We recently opened our pre-orders for Drillers. We already shared information about the game during the video of CGE Unlocked 2026. We thought it could be great to provide a structured breakdown of what makes this game worth buying!
The Concept: Mechs, Mines, and Credits
In Drillers, you take control of a drilling mech to explore an abandoned mine left by a forgotten corporation, and word has spread that there are still a lot of valuable minerals underground. The goal is simple but tough for decision-making: descend into the depths, excavate valuable minerals, and get back to the surface to sell them for credits. Those credits are then used to buy better cards, upgrading your mech for even deeper descents.
What makes the deck-building in this game unique?
The standout feature of Drillers is the Future Sight mechanic and the strategic “keep”. Where your next draw is a mystery, here you are always one step ahead.
Calculated draws: This completely changes the "Draw a Card" effect. Instead of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, you know exactly what you’re pulling into your hand. You can look at the top card and say, "If I pay 2 Fuel, I'll have exactly enough Drills to finish this excavation." It turns "luck" into a precise calculation.
The fancy stands: Every player has a specialized stand for their draw pile that keeps the top card of the deck visible at all times.
Unlike many deck-builders, where you discard your hand at the end of the turn, Drillers encourage you to hold back.
Save it for later: In Drillers, you will often find that you can’t effectively use all the effects in your hand at once: if you are at the perfect floor with empty cargo, you probably don’t want to move; if you are at a depleted floor, you probably don’t want to drill. Hold onto those effects until they can shine!
The perfect combo: If you see a card on top of your deck that needs a specific card to be effective, you can keep that card in your hand to ensure a great play next turn. Maybe you need to combine multiple drills to crack open a new floor, or you need a refuelling card in order to afford to play a fuel-demanding card.
Clever deck thinning: If you have "junk" or Damage cards in your hand when your deck is about to run out, you can keep them in your hand. By doing so, you ensure that only your powerful cards get shuffled back into your draw pile, effectively "thinning" your deck without needing to trash cards.
The multi-use card puzzle
Every turn, you have a hand of three cards. You must decide which cards to use for:
The effect: Using the card for its primary action—like Drilling to excavate gems or Movement to navigate the board.
The fuel: You can’t drill for free. Every card effect has a fuel cost, and you must discard other cards to pay that cost. Managing your "Fuel Gauge" is the main thing of the game; if you run out of fuel, you can’t do anything else. Also, you can choose to save a card for the next turn. This is vital when you see a perfect combo sitting on top of your deck that requires a specific card already in your hand.
Managing the "Damage"
Mining is dangerous work, so you’ll inevitably take Damage Cards. These act as "junk" in your deck, but Drillers give you options on how to work with them:
- Use them as low-efficiency fuel.
- Pay fuel to cycle them out and draw something better.
- Hold onto them until you find a Repair effect.
The "Boss" card: Super Heavy Drill
To give you a taste of the power that you can have: the card Super Heavy Drill is the designer’s favourite one. It provides 5 Drills in a single play. Heads turn the moment it hits the table. You can practically feel the raw power radiating from it, and the anticipation of your opponents. There’s a reason it’s one of the most expensive cards in the game—both in the credits required to own it and the fuel needed to ignite it
When can you get into Drilling?
We are currently aiming for a Q3 2026 release. We can’t wait for you to experience the game!
Originally posted to BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3676155/preview-drillers-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-g
