We lost the game quickly, but it never felt unfair. All of this could have been avoided if my character was the one outside fighting enemies while Matteo was inside solving puzzles. Our ally quickly perished in the crowd and we soon lost the game.
This encounter was full of strength and speed checks, and Matteo sadly specializes in lore and will. Unfortunately for us, we put Father Matteo, a preacher in a position where he would need to fight his way out of a mob of cultists. One example of poor positioning leading to bad luck in one of my group’s campaigns involved the group splitting up to find clues (Scooby Doo-style). Of course, dice rolls and skill checks can go poorly for the players, but this doesn’t occur so often that it ruins the experience. If the team experiences bad luck, it is usually due to the ill-advised position of the investigators. Winning and losing mostly depends on the wits and planning of the players, and doesn’t necessarily rely on too much luck. The game is well-balanced, with most teams of three-five players/investigators able to have the appropriate variety of skills to thrive in the scenarios without making it too easy or crushing the players. Different characters have different strengths, and it leads to players deciding who should be using their resources on specific tasks. The scenarios have varying amounts of difficulty, with some more focused on solving the mystery and others emphasizing survival.īattles and investigations are usually resolved with skill checks, which often require dice. The game is full of puzzles (solved via the app) that may require the entire group to work together or risk wasting a significant amount of time that could be spent surviving. Despite each investigator having their own “turn,” the game successfully engages every player at all times by encouraging them to trade ideas and work together. Players can perform actions such as move, investigate their surroundings, and attack enemies as they try to understand their scenario and survive while doing so. The scenarios put the players in the shoes of investigators, as they try to solve ominous mysteries with Lovecraftian themes. The base game comes with four scenarios, with other scenarios obtainable via physical expansions and in-app DLC. This kit allows for players to bring over all of their scenarios, characters, and enemies from previous expansions over, which is a welcome addition. It also comes with a conversion kit for those who have invested in the first edition. There are numerous cards full of conditions, items, spells, and horrors, along with many markers and tokens. The base game comes with 32 uncolored plastic figures and many map tiles. The actual game itself is of high quality and lives up to the massive box that it comes in. As a fan of role-playing classics like Hero Quest, Mansions of Madness completely redefined what it is like to play these types of games, and impressed everyone at our table. When plugged into speakers and projected on a television screen, Mansions of Madness becomes an experience like no other. In addition to facilitating the game, the application also comes with ambient music and frightening sound effects that establish the mood around the players. It tells the story, shows as much of the scenario that the players are meant to see, and determines the results of skill checks. The companion app essentially acts as the game’s Game Master and succeeds in doing so. This single overhaul completely changes the experience and makes Mansions of Madness a must play for fans mystery, horror, or role-playing.
Released in 2016, the 2nd edition uses a free companion app which does the heavy lifting. There probably isn’t a board game that has benefited more from having a 2nd edition than Mansions of Madness. Still, the game had a solid following due to just how fun the ideas actually are.
While it had some sound ideas, the game suffered from long setup times and a need for intense attention to detail. Mansions of Madness originally released in 2011 to mixed reviews. Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition Fantasy Flight Games Players: 1-5 Players Play Time: 2-4 Hours