
2022 · Fantasy
Now or Never
Exiled families return to a crumbling cliffside village to reclaim and rebuild their ancestral home amid the aftermath of a meteorite invasion. Players choose asymmetrical characters, explore a fantasy map, fight lingering strange creatures to protect traveling villagers, and construct buildings to house returnees. Actions include hiring specialists (including those controlled by other players), placing structures for long-term benefits, and balancing immediate needs against future rewards. Two play modes are supported: a standard competitive mode and a story-driven mode that uses a storybook for location-based events and character-specific narratives.
- Players
- 1–4 best 2
- Playing time
- 45–180 min
- Age
- 14+
- Complexity
- 3.6 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Art
- Publisher
Expansions
See them in LudoyaPhotos from Ludoya tables
All photos in LudoyaWhere to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 38
- Plays logged
- 45
- Players
- 2h 52m
- Average play
- 51
- In collections
- 13
- On wishlists
7.9/10
from 14 Ludoya reviews
Elfrikijugon9.0 Regalo 37 cumpleaños de María
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Can I pay another player's specialist to use their action?
Yes — you may pay either your own or another player’s specialist to take its specialist action, following the payment and recruit rules (p. 9).
If a specialist is flipped (exhausted), can I still use it?
No — a flipped specialist is exhausted and cannot be used until it is rested/flipped back face‑up by the appropriate action or effect (p. 9).
Can I build on the starting town spaces or only on new spaces?
You can place buildings on the designated starting town spaces following the build rules; the rulebook explains how those spaces work and the costs/icons that apply (p. 11).
Do villagers automatically return to the supply during production, or do I need to spend actions to refill them?
Villagers are refilled as part of the production phase and certain anytime actions let you place villagers into housing or complete orders; you do not need a specialist action to refill during production (pp. 15–16).
Do I have to end my movement exactly on a location to visit it?
Yes — to visit a location you must move onto that location’s space (end your movement there) and then take the location’s visit action as described in the movement/visit rules (p. 12).
What happens if I retreat from combat — do I still get rewards or penalties?
If you retreat you end the fight without the enemy’s defeat rewards and instead resolve the retreat outcome and any associated consequences; defeat (not retreat) grants the normal victory rewards (p. 13).
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Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Now or Never with Ludoya
- Keep it in your collectionTrack your copy and its expansions, lend it to friends, or put it on your wishlist and get told when the price drops.Add it to your collection
- Log every playScores, winners, timers and photos, then your stats: win rate, favourite player count, best score.Log a play
- Settle rules questionsAsk anything about the rules and get an answer from the rulebook, with the page to check it on.Ask the rules assistant
- Find people to play it withClubs, game nights and events near you that bring this game to the table.See events
Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.


























