A few months back my Facebook thread was filled with pictures of people playing and enjoying a game I'd never heard of. I checked BoardGameGeek and it was receiving good reviews there. I had non-backer regret for a game I hadn't even seen on Kickstarter! The good news is that the game is back, it's called MAXIMUM APOCALYPSE! (It just feels like that needs to be shouted whenever it is said...)
Maximum Apocalypse!
This Kickstarter is to launch two new expansions and give backers who missed out first time around a chance to get all the goodies. The game itself is a 1-6 player co-op that has elements of rogue-like games, as your adventure unfolds differently each time. Helping this is the fact that the game comes with various apocalyptic challenges for you to face, which can be mixed in together to create your own end of the world situation.
Zombies, robots, aliens, and nuclear fallout are all there for you to battle with, and expansions have added and promise to add more variety. On top of this there are various survivors, items and map cards. This is all put together in a modular and expandable format, hence the new Kickstarter.
Before we look at that though let's talk gameplay. From the looks of things it weighs in quite light with the emphasis being on choosing the right actions to take. You can explore, fight, scavenge, and play cards. Cards come into two types, instants (for one use powers) and gear. After taking your four actions, you will be victim to monsters and hunger, so working as a team will optimise your actions.
Apocalyptic Expansions
Most of the missions require you to seek something out and then escape. Of course these options are growing through expansions. Joining the already released Kaiju Rising Expansion, are the Jurassic Rising and Gothic Horrors Expansions. The latter expansions add a bit more to the game with new mechanics like vampires that heal themselves as they eat you!
I really like the way Mike Gnade and the team at Rock Manor Games have sandwiched a lot of apocalyptic scenarios into the same game in a seemingly thematic way. The different feel of them has been done really well. It's certainly one I will be checking out!
Maximum Apocalypse returned to Kickstarter on March 27 and was funded in two hours! Currently, the game sits just under £46,000 thanks to the help of over 1300 backers. There is still plenty of time for you to back this as well, with the campaign due to end on April 26.