2023 · Novel-based
Dracula vs Van Helsing
A tense confrontation set in Whitby where one player leads the vampire hunter and the other commands the vampire. Players alternate turns for up to five rounds, drawing a card then either discarding it or swapping it with one of five cards on their rack to trigger the discarded card’s effect. Cards belong to eight types with distinct abilities; instead of drawing, a player may call for the round to end once sufficient cards are in the discard pile. At round end, the five cards on each rack are compared against the board’s five districts: higher vampire values convert a human in that district, higher hunter values damage the vampire. The game ends immediately if the vampire loses all health or a district’s four inhabitants are all turned.
- Players
- 2
- Playing time
- 20–45 min
- Age
- 10+
- Complexity
- 1.8 / 5
About the game
- Publisher
Photos from Ludoya tables
All photos in Ludoya
Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 305
- Plays logged
- 165
- Players
- 28m 26s
- Average play
- 85
- In collections
- 18
- On wishlists
8.0/10
from 34 Ludoya reviews
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Who goes first?
Dracula always goes first (page 5).
Can I rearrange or rotate the five cards in my cardholder during the round?
No — each card must face a District and you cannot swap or rearrange cards unless a card effect specifically allows it (page 5); some effects do allow swapping (page 6).
When can I call the end of the round and what happens when I do?
You may call the end of the round instead of drawing only if there are at least six cards in the discard pile; your opponent then takes one final turn and the round ends (page 6).
Do I have to resolve the effect of any card I discard?
Yes — when a card is discarded its effect must be enacted if possible; effects include revealing cards, swapping cards (including with your opponent), taking another turn, changing the Trump color, and special rules for 8s (page 8).
How is a District winner determined when comparing cards?
If one card is a Trump it wins; if both are Trump the higher value wins; otherwise the higher value wins and ties are broken by the Color Ranking board (page 7).
What ends the game — how do Vampires and HP affect the outcome?
Van Helsing wins if Dracula’s HP is reduced to 0, while Dracula wins immediately if he turns all four inhabitants of the same District into Vampires or if the game reaches the end of the fifth round; end-game conditions trigger immediately during District resolution (pages 7, 11).
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.