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Horrified: World of Monsters is the latest instalment in the Horrified board game series, keeping well known mechanisms from previous games but adding up new challenges with a roster of four new monsters (Cthulhu, Yeti, Sphinx, and Jiangshi) as well as a new map. Let’s dive into more detail below.
What’s in the box?
If you have any of the previous iterations, you’ll know what to expect when you open the box for the first time. Firstly, you’ll get a map heavily inspired in Lovecraftian lore. While it looks very nice with some interesting details, I find it a bit less clear to find each location compared to Greek monsters, for example. The writing does not have as much contrast and everything is darker in general, which I believe is intentional for the theme but just creates a little problem with clarity at least for me, some people will probably not mind at all.
Within the punching trays, you’ll find all sorts of items and tokens to be used with the different monsters as well as the Hero and Legends standees. The cardboard is of good quality, and while it isn’t the best I have ever seen, it should last a substantial amount of plays non-the-less. The items allude obviously to H.P. Lovecraft’s lore and are interesting to look at on their own but, again, I find them a bit too dark and less clear than with the previous Greek monster’s instalment.
The main disappointing elements for me were the monster and perk cards and the item bag. Not that the cards look bad or anything, the designs are good and the artwork is fitting but I it is about time their quality was addressed. It has been a repeat complaint of many players that the cards are too thin, something which could’ve and should’ve been addressed by now considering we are on the 4th instalment of this series. Yet, the exact same cardstock is being used again, which is disappointing. And the item bag is by far my least favourite thing in the game. The material and product design is awful and it doesn’t even seal completely when stored, letting items fly out easily. And this is old news, as the Greek Monster’s instalment has the same style of bag and it was received with the same complaints! So, Ravensburger’s, if you’re reading this (doubt it), please ditch this horrendous bag and give us the same as in the Universal Monsters game! I was also slightly disappointed to see only Cthulhu was actually included from the H.P. Lovecraft universe of monsters. That and also the fact we are getting less heroes and less monsters than on previous instalments.
The monster miniatures and the dice are definitely the highlights for me, as it has been in previous instalments. The miniatures are of great quality and highly detailed. My favourite is definitely Cthulhu but they all are great. And the dice are very thematic, the only thing I got against them (and a repeat complaint with all the other games in this series) is that they are too cubic for me, I’d like them to have rounder edges so they’d roll easier. But this is nit-picking.
Gameplay
World of Monsters core gameplay remains the same as with previous instalments. At heart, all instalments of Horrified are cooperative, pick up and deliver game with puzzles to be solved in order to defeat a group of monsters before your time runs out (either by running out of monster cards or by reaching a deadly level of Terror).
It is an accessible game, with easy to learn rules and characters that will appeal to all audiences. The gameplay is highly engaging, as your limited actions will force you to plan your moves carefully and craft out a plan together to make sure you optimize each turn while the monsters will throw just enough curveballs to force you to adapt as the game progresses.
The game really shines through each monster’s unique mechanics, with different puzzles to solve that may include polyomino shaped puzzles, set collection of items, managing effect levels, firefighting around the map and/or just full-on face to face encounters. My favourite to play against were Cthulhu, which is actually quite challenging to manage, and the Sphinx, which introduces a new gameplay mechanism of solving riddles, a great addition in my opinion!
The modular monster setups, the randomized item grab-bag and the spawn of legends around the map offer a great amount of replayability between sessions, keeping the experience fresh enough for a long time and, to top this of, you can actually mix this game with Horrified: Greek Monsters, adding even more variety to setup and the possibility to play whichever map you want with whatever monsters you’d like! Having Greek Monsters already, it was a no-brainer getting this one as well, as it felt like I was getting an expansion and a new game in one box!
Final Thoughts
I feel Horrified: World of Monsters delivers exactly what the fans were expecting.
Yes, it does still suffer from some component quality issues like the durability of the cards and that awful bag design from previous instalments but those are issues you can honestly live with, I wouldn’t consider them deal breaking at all. The gameplay may also be a bit too simplistic for some tastes when compared with other cooperative games but, in turn, that also makes it friendlier and more accessible for younger audiences and less experienced players.
The uniqueness of each monster’s design is always a highlight of this series. They always feel distinct, both thematically and mechanically, forcing players to adapt their strategies in every session and the game’s modular setup, now combined with the ability to mix and match with Horrified: Greek Monsters, guarantees you’ll have a fresh experience for a very long time.
Overall, the game oozes theme everywhere you look, has fun and engaging gameplay and offers a high level of replayability with easy to learn rules, making it easy to table, teach and an overall great gateway for new players. A solid recommendation for your collection.
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