Via Peregrina is a solo card puzzle game in which you play as a pilgrim trying to visit seven sanctuaries before you become too heavily burdened or the deck runs out. Each turn, a card from your hand is added to the Journey, forming either an ascending or descending route. Matching the direction keeps the path smooth; breaking it adds burdens, a key loss condition. Resets through high or low values allow you to bend the route back, often at just the right moment to enable patterns for sanctuaries.

The deck contains three types of cards: Roads, Temptations, and Trials. Roads provide progress and build the patterns required for sanctuaries. Temptations force immediate trade-offs: discard cards, take on burdens, or blindly draw from the top of the deck. Trials increase the pressure with effects that grow stronger as the Journey lengthens. Visions allow players to look at upcoming cards, rearrange them, and discard tactically, creating puzzle-like moments of control.

Sanctuaries form the main focus and central objective of the game. Each requires a specific pattern of Roads in the Journey and grants a single blessing that alters rules, softens penalties, manipulates the deck, or influences the route’s direction. Blessings remain active until a new sanctuary is claimed, making timing essential.

The game emphasizes pacing, order, and risk management: when to play Roads, when to accept penalties, when to cleanse your hand through Temptations, and when to delay or accelerate claiming sanctuaries. Success requires balancing short-term costs against long-term positioning as the deck shrinks and burdens accumulate. Via Peregrina offers a compact solo experience with rising tension, a touch of luck, and meaningful decisions every turn.

BoardGameGeek