After the first two sets in Kevin Wilson’s Kinfire Delve, Vainglory’s Grotto and Scorn’s Stockade, it remained to be seen whether there was much reason to return for a third (and final?) outing.

The short version? Callous’ Lab offers more of the same, with the anticipated adjustments and extras that aficionados may want to pick up. But it would be a lie to say I wasn’t getting a little strained at the prospect of any further quests.

Choosing how to proceed.

As before, Callous’ Lab sees two heroes plumbing an otherworldly “well,” the private realm of a reality-distorting jerkface in need of an improvised craniotomy. Your goal is to peel cards off the top of the deck until there are none left. At that point, you can take a shot at the king himself, hopefully putting an end to his reign before he smooshes you like a bug.

Right away, both of our heroes and the target of their quest set themselves apart as distinct additions to the series. I’ve said this before, but Kevin Wilson probably crafts well-rounded board game characters in his sleep, and both of these characters slot into archetypes but with enough added texture that they don’t feel stereotypical. Valora Helmsman is an archer who does the usual “precise shot” stuff, which is a huge boon when facing some of the previous set’s cards that required players to hit exact targets rather than accidentally blowing past a monster’s challenge number. But she also excels at softening up enemy cards that she isn’t fighting right now, trickling out a single progress token each turn.

Roland Wordforger is the more interesting of the pair. He’s a stout little dude, muscled for direct combat, with a past that hints at military service and cracking skulls. But these days he considers himself more of a scholar and mentor. His deck offers some truly potent cards, but he comes into his own when boosting challenges. Everybody can boost, of course, but Roland’s cards are universal. Rather than getting stuck thanks to the tricolors that define which cards can pair with which challenges, Roland’s boosts are all colorless wilds. More than that, some of them let the boosted player draw an extra card. In a game with such a taut card economy, that’s a huge boon, letting everybody in the party stay on their feet a few extra turns.

Callous comes with a built-in timer.

Beyond the individual quirks of the heroes, very little has changed. Depending on whether you were hoping this installment of Kinfire Delve would upend the formula or simply pad out the system, that could be regarded as either good or a disappointment. It’s probably wise to keep our expectations in check. It’s always been fairly obvious that these three titles were developed together. Indeed, one of the principal joys of Kinfire Delve is found in pitting a mixed party against the baddie from another set.

In this case, that baddie is Callous, a sinister experimenter who warps innocent creatures into slouching husks. Although this is still distinctly Kinfire Delve, focusing on overcoming challenges without absorbing too many hits or taking too many rest breaks, Callous tweaks the standard approach. Rather than emphasizing fatigue or wounds, he begins with a counter that gradually ticks downward. Certain cards in his deck accelerate this process, establishing priorities that ought to be defeated lest Callous overtake your heroes prematurely. The inverse is also true. Each set has included an alternate way to defeat their well-master, and Callous can be defeated by shifting his counter upward and drawing the right events. It’s a long shot, but it encourages players to stay on their toes.

Does it all come together? Well, duh. Look, this is the third time I’ve written about Kinfire Delve in the past six months. There are only so many things to say about it. As a cooperative/solitaire game, it’s easier than I prefer, but it’s also slick, vibrant, and understands the raw pleasure of a good combo, the tactility of linen-finished cards, the small delights of seeing characters riff on one another’s powers in unexpected ways.

This fellow is a gentleman and a scholar.

While I’ve enjoyed my time with it, I’m also satisfied with where the series has landed. With these three sets, I have a complete squad of six heroes. There are three well-masters for us to face, each with their own ample deck of challenges and terrors.

Put another way, this isn’t too much of a good thing, but we’re getting there. Wilson has shown us what this system can do. We’ve visited some oddball destinations, made colorful new friends, and hurled a fireball into their face. If there are more sets coming down the pipeline, I think my party will be throwing a retirement celebration.

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A complimentary copy was provided.