1-5 Players
Designer: Michael Mulvhill
Artists: George Doutsiopoulos, Kory Lynn Hubbel, Victor Maristane, Tom Moore, Joshua Newton, Studio HIVE
Publisher: Ravensburger
About the Game
The team at Prospero Hall bring the terror from the successful and super fun Horrified out of the studios and into the American lore, something I could see Winchester Brothers dealing with.
Gameplay
Everything but the details of each monsters is the same as the original, but let’s recap. On your turn, you have a number of actions depending on your character to move, collect items, and use those items in creative ways to defeat the monsters. Each monster have their unique mechanisms. Then the monsters activate, do some effects and try to attack the heroes or the people in the village. You win if you take care of all monsters, and lose if the terror gets high enough or if the event deck runs out.
Solo Gameplay
Exactly the same as the regular game, except the terror begins at 3. However, unlike the first one, the balance seems a little off. Some monster seem not work as well solo, Bigfoot being the most proheminent example.
Components
I don’t know what happens with the Prospero Hall / Ravensburger partnership, but all of their games I’ve played share the combination of great component quality and decent price. This is, for the most part, true.
Everything was revamped for the theme. Instead of the cook oldies feel, now you have files and notes and stuff. It’s also quite a bit more colorful and bigger. That second part is a bit of an issue as there can be some warping in the long run. Each creature also have their unique tokens and overlays, but, unlike the first one, the overlays are not really overlays, but little placards.
The bad part is the rules, though. The increase in the complexity of the monsters was not followed by a more thorough description. There are points that are quite vague and require you to take a decision or make a ruling. Also, there is one specific case that the game is actually broken, as there is a deduction where one combination has no answer.
Conclusion
I love the new lore, the new visuals and the new challenges. And, I can really hope they continue the line with new takes on the theme, which can be other folklores, other works of art, or so many more.
However, this feels unpolished. Although I did enjoy all my plays, I also feel like the original beats it in almost every aspect. I also feel like it’s a common issue when Prospero Hall takes on more complexity, so it might just be a need for someone to take a closer second view. With the third one coming up, fingers crossed they will have learned their lesson.
Score: 7/10
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