‘Mansions Of Madness’ – Fight The Horrors Of Arkham In This Board Game
In Mansions of Madness, you explore Innsmouth and Arkham, investigate the odd goings-on, and hopefully won’t bring about the end of the world.
If you love diving into the world of Lovecraftian horror and investigating all of the eldritch monstrosities and unknowable creatures from other dimensions, Mansions of Madness is just one of many games that will allow you to visit that world… and leave again with your life.
| Quick Guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics | Area Movement, Cooperative Game, Map Addition | |
| Players | 1 -5 Players, Age 14+ | |
| Playing Time | 120 – 180 + Minutes | |
| Similar Games | Arkham Horror, Betrayal at The House on The Hill | |
| Publisher | Fantasy Flight Games |
Mansions of Madness – The Basics
Mansions of Madness is a cooperative app-driven board game full of horror and mystery. Players will explore the streets of Innsmouth and the creepy corridors of Arkham’s various mansions as they search for answers and peace from all of the terror. The investigators can work through a variety of scenarios as they solve puzzles and survive encounters with monsters.
By incorporating a phone app, Mansions of Madness has allowed for more map and monster randomization, as well as making puzzles more interactive. And of course, it creates a way for the game to seamlessly guide a single player through a solo-gaming adventure.
Both first and second editions of Mansions of Madness have been nominated for and won many awards, including a 2016 The Dice Tower award for Best Cooperative Game, and a 2011 Golden Geek award for Best Thematic Board Game.
How To Play Mansions of Madness
To begin a game of Mansion of Madness, player must organize their playing space and cards, pick their investigators, and collect any starting possessions. Then they are ready to read the prologue and reveal the entrance tile of their scenario. This prologue may contain clues as to the nature of this investigation. But in general, players do not know what the objective of their scenario is when the game first begins. Instead, they must explore and investigate to uncover this information.
Gameplay is done in a series of game rounds. And each round consists of two phases. In the Investigator Phase, players will move around the board and perform actions. Some of these actions include searching, interacting, trading, and attacking. Then comes the Mythos Phase. Here, the app will indicate monster actions and mythos effects. More monsters may spawn, or challenges may arise for the investigators to deal with.
Throughout the course of the investigation, the scenario’s objective will reveal itself, and the investigators will have one final task to complete. Players win when their investigation is complete and their task is successfully completed. If they take too long or otherwise don’t or can’t complete their goal, the players will lose.
Should I Pick This Up?
When it comes to this kind of gameplay and this kind of horror, most people will either love it or hate it. So I have a hard time saying that you, dear reader, should definitely buy this game. Do you like horror? Do you like Lovecraftian horror? How about long board games with many moving parts? What about board games that incorporate apps? If yes, this is probably the game for you! And in fact, it is a game beloved by many.
However, you may know somebody who owns this. Or you may have a nearby game cafe where you can borrow a copy to play. And for a big, expensive, chunky game with a two-to-three hour play time, I recommend seeing for yourself if you enjoy Mansions of Madness before making a copy yours forever.
Delve Further Into The Madness
When you’ve explored everything the mansion has to offer, there are more mysteries to solve and more eldritch monsters to battle. Venture into a cursed jungle, confront the Order of the Silver Twilight, and go out into the dangerous streets of Arkham. Each expansion also includes new investigators and gameplay elements.
- Path of The Serpent – 29% off right now!
- Streets of Arkham
- Sanctum of Twilight
- Beyond The Threshold
- Horrific Journeys
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