Review of Horrified: Greek Monsters
Game Title: Horrified: Greek Monsters
Designer: Michael Mulvihill
Artists: George Doutsiopoulos, Raph Lomotan, Victor Maristane, Tom Moore, Ann-Sophie De Steur
Publisher: Ravensburger
Player Count: 1-5 players
Recommended Age: 10+
Playing Time: 60 minutes
Overview
Horrified: Greek Monsters is a cooperative strategy board game that continues the popular Horrified series, this time delving into the rich and treacherous world of Greek mythology. Players must work together to defeat a host of legendary creatures while managing numerous competing interests and tasks.
Key Features and Gameplay
Thematic Setting and Monsters:
- Set in a fictional Greek landscape, players face off against mythological creatures such as Cerberus, the Siren, the Basilisk, and the Minotaur. Each monster presents unique challenges and defeat conditions. For instance, Cerberus requires players to open the door to Hades and lure him back, while the Siren can manipulate player movements across the board (Board Game Quest) (ComicBook).
New Mechanics:
- The game introduces lairs, hidden locations on the board that must be revealed and interacted with to defeat certain monsters. This new mechanic adds an extra layer of strategy, requiring players to spend items to uncover these lairs (Board Game Quest) (ComicBook).
Cooperative Play:
- Horrified: Greek Monsters is designed for cooperative gameplay, where 1-5 players work together to overcome the monsters. The game balances teamwork with individual strategic decisions, making coordination and communication crucial (Board Game Quest).
Game Phases:
- The gameplay is divided into two phases: the player phase and the monster phase. During the player phase, players take actions to move, collect items, and advance the defeat conditions of monsters. The monster phase involves drawing monster action cards, which dictate the movements and attacks of the monsters (ComicBook).
Dynamic Difficulty:
- The game features scalable difficulty levels, allowing it to be tailored to different player skill levels and preferences. This flexibility makes it suitable for both competitive and casual game nights (Board Game Quest).
High Replay Value:
- The variety of monsters and the lair mechanic provide high replayability. Each game session feels unique due to the different combinations of monsters and the dynamic nature of the board (ComicBook).
Components and Production Quality
- High-Quality Miniatures: The game includes detailed miniatures for each monster, which enhance the visual appeal and thematic immersion of the game.
- Rich Artwork: The artwork and components are visually appealing and well-designed, adding to the overall experience.
Criticisms and Considerations
- Rulebook Clarity: Some players have found the rulebook to be challenging to follow, particularly regarding the monster action cards. This may require a few playthroughs to fully understand the game mechanics (ComicBook).
- Minotaur Mechanic: The Minotaur’s maze puzzle has been criticized for losing its challenge after the first playthrough, as players will remember the correct placement of maze pieces (Board Game Quest).
Conclusion
Horrified: Greek Monsters is a compelling addition to the Horrified series, bringing fresh challenges and mechanics to the table. It maintains the cooperative and strategic elements that fans love while introducing new features that keep the gameplay engaging. The game’s thematic depth, strategic complexity, and high replayability make it a must-have for fans of the series and cooperative board games alike.
Overall, Horrified: Greek Monsters is a solid game that offers a blend of familiar and new experiences, making it a worthwhile addition to any board game collection. Whether you’re a fan of Greek mythology or cooperative strategy games, this installment is sure to provide hours of entertainment and challenge.
