If your group needs a quick two-player scrap to fill the gap between bigger games, Muster: Raise the Banners is built for exactly that, a 20-minute card duel of the sort that sits next to games like Air, Land & Sea on the shelf. Now London indie Play Monkey Games is giving it more to fight over, with two micro-expansions, Pyroclasm and High and Mighty, coming to Kickstarter in 2026.
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Find events near youDesigned by Spencer Lloyd Thomas with comic-book art by Pedro R. M. Andreo, the base game sits five castles in a row between you and your opponent. You commit cards from five factions, soldiers, archers, knights, beasts and legendary leaders, to build the strongest line in front of each one, while wild Rainbow Wizards switch sides and steal castles you thought were safe. Hold the most when the cards run out and the banners are yours. A simplified ruleset in the box makes it an easy on-ramp for younger or newer players.
The expansions pile new tactics on top. Pyroclasm throws a swing of lava and blizzards across the board and adds mischievous Rainbow Imps to the mix. High and Mighty brings in the celestial Highborn, who strengthen the cards around them, plus a usurper scrapping over a single blessed banner. Both are pocket-sized add-ons rather than big boxes, in keeping with the game's filler footprint.
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See how it worksYou can try the base game in person this weekend, since Play Monkey will be at UK Games Expo (stand 2-860) alongside its hidden-object game Cat Spotting. Worth a look if a fast duel for two is the gap on your shelf.
Sources: Play Monkey Games | Muster Expansions | Gamefound
