What is Fray? 

Fray is an easy to learn—but hard to master—game of control. It’s a strategy card game that puts the emphasis on where and when you play your cards, with just one simple goal: control the majority of cards by the time the game’s over.

About the Game 

Fray is a fast-paced card game set in the vibrant fantasy world of Adia, where players contest for control over a 3x3 battlefield. It’s kind of like Tic-Tac-Toe, but with magic and dragons and dwarves who wield burning axes! The game is quick to learn, mixing strategy and managing your resources, and it all fits in one tiny deck box. Fray’s the perfect game for anyone on the go. It takes just seconds to set up, and rounds last only a few minutes. 

Play Fray on its own, or as part of your campaigns through Adia! Fray was originally designed as a companion to Paths: World of Adia (even though most of our time playing it has been on its own over the kitchen table, loser does dishes). If your players in a game of Paths need to acquire information from some shady tavern fellow, perhaps you’d like to make them play a game of cards to get them to spill the tea—and that’s when you break out the actual deck of cards. They’re going to be so impressed with you for that.

Everything you need is in the box: a 30-card deck of cards, plus instructions for each player. The Fray Core Set is available now!

Fray Expansions 

They’re called expansions, but a better term might be “alternate versions.” Fray expansion packs are self-contained games. Almost every card has been re-designed to mix up the way the game plays. For example, in The Tassradan Trail, we added a new way to interact with cards on the board: Move. Each time we release a new expansion, you can expect exciting new ways to play, but the goal is always the same: control more of the board than your opponent.

Plus, if you want to make your own custom sets, you can mix and match any three suits of Fray cards! If you want to replace the Bjorn from the base set with the Cenzai from the Tassradan Trail—you can do that! Play how you want and with your favorite cards.

Expansion 1: Journey Into The Tassradan Trail

Those on the Trassradan Trail are agile adversaries, constantly moving around the battlefield. This expansion introduced the Move keyword, which for the first time allowed players to change the position of cards after they’d been played. Prepare to rethink everything you knew about Fray, because this set is wild.

Fray: Journey Into the Tassradan Trail is available now.

 

Media 

“I am a huge fan of small games—things that can fit in my pocket…play quick, easy to explain. That right there is a winner in itself.”

—Louie, Circle of Nerds on Fray (Base Set)

“I thought that it really accomplished its goal really well. The idea is you could be playing your RPG and you could roleplay a gambling scenario or some downtime or wager something and instead of just rolling a [die] you could actually play a game. Separate from that, as a back of your pocket ten minute card game, it works for that as well.”

—Raf Cordero, Ding and Dent Podcast Ep. 104 on Fray (Base Set) 

Need help learning how to play? Check out this video guide for the base set by The Dice Tower!