Monster Inn Review

At its fundamental core, Monster Inn unfolds as an engaging bidding war among all players, each trying to populate their dungeons with an array of monsters. These monsters, once within their dungeons, hold the promise of bestowing significant fame upon their respective owners when the game ends. Yet, the main strategy involves finding the right balance, as players need to be careful not to get the human cards. These cards possess the power to lower one's accumulated fame, adding an element of risk and decision-making complexity to the gameplay. The intricate balance between amassing monsters and avoiding the potential downsides of human cards creates a suspenseful experience that keeps players thoroughly engaged from the first bid to the game's final moments.

How To Play

Monster Inn has simple rules, making it really easy to understand and start playing.

To begin, each player is given 3 gold coins and 3 gems. The remaining coins and gems are positioned adjacent to the deck of cards. Cards are drawn equal to the number of players and are placed face down. They are then arranged from left to right, starting with the strongest human card and ending with the weakest. Afterwards, the monster cards are flipped face up and organised in ascending order of strength.

During your turn, you have the choice to either persist in the bidding phase by contributing a matching currency from the pool or performing a currency exchange in which case you will replace all of the current currency in the pool with a different kind and add 2 more. Alternatively, should you decide to discontinue bidding, you then have to take the card situated farthest to the left and receive all the contents of the bidding pool.

Remaining players continue the bidding process until all the cards have been claimed. This sequence of gameplay continues until no cards are left, and the player with the most fame at the end of the game is the winner.

Conclusion

Monster Inn stands as an exceptional and cost-effective game suitable for players of all skill levels, whether they're novices stepping into the world of tabletop gaming or seasoned veterans. The game contains not only a high standard of game components but also some good artwork that beautifully captures the essence of both the monsters and their human counterparts.

Despite its simple rule set, Monster Inn is really engaging. Even though it's simple, it makes you think strategically, keeping you interested in your choices. What's special about Monster Inn is that each time you play, things change a bit. This makes the game fun to play over and over without getting boring. So, when you sit down to play, you'll always have a new experience to enjoy.