As a fan of all things occult, I adore everything spooky so when I got my hands on The Lunar Dial, I was stunned that such a gem had flown completely under my radar. Even more surprising, I had never come across the wickedly cool Morbid podcast that brought it to life. After diving down several rabbit holes, I couldn't find a single trace of the game's design process anywhere online. This unsettled my inner esoteric High Priestess who simply must know everything. But mysteries aside, let's get into what this little game is actually about.
The Lunar Dial is remarkably cohesive as a laidback strategy card game. Built around the theme of harnessing the power of the moon and the divine feminine, it invites players into a mellow rhythm of collecting, casting and calculated moves.
Design & Artwork
I was genuinely pleased with the game mat’s soft, non-slip fabric. The vibrant print on it made me think, ‘I can absolutely turn this into a bandanna’ (I actually would). The Lunar Dial board itself is a triangular piece placed at the center of the mat where the orientation of its colour-coded sides is tied to the restrictions on which cards you can play.
There are two decks in the box: the 52 Moon cards and the 12 Zodiac cards. The artwork on the Moon cards is sweet and simple. At a glance, it is easy enough to distinguish between the four moon phases; Full Moon (grey), Half Moon (green), Crescent Moon (red) and New Moon (blue). Cards 1-10 are your standard pip cards, but true to the game’s theme of lunar energy and the divine feminine are the cards 11, 12, and 13 depicted as the Shadow, the Priestess, and the Goddess. I’ll admit I expected these figures to carry some special purpose but beyond their striking and sultry artwork, they function just like any other pip card.
Each Zodiac card is illustrated with its corresponding constellation in a sophisticated, muted palette. They are also sorted by element (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth) and add a nice touch at the end of the game where the revealed ones are read together as a collective synastry reading.
Objectives & Gameplay
The Lunar Dial goal is simple: earn the most Moonstones. Players collect Moonstones by achieving specific milestones like capturing the Goddess of the Full Moon, revealing Scorpio or Capricorn from the Zodiac placements, or clearing the last card in a realm. At the end of the game, bonus Moonstones are also awarded to whoever has collected the most Moon cards, and the most Full Moon cards.
Cards are collected from a realm by matching their value, either with a single card or a combination of pip cards that add up to the same amount played. For example, playing a 7 allows you to collect any 7 in that realm, or any combination that totals 7 (1+6, 2+5, 3+4). If no collecting move is possible, a player must cast a card instead by adding it to a realm and potentially opening up new combinations for everyone. Once a player has collected 13 Moon cards, they may choose a Zodiac to reveal and receive its perk.
At the center of the mat sits the triangular Lunar Dial board, which faces each of the three realms. Whenever a Full Moon card is casted or played, the active player may spin the Dial to any position or leave it as is. This is where things get tricky as the Dial determines which cards can be played in each realm, so positioning it cleverly can set you up for a strong collection run or simply disrupting your opponent's plans.
When a realm is cleared, it is immediately replenished from the Moon deck. The game ends when the Moon deck is exhausted and no further moves remain.
Replayability Fix
Honestly, The Lunar Dial has a satisfying simplicity to it. The position of the Dial dictates which cards can be played in each realm, which naturally opens up different approaches depending on what hand you’re dealt so no session ever plays out the same way.
The game supports 2-4 players, though the sweet spot is probably 2-3 because with more players at the table, the Moon deck depletes faster than anyone can unlock more Zodiac cards. This makes for a rather anti-climactic synastry reading which is less than ideal for an occult-themed game.
After several sessions, I found that a single 52-card Moon deck left the play length feeling a little short. My fix? I bought a second box and doubled the Moon deck. The difference is noticeable: more Moonstones to compete over, more opportunities to unlock Zodiac cards, and thus, a richer synastry reading at the end of the game.
Final Thoughts
I lied when I said I found nothing during my rabbit hole dives. The Lunar Dial was designed by Keith Baker and Jennifer Ellis, who also designed Illimat (2017) (BGG). In many ways, Lunar Dial feels like the celestial-themed cousin of Illimat, conjured specifically as merch for the Morbid podcast. This reframes the game as something carefully crafted rather than casually borrowed.
Whether you're a Morbid listener or simply someone drawn to the celestial aesthetic, The Lunar Dial is worth a spot on your shelf. The 14+ age rating feels fitting because the sultry artwork on the Shadow, Priestess, and Goddess cards is tasteful rather than explicit, but not something you'd necessarily want to put in front of younger players.
Ultimately, The Lunar Dial has genuine replayability potential, though it takes a little tweaking to get the most out of it. If you do find yourself coming back to it regularly, the second box is well worth it.
