Oldest Child is a cooperative storytelling card game about a vampire. There are no winners or losers. In this game, you will be playing as yourself. Although you might change throughout the game, you are always you. If you need to change certain aspects of your own life to make the narrative work better, you are free to do so. The important part is that you be yourself and make choices that only you would make.

In Oldest Child, you and a group of friends take care of a vampire for three years (the game taking only 4-6 hours). Her kind is suffering from a mysterious illness that cakes their noses with a white fungus, suffocating them, sometimes leading to death. It is named The Sufoca (Romanian for Suffocate). Lyda, the vampire you are taking care of, is sick with the illness and in a state of relative weakness.

Contains:

Story Deck (36) - Months of the story separated into three years. Make sure you shuffle the 12 months for each year so they are randomized.
Between Years (2) - Two cards with instructions between years: a card between year one and two, a card between year two and three
Item Deck (24) - Helpful items and “exposure” to Lyda which turns player(s) into vampire(s). Players cannot trade, steal, or give away items cards unless prompted by other cards. You may be prompted to draw an Exposure / Item Card after reading a Story Card. You do not have to reveal these cards to other players.
Lyda History Cards (18) - Explains Lyda’s complicated past, her likes and dislikes, her motivations. You may be prompted to draw a History Card after reading a Story Card.
Turn Cards (6) - Six cards that explain what you can or may do on your turn.
Instructions - Booklet
Metal Coin / Token - Whoever is hosting Lyda holds the token.
10 Sided Die - Chance outcomes are decided with this die. This is sometimes noted as “D” as in 1D10 (one dice that's 10 sided).

The token you hold when you host Lyda is a replica of Vlad the Impaler's Grandfather's coin. The coins will be buried in cemetery dirt before being packaged with each game.

You can play solo or with three to eight players, but keep in mind, the more players you have, the more competitive the experience can be if players want to become vampires. Couples can team up if they live in the same dwelling as they will make decisions as a household. Couples can share exposure symbols so they both could turn into a vampire at the same time.

In the group mode of the game, you and your friends will take turns pulling story, item/effect, and history cards as you learn Lyda's past and resolve current-day events. Tensions will quickly run high as you decide who hosts Lyda in their home, what neighbors need to be fed upon, and how to make your undead guest happy. You will have to preform real life acts like, if your group decides an IRL neighbor will be fed to Lyda, take a glass from your kitchen and place it in front of the neighbor's front door as a symbol.


Released: 19 September 2025