Mansions of Madness

The Second Edition of Mansions of Madness is one of my favorite cooperative experiences I've had playing a game! You play one of a group of investigators trying to explore the Mansions. With limited actions each turn, players have to decide how to split up and what choices to make in order to best uncover the mystery in the scenario. Meanwhile, monsters try to tear you from your goals and keep these secrets hidden.

While the first edition required one player to become the "villain," the second edition of Mansions comes with an app that randomizes play and allows the consequences of actions to be truly secret. Even fight actions become random, as your opponent reacts in ways that make you focus on your wits one round and your strength in the next. With this kind of almost random mystery, the game can be as cooperative as possible. No one can easily quarterback the system.

The downfall of Mansions is that the game is expensive. While I would love to see a ton of adventures, it's clear that a lot of money has gone into the app and boards. Each expansion has come with new map tiles, but only one more written adventure. The randomness surely makes a new app a daunting task, but there's only so many times I can play the same storyline, even with mysterious elements each game.

If you can get past the price, this game is fantastic. Play it with your friends and savor the experience!

More Information:

BoardGameGeek

Places to Buy:

Amazon

Fantasy Flight Games