Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble revealed — Disney Lorcana’s co-op and single-player modes are here

polygon.com:

When Disney Lorcana launched in July 2023, it was strictly a competitive trading card game. As with any game, there’s a graceful way to play with newcomers or the kids at the local game store. But the thirst for lore (the game’s version of victory points) is real, and few can stand in the way of a parched Illumineer. Now publisher Ravensburger is expanding the format. Its new standalone game, Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble, is coming out soon and Polygon has your first look inside the box. Get ready for cooperative and single-player game modes — both of which make use of the cards and decks you might already own.

In Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble, players will take on Ursula, the tentacled villain from The Little Mermaid. The subtitle of her oversized card inside the game box is Ruler of Lorcana, and she’s achieved that title by corrupting copies of familiar characters from the Disney back catalog — creatures called glimmers. It’s a conquest that has played out over the course of Disney Lorcana’s first three sets of cards, including The First Chapter, Rise of the Floodborn, and Into the Inklands. Even more details are due out on May 17, with the mass market release of Disney Lorcana’s next set of cards, Ursula’s Return.

Streaming to Lorcana’s rescue are four Disney characters at the head of two new 60-card pre-constructed decks. Mickey Mouse and his mentor, the sorcerer Yen Sid, are on the scene. They’re backed by a batch of buffs that could beat back Ursula with just a bunch of brooms. Backing them up are Mulan, Elite Archer and Piglet, Pooh Pirate Captain, each with some particularly good offensive skills. Players can take on Ursula all by themselves with one deck or the other, or go at her with up to three other players. You can even bring your own deck.

Ursula, for her part, is surprisingly powerful. Her unique deck of cards, which is automated by a short list of easy-to-understand rules, deals lots of damage and scoops up lore by the boatload. But players