Netrunner meets Werewolf in two-player witch-hunting card game Pagan: The Fate of Roanoke

The asymmetrical head-to-head battle of card game GOAT Netrunner collides with the social deduction and hidden foes of Werewolf in a two-player expandable card game seeing a re-release this summer.

Pagan: The Fate of Roanoke puts one player in the hooded cloak of a witch conducting rituals while remaining hidden among unsuspecting villagers, as the other player’s witch-hunter attempts to track down the slippery occultist by investigating suspects and eventually eliminating the unveiled witch before the ritual is complete.

The cat-and-mouse chase plays out via two 50-card decks that, like the hacker-versus-corp showdown of Netrunner, are unique for each player and their differing goals. While both players can use their cards and resources to sway villagers to their aims, the witch can also brew useful potions, cast spells and enlist the aid of their familiar, while the witch-hunter looks to amass a group of allies and seek out advantageous locations during their search.

Adding an element of deduction and mystery to each roughly 60-minute showdown is the fact that only the Witch knows which of the nine villagers is the witch, requiring the witch-hunter to gradually uncover their roles like a game of Werewolf or Mafia. Each villager offers a different benefit when used by the players, from drawing additional cards to obtaining extra resources.

Envisioned as an expandable game by designers Kasper Kjær Christiansen and Kåre Storgaard, with players able to customise their asymmetric decks using additional cards found in expansions, Pagan: The Fate of Roanoke was originally released back in 2022 by German publisher Wrymgold.

This summer will see a re-release courtesy of Terra Mystica and Ark Nova studio Capstone Games, with the core game’s launch at US convention Gen Con at the beginning of August preceding wider availability and the release of expansions later in 2024.