Circadia
Gameplay Overview
Circadia is a lean, fast-paced card-drafting and set-collection game where players race to be the first to reach 15 points. The central market features cards depicting three mystical animals (a goose, a winged bear, and an axolotl) split across two distinct states: daytime and nighttime. To buy these point-scoring cards, you must first build up sets of resource cards in front of you in strictly ascending order.
The number of cards you can claim from the market is dictated entirely by the sets you've arranged. This creates a rhythmic, circular loop: the cards you commit to your board alter your market reach, which in turn unlocks the specific colors you need to buy final point cards. Adding a layer of tactical pivoting to the marketplace, players must strictly alternate between drafting a day card and a night card, keeping everyone on their toes.
Published
2026
Status
owned
Players
2 - 5 Players
Review
We discovered this gem at the UK Games Expo in 2026 and immediately appreciated it as a fantastic convention pickup. It serves as a brilliant appetizer game—it’s easy to teach, heavily relies on familiar mechanics, and offers just enough strategic depth without causing mid-game analysis paralysis.
While Madeline still has a slight preference for Splendor due to its iconic, chunky tactile components, Circadia doesn't feel like a lazy copy-paste of what we already own. It had been quite a while since we played a pure point-racer, and returning to those mechanics in a fresh, streamlined way felt wonderful. It's an excellent, lightweight addition to our collection.
Try this if you like...
Nimble, pivot-forward strategy
Perfect if you love keeping your options open; if you get rigidly fixated on a single path, a shifting marketplace will quickly force you to adapt.
Bite-sized "appetizer" or cafe games
A light, breezy strategy game that can be entirely taught, played, and packed away in about 20 minutes while you wait for a meal.
Big-game feels in tiny packages
It captures a lot of the mechanical satisfaction of classic point-racers but packs down into a fraction of the box size, making it a dream for travel.
Simple, naturalistic aesthetics
The artwork is clean, endearing, and features an absolutely charming trio of fantasy creatures.
Cyclical mechanical rhythms
You enjoy games where every action directly feeds into the next step of your puzzle, creating a distinct, satisfying flow.
You might have a similar experience playing one of these:
We've featured Circadia in these collections:
