, rendered look that stands out from the rest of the art style. This doesn’t affect gameplay, but it can impact immersion slightly, depending on personal preference.

Downsides Worth Considering

While Children of Morta does many things well, there are a few areas where it may not fully satisfy all players. The story, while present, feels secondary. Players expecting a strong narrative experience may find it a bit underdeveloped. Randomness is also a key factor. Bag draws and dice rolls can influence outcomes significantly. While there is some room for mitigation, the game still relies heavily on luck. Storage and setup could also be improved. The number of components makes organization slightly cumbersome, and the game would benefit from a better insert. Finally, while the game is accessible, players looking for a deeper or more complex dungeon crawler might find it slightly limited in scope.

Verdict

Children of Morta: The Board Game is a solid and approachable cooperative dungeon crawler that focuses on tactical combat, team play, and satisfying progression. Its bag-building system works very well, combat feels engaging and puzzle-like, and the shared development of the Bergson family creates a strong sense of growth over time. The simultaneous play keeps the game flowing, and the cooperative aspect feels natural and rewarding.

At the same time, the game doesn’t aim to be a deep narrative experience, and its reliance on randomness may not appeal to everyone. Some production choices, like the artwork of enemies and storage solutions, also leave room for improvement. Still, for players looking for a cooperative game with meaningful decisions, steady progression, and a focus on teamwork rather than complexity, Children of Morta is an easy recommendation.

It may not reinvent the genre, but it delivers a well-rounded and enjoyable experience that is easy to bring to the table and satisfying to play over multiple sessions.

– David

Scratches: 8.0/10.0