Wyrd Games has begun the playtesting for the fourth edition of their popular steampunk/fantasy miniatures game Malifaux. You can download the beta rules and some beta cards for free and the plan is for the final rules to be ready by Gen Con 2025.
About the playtest:
You have been with us through the deep, dark Soulstone mines of First Edition; out into the bloody streets of Second Edition; and finally ventured with us into the vast wilds of Third Edition. With each step, the game has built on the editions before it, making Third Edition the best iteration yet. Through it all, Malifaux has always emphasized putting Fate directly into the hands of the players.
Now, we ask you to pull on those threads of fate once again by joining the Malifaux Fourth Edition open beta! Our plan is to begin the open beta next week on April 21st and run it for the next several months, finalizing the new edition by Gen Con 2025!
We are incredibly excited for you to see the additions we’ve made—from the new evolving encounter style of schemes to the more fluid integration of terrain into the game.
For now, know that the heart and soul of Malifaux remains the same. You still have a fate deck, which you can use to cheat your way out of all but the most dangerous situations. Hidden objectives, bluffing, and strategic play remain core pillars. We took what was great about Third Edition, distilled it down, and added fresh, engaging mechanics.
One aspect of the game we felt ripe for improvement was the playtime. It’s not uncommon for casual games of Malifaux Third Edition to last four hours or more. A major goal of Fourth Edition was to reduce that playtime to two hours, and we’re proud to say that all testing so far shows we’ve succeeded. While the pace of play is faster, we’ve found that the game remains just as tactically deep and engaging, and we can’t wait for you all to experience it.
