Let’s Do the Monster Mash-Up!

Alright scientists – it’s time to make a monster! Will you focus on health? Strength? Or just making the coolest looking monster? Face off against your fellow scientist in a battle to the death! Who will be victorious?

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What Is It?

✨Theme – Mad scientists making monsters
🎯The Goal of the game is to be the first to eliminate 2 of your opponent’s monsters
⚙️Dice Rolling – Each round, players will roll (and re-roll) their dice to determine their attack
⚙️Simultaneous Action Selection – After rolling, players will determine if they will boost, defend, or hit the panic button (to force one final re-roll for both players)
⚙️Variable Player Powers – Each scientist has a unique ability, and each monster will have an ability with a specific trigger

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Who Is It For?

👥1 – 2 Players – I thought solo was decent, and the automa rules were easy to follow. Multiplayer just adds in more uncertainty about what action your opponent may choose
👥Ages 8 & Up – Small ruleset, and not heavy strategy, so approachable for a large age range
👥Fans of dice rolling and slightly spooky themes

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PROS

🟢Fun theme; making the monsters is always fun
🟢Aesthetics – Nice art; unique monsters
🟢Good variety in monsters
🟢Small, portable, and doesn’t need a huge play area
🟢Light, easy to get into
🟢I thought it was interesting that the base damage changed depending on what round you were in

CONS

🔴I thought the rules could have been a bit cleaner. I was unclear about how some of the actions interacted at times
🔴Sometimes you’re just at the mercy of the luck of the dice. You only have so much energy so if you are just not rolling high, you might have a rough round

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Final Thoughts

Personally, I preferred the solo on this one. I thought it moved a bit snappier because you just had to follow the automa instructions, rather than try and guess what your opponent will do, which can sometimes slow the flow. Ultimately, I didn’t feel like I had a ton of interesting decision space, as it was mostly dice rolls/luck, but I did like the art, and putting the wacky monsters together, and I think rolling dice can often be a fun time just for the excitement of who will roll higher? If you’re looking for a small box spooky game, check it out!

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Additional Information:
My Final Rating – 6/10

Designer – Chris Backe
Artist – John de Campos
Publisher – Galen’s Games
MSRP – $16.00
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