Since launching Card Gamer in 2023, we’ve covered a wide range of trading card games (or TCGs), living card games and standalone card games. We’ve even checked out plenty of digital card games, and even bent the rules of what a card game even is with some of the titles we’ve covered. Back at the beginning though, the very first card game we ever reviewed was Achroma, which was part TCG and part living card game, self-described as the Evolving Card Game. We’ve come a long way since then, as has Achroma; so let’s take a look at the game’s latest set release, The Monsters of Norso.

What is Achroma?

As you may not be familiar with the game, let’s give you a brief summary. We’ve mentioned that Achroma is a unique hybrid style of card game; each of its sets so far has released as three different factions, with two possible decks (known as “Palettes” in Achroma) per faction, making for a total of six unique decks per set. The sets each have their own narrative, which goes towards expanding the impressively detailed lore of Achroma’s world.

In Achroma, there are two entirely different, opposing win conditions: victory is secured when players reach a total of 30 Shards in their Shard Bank (known as a Chroma victory) or when they drain their opponent to 0 Shards (an Achrom victory). Typically, the more heroic factions will be looking to secure Achroma wins, whereas the less virtuous factions will naturally be set up to drain Shards from the opponent. Shards also double as the currency used to pay in order to bring cards into play, so there’s a clever risk/reward aspect to account for, as you’ll be spending shards to play cards, and can put yourself in a fairly precarious position when you do so!

Players can use an optional app to track their in-game progress, and if they choose to use this during their games, the results are uploaded to the “Global Achrometer”, which tracks Chroma and Achrom victories. At the end of a season of Achroma, the story evolves based on which side has the most victories, which gives the outcome of each game real weight; every win counts.

What is The Monsters of Norso?

As mentioned, each set has three factions and six Palettes. In The Monsters of Norso, the three factions are: Keepers of the Depths, Depth Dwellers and The Vikti Alliance. If you buy a First Edition Box, you’ll get two random Palettes of the six available (though they’ll never be from the same faction), but if you purchase a First Edition Collection, all six Palettes are included.

The story itself sees a subterranean troll kingdom, along with a collective of outcasts, facing off against not just each other, but an ancient threat, long thought banished to the labyrinths of the Abyss.

Is The Monsters of Norso Fun to Play?

Gameplay-wise, if you know how to play Achroma, you can dive right in. If not, it really isn’t a difficult game to pick up and play, with accessible mechanics, clean card design and gorgeous art, the latter of which adds to a great deal to Achroma’s overall ambience.

As has been the case with prior sets, new keywords are introduced in The Monsters of Norso, each aligned with one of the set’s factions: Guard, Rebound and Vengeance. In isolation these work well in conjunction with each other, and aren’t overwhelming, but if you’re a new player, be aware that many more keywords and abilities are out there in various sets and on different cards.

It does bear repeating that Achroma really is a stunning-looking game, and its whimsical, almost Studio Ghibli-esque art style, which strongly focuses on consistent character and world design, is just as beautiful in The Monsters of Norso as it is in any other Achroma set. Players can engage with the story as much or as little as they want, and using the app (if they choose to; it’s not compulsory) gives players a real feeling of immersion and agency with Achroma’s narrative, as well as a way to track in-game progress. The audiovisual effects of the app also further add to the ambience.

Picking up a box of two Palettes works just as well as it always has in Achroma; though I’ve seen some division on the random Palette model offered by picking up Achroma in this way, in my opinion it’s an accessible, cost effective way of getting a ready-to-play experience, with decks well balanced against each other.

Of course, if you want the full experience and all of the decks, you can shell out for the complete collection; it’s not cheap, but with multiple ways to play, you could even make use of all six decks simultaneously with the same number of players involved in the multiplayer version of Achroma.

The Card Gamer Verdict

Rather than give the individual set a rating, we’ll remind you of our glowing praise for Achroma in general. Everything we’ve previously mentioned when covering Achroma all fully applies to The Monsters of Norso; Realm Runner Studios have returned with a superb new set, full of the impressive production values, excellent game mechanics and captivating world-building that they, and Achroma, are well known for.

Check out our guide on getting started with Achroma, along with our “What is Achroma?” feature.