The Killing Stone review: card duels with demons in 17th-century ice
The folk-horror card battler from studio Question has left Early Access. TechRaptor awards it 9 out of 10.
Photo: Nancyporcino / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · Question · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: TechRaptor 9/10 · Gaming Cypher 8.5/10 · GameCritix 4/5
- Platforms
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Studio
- Question
- Release
- 21.10.2026
+ Pros
- Tactile ritual board with figurines
- Reserve system with tactical depth
- Dense folk-horror atmosphere and sound
- Optional 17th-century English
– Cons
- Dense rules, steep learning curve
- Occasional harsh difficulty spikes
- Some rough edges left from Early Access
Critics' verdict
An unusually story-driven card battler for folk-horror fans that demands patience at the start.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
The Killing Stone from studio Question has been available as the finished version 1.0 since 21 October on PC (Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, priced at $19.99. The game had been in Early Access on PC since February; the full release adds a fourth chapter. Players take the role of the Maven, who travels to the Arctic Circle in the 17th century to save a cursed family, winning back family members’ souls in ritual card duels against demon lords.
The first reviews are positive: TechRaptor gives it 9 out of 10, Gaming Cypher 8.5 out of 10 and GameCritix 4 out of 5; OpenCritic lists only one review so far and no critic average yet. Reviewers praise the ceremonial board with animated figurines, the Reserve system that lets players hold back units and spells for later turns, and the pacts with demons that permanently alter family members’ decks.
The atmosphere and sound are singled out, and the story, voice acting included, can be played in either 17th-century or modern English; the voice cast includes Emma Gregory and Liam O’Brien. Gaming Cypher criticises dense rules that are hard to grasp early on, harsh difficulty spikes and some rough edges left over from Early Access.