1490 Doom preview on GameFound!

Before I got to Adepticon, I had seen rumblings of a new game on socials. A dark, rumbling skirmish based game, where the world is full of doom, gloom, and creeping death around every corner. It feels like it would have a metal soundtrack, and some brutal artwork. No, I'm not talking about Trench Crusade, I'm talking about 1490 DOOM (cue dungeon synth music).

A creation from Buer Games, 1490 Doom is a skirmish miniatures game that is jam packed with lore, vibes, and is ultimately accessible to anyone, which is why I think it's deserving of some love. And it's got a Gamefound campaign open right now. They're targeting April 29th, but keep an eye on the campaign!

What I really love about this game is that it is miniatures-agnostic. As we are in a period of economic uncertainty, it's a big ask for gamers to spend their money on yet another miniature gaming system with their own models, paint lines, etc.

For 1490 Doom, all a player needs is a "Doom Company" built out of 3 models, in the 28-32mm scale, a 2x2 foot surface, some scenery, especially something that can create height, dice, some measuring tools, and some various markers for resources (the rule book even states using pieces of paper). This results in a skirmish game that is easily adopted by players. Need a Fighter model? Grab some existing pieces from your collection, chop em up, and glue them back together. Grab some sculpting material to make some extra pieces, and then you're set.

Gameplay is simple, fast, and brutal. Games last 30-45 minutes, and like other skirmish based games, players roll for initiative, activate in alternating order, and take 2 actions per activation. Naturally, special abilities or items can alter this, but it's that simple. Combat is a d6 mechanic, and if you're used to wargames, then you'll know that range, cover, and specific items change the dice pool.

The various classes you can use all have unique abilities and it's very easy to see how you can build some unique Doom Companies. And as of this writing, because of the amount of folks hitting up the Gamefound, new classes are being added, including a Beekeeper, which gives me the desire to build a Wicker Man themed board...

The fun mechanic here are the Push and Climbing Combat mechanics. This game employs the use of height to help bring damage to Doom Companies, and it will be brutal if a model falls from a height of 6 or more inches, as it should be, according to the rules of the world.

And in speaking of the world, this one is jam packed with LORE. Set in Medieval Europe in 1490, this story takes hints from history, doom metal, and folk horror. A mysterious fog poisons the populace, causing everyone to climb higher in order to save themselves, and organize into Doom Companies, fighting each other to the death for resources. This is illustrated right now on their Youtube, which has 2 stories you can listen to that help explain the world, The Book of Adrian and The Last Knight of Rothenburg. The game will also be featured in The Grim and the Dark, a documentary about John Blanche, the famous illustrator behind much of the grimdark aesthetic.

“Imagine a second flood—but this one is a poisonous rising fog of death,” says co-creator Eric Robertson.

Here are some more details about the release, and when you're done with that, follow the game on Gamefound, and if you sign up now, you can snag a free STL of Adrian, the protagonist of one of the Youtube stories.

Game Overview

1490 Doom is a fast-paced, narrative-driven skirmish game set in an alternate 15th-century Europe collapsing under plague, famine, and supernatural horror. Players command Doom Companies of 3 warriors fighting to stay above the toxic fog known as the Creeping Death.

Tactical vertical movement, collapsing terrain, and desperation define every match. This isn’t about conquest. It’s about survival.

Key Features

• Three-model teams for brutal, high-stakes skirmishes
• Cinematic vertical combat across towers, ruins, and castles
• Resource scrambles and battlefield collapse as the Creeping Death rises
• Narrative campaigns with evolving objectives, stealth, and branching outcomes
• Iconic archetypes – Scout, Assassin, Brute, Scavenger, Fighter, Warrior Priest,
Saboteur
• Miniature-agnostic rules – use any minis, or ours
• STL support for 3D-printable minis and terrain
• Solo & co-op modes included

Community & Lore

• 900+ Discord members and 5,000 followers across social media
• Lore and legendary characters drawn from the 1490 Doom podcast series
• Expanding universe includes The Book of Adrian (novella) and The Grim in the
Dark (documentary featuring Jon Heder and John Blanche)
• Unique visual style: medieval marginalia meets ‘80s dark fantasy

Who It’s For

• Fans of Mordheim, Warhammer, Rangers of Shadow Deep, and narrative skirmish games
• Hobbyists who love painting, terrain building, and storytelling
• Tabletop players who crave grimdark themes, fast gameplay, and elevated combat

I've been so enamored with 1490 Doom I've already built my first Doom Company!

1490 Doom is targeting a launch date of April 29th.

And stick to Gaming Trend for all things gaming and grimdark.