Mansions of Madness: Second Edition is a fully cooperative, app-driven board game of horror and mystery for one to five players that takes place in the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign.
92.00€
Out of stock
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agentpatman
So disappointed by this one. Take my review with a grain of salt since I never played the original or watched a lot of reviews. I thought it was going to be more dungeon crawler and we love the horror theme. It’s already a jump that it requires an app which I didn’t mind at first. But the game within a game of mastermind and the other puzzles is so far removed from the theme and gimmicky. It’s the climax of the first scenario that introduces the game. Get to the end, introduce the big bad, then solve mastermind. Why? That’s so silly and anticlimactic after all the hard work you put in. Nothing you accomplished the whole scenario before that matter as you have to play a different game just to have another roll off after that. We actually loved the game before that. The app maybe slowed things down with all the animations after every turn but it was fun to run around encountering things, fighting off monsters, finding objects. Then it went south super quick. To enjoy the game they recommend you practice these puzzles. I’ve never heard that being a part of any board game, normally you practice by playing and get better by playing. Instead you have to practice other games to have a shot at enjoying this one. Obviously this isn’t for me, I get that now, and next time I’ll do better research. I just hope the future of board games isn’t more apps with in game upgrades and mini games. Apps that enhance the board game sound great but if I wanted to play mastermind I’d play mastermind. I had such high hopes, on to the next one. Edit. Played the first scenario a second time. I don’t know if it’s random or they changed the app but we didn’t get the mastermind puzzle. We did get two slide puzzles. However this version was more enjoyable. I still have some issues with the game. The main one is the repetitiveness over the game length. It takes hours of pure luck based dice rolling. Once you play it once you know which rooms to avoid to make things easier so there is little replay value. The ending does seem to change and minor things but the main point and what you do eqch game is the same. I also dislike how long the mythos phase is. You get hit 3 separate times and on your turn you move twice and pick up something and repeat. It’s a cool world but I don’t find the game behind it as interesting or engaging as other types of adventure based games.
ajewo
Cooperative Ameritrash horror dungeon crawler in the Lovecraft universe with App integration which is a big improvement over the first edition. It is more about the story than strategic decision because dice resolve events. Pros: + Artwork (colorful, detailed, app is okay/good) + Components (minis, tokens, tiles) + Tense exploration (constant uncertainty) + App integration (for set-up, for random events, for monsters, replaces the dungeon master) + Different story scenarios some with random map layout (replayability, variability) + Different characters with special abilities and insanity cards + Cool insanity system where players get additional private goals to fulfill (even traitor) + Modular board and different scenarios + Quick set-up due to app + Easy to teach Neutrals: # Cthulhu theme # Some mini games on the App, e.g., for lock picking # Solo game # Base game: same story for each scenario. Only events, enemies, and equipment change (more scenarios needed over time for replayability) # Not about puzzly decisions but experience, atmosphere, and story-driven Negatives: - Many dice rolls to resolve (for skill checks, combat), little depth - Some scenario have very high playing time - No interrupts like in the first edition (fix game structure) Similar games: * T.I.M.E Stories (trial and error when replaying scenarios, a lot of skill tests) * Arkham Horror: The Card Game (customizable bag instead of dice, customizable character decks, living card game, random events, story-driven) * Arkham / Eldritch Horror (long playing time, random events, story-driven, roll to resolve) * Deep Madness (coop dungeon crawler with some more puzzly elements / interaction with the underwater environment, insanity system, much more focus on fighting than story-driven)
AJobenhoff
I very greatly enjoy the replayability of the game, how the scenarios never quite go the same as they did the time before so even trying to meta a scenario is not a guarentee for success. I also enjoy that it has an app companion to act as your GM and keep that experience randomized.