Haven Town is facing total destruction at the hands (and teeth) of a horde of monsters from beyond the Shadowrift.

You, the heroes, must work together to drive them back. To do this, you need powerful spells, skills, attacks and loot. When the game starts, you are a basic hero; you can explore and fight. Fortunately for you, Shadowrift is a deck-building game! You can purchase new cards to add to your deck, cards that will define you as an adventurer and complement the strengths of your fellow heroes. Unlike other deck-builders, there is constant interaction with other players as you figure out who will gain which benefit from the limited supply of townsfolk, offer their coin to help construct walls, and seek healing from anyone who's learned such magic.

Shadowrift also contains monsters that don't merely sit waiting to be slain; if you leave them alone, they will rip Haven Town asunder. They'll kill people, destroy walls, and kick your heroes in the face. Combat with them is intuitive (though usually painful). For beating a monster, heroes gain Heroism, a simple, consistent boost to their power that makes them better at anything they undertake. Since the monsters won't stop coming until the last Shadowrift is sealed or the town has been built into a mighty fortress, you'll need every boost you can get.

The second edition of Shadowrift contains many improved mechanisms, including a revised system for how monsters choose who to attack (based on types of villagers, instead of specific people) and a new system for monster powers (making them much more dangerous). It also comes with a revised card layout and a great deal of new and improved artwork.