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New Pathfinder spin-off: "Spellfinder" focuses on witty word magic
by Kim Muntinga
Dracula versus Frankenstein? Monster showdown in "Hellbreak"
5/2/2026
Translation: machine translated
Spin Master and Universal have announced "Hellbreak", a horror trading card game. However, there is a lack of concrete content: apart from the terms "monster sandbox" and crossover ambitions, it remains unclear how the game actually works. Too bad.
Spin Master and Universal have announced «Hellbreak», a new horror trading card game that they are developing together with Ghost Galaxy. The game is said to be fast, competitive and highly collectible. Horror icons from Universal's collection will compete against each other in an arena called «Monster Sandbox». The global launch of «Hellbreak» is planned for autumn 2026. The company does not intend to release specific information on gameplay, artwork, factions and collector's editions until later.
Universal Monsters as the start, crossover as the goal
The announcement does not yet name any specific characters. Figures from the classic Universal Monsters canon such as Dracula, Frankenstein or The Mummy would be obvious. Not because they are the best known, but because they embody different horror logics: control versus loss of control, body versus mind, curse versus will. It is precisely these opposites that I find exciting in a TCG, because they are not only visually different, but can also be clearly translated mechanically. If a new horror TCG is to work, it should first be about such archetypal contrasts and not about as many licences as possible.
Source: Spin Master Corp.
Horror sells, but the game has to exist first
The idea of «horror meets TCG» is an obvious one, because the genre works strongly through recognition. However, this is precisely where the risk lies: «Hellbreak» could be sold primarily through the collector's instinct and licences before the game mechanics are convincing. Ghost Galaxy advertises «Hellbreak» as dangerous, cinematic and endlessly replayable. However, as long as there are no rules, core mechanics or a clear product image, this description remains pure marketing.
My opinion: If Spin Master wants to establish a lasting TCG, «Monster vs Monster» is not enough. The game needs a sustainable system that also works without new licences, as well as a product strategy beyond collector's editions and crossover waves. Until then, «Hellbreak» remains a confident announcement for a game whose core is still open.
Would you play a horror TCG like «Hellbreak», or is it too fixed «IP first, game later»? Write your opinion in the comments below.
Header image: Hellbreak
I get paid to play with toys all day.
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