What could possibly improve on the already popular Munchkin original title? How about an even more popular TV series? That’s right, we are looking at the clash of board games and TV shows with Munchkin: Rick and Morty.
Rixty Minutes
Not only is the title of this section a Ricky and Morty episode, which may be a theme, it’s also about how long a game will take to play. Anywhere from 60-120 minutes, like the original. I will say though, from the few playthroughs of this title, and the double-digit times the original has hit the table, this one feels like a lot longer game.
There is a new mechanic in Rick and Morty called parasites. If you remember the episode, this fits very well thematically. Unfortunately, as a game design, this is one of my least favourite parts. It can not only slow down the game searching for the parasites when one is drawn, but it also makes the early game more punishing. This ultimately results in a slower transition to the later levels.
Other than that, if you understand the original you should be able to jump into this one easily enough. Getting set up and ready to go can be quick and you can still do all the things you loved before; namely killing monsters, stealing treasure and stabbing your buddies in the back.
Something Ricked This Way Comes
If the mechanics for the most part are similar to Munchkin, what about the theme? With something like Rick and Morty, this is going to be so important. It will tell you whether you want this game or not straight away. If the toilet humour, quite literal at times, of Ricky and Morty has no appeal to you then this one is not for you. However, considering its title I think you may have already known that…
The artwork is from the show. This meant that immediately as the hands were dished out, players were reminiscing about their favourite episodes. This continued into their favourite characters, weapons and phrases as each player picked up more cards.
This is where this game truly shines. It’s like we’re playing in an episode, and even the idea of backstabbing your buddies and stealing their treasure feels like something Rick himself would, and has done, many times.
A Rickle in Time
Obviously, as the title totally implies, this is my wrap-up and final thoughts on Munchkin: Rick and Morty. It plays slower, and I think the mechanic they added doesn’t really work gameplay-wise but totally does for the theme.
The components are just a small bag of tiddlywinks. There is no board to play on. At times, this did make it hard to track the levels of other players, as they’re kept on their tile which could be across the table from you.
I think if you can look past these changes and issues I had with the game, or you’re a huge Rick and Morty fan, then you’re going to love this game regardless. As I’ve already said some of the cards we drew had us laughing out loud and talking about episodes or scenes and at the end of the day I think that’s what this expansion is going to do best.