Mansions of Madness - New CoC Boardgame from FFG

[Nick]

None of these are half as bad as some of the crazy sh*t here.

[The Trampoline]

Is it Hello Cthulhu???

[fatolaf]

None of these are half as bad as some of the crazy sh*t here.

Absolutely brilliant

[Garzini]

I'll be up for a copy of "Mansions of Madness"

[fatolaf]

Yep it got announced over the weekend, looks really good as well....

As soon as we know the price we will have it up on the shop for pre-order

Horrific monsters and spectral presences lurk in manors, crypts, schools, monasteries, and derelict buildings near Arkham, Massachusetts. Some spin dark conspiracies from the shadows while others wait for hapless victims to devour. It's up to a handful of brave investigators to explore these cursed places and uncover the truth about the living nightmares within.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of Mansions of Madness, a macabre board game of horror, insanity, and mystery for 2-5 players! This winter, gather your fellow investigators and unravel the dark mysteries within... before it's too late.

Designed by Corey Konieczka (Battlestar Galactica, Runewars) and based on the horror fiction of master writer H.P. Lovecraft, Mansions of Madness creates an engrossing new narrative every time you play. Each game takes place within a pre-designed story that provides players with a unique map and several combinations of plot threads. These threads affect the monsters that investigators may encounter, the clues they need to find, and which climactic story ending they will ultimately experience. One player takes on the role of the keeper, controlling the monsters and other malicious powers within the story. The other players take on the role of investigators, searching for answers while struggling to survive with their minds intact.

During setup, the keeper secretly makes choices that will affect both the plot of the unfolding story and the gameplay objectives of both sides. Is the mysterious cult attempting to murder the investigators, or is their goal far darker? Did the master of the house go insane with grief over his dead family, or is a horrible otherworldly force controlling his mind? Only by following the trail and piecing these clues together will the investigators discover the true evil and successfully complete the story!

Depending on the combinations of plot choices the keeper makes, clues are scattered throughout the various rooms that make up the board. Each clue is represented by a card, placed face down in the room in which it can be found and consisting of deeply thematic text leading investigators to the next clue card. Investigators must work together, finding the clues and discussing how best to proceed. Meanwhile, the keeper is ever vigilant in pursuing his own agenda, and if he completes his secret objective before the investigators discover and thwart it, then dark forces will prevail. The result is a tense race between good and evil!

Both the engaging plot and the stunning components will draw you in to a world of cosmic horror. The beautifully rendered modular map tiles show every intricate feature of the rooms you'll search, and the monster figures represent the otherworldly forces of evil in horrific detail. The bases for each monster figure even have slots into which you can insert that monster's token, displaying only the pertinent statistics. These components (a total of 24 monster figures), along with the eight included investigator figures, over 300 cards, over 200 tokens and markers, and nearly 70 puzzle tiles, will help immerse you in a sanity-bending story of terrifying mystery.

[fatolaf]

More on how this game plays:

For our first preview of Mansions of Madness, we're pleased to present an introductory designer diary by Corey Konieczka:

I'm sorry. I tried to keep it secret. I tried to protect you. Unfortunately, I cannot contain myself anymore, my story must be known. This is your last warning; once you read the words below, there is no turning back...

For some time, I've wanted to create a modular board game that focuses on telling an immersive story in which everything happened for a reason. One of my main goals with Mansions of Madness was to create a game in which the story is not merely smoke and mirrors, but in which evil plots are actually happening behind the scenes. Also, I wanted a purpose behind each unique item that players discovered, rather than having them drawn out of a random deck.

At the same time, replayability and versatility were a must, so that players don't always know what to expect. Every grand story arc would have many plausible outcomes, many possible side paths, and a depth of buried information. I wanted a game that made players feel like they were in a movie, with every clue uncovered helping them understand what is going on, and tension becoming tangible as they progressed towards the finale. My goal was to design a game in which every single element was about telling this story. A game that sucked players in and refused to let go. A game that hid reality behind a veil of theme, so thick that it could be an engrossing novel...

...and I think we've succeeded at this with Mansions of Madness.

Each story starts with an introductory narrative that gives thematic background information on the scenario. For example (and we'll use a hypothetical story to avoid ruining the surprise of in-game scenarios), let's imagine that our introductory story is about a series of murders that have been happening on a nightly basis for almost two weeks. The town is scared, and the investigators have been following clues for days. Finally, on a warm summer evening, their car pulls up to an enormous mansion. Somehow they know that here lies the final piece of the puzzle. They know that, one way or another, tonight will bring an end to this mystery.

While this narrative is laid out in front of them, the keeper is required to make a number of story changing decisions. The number of questions varies based on the story and its target playtime. Continuing on from our made up narrative, let's imagine that the keeper reads his first question:

1: What is the ultimate reason for the murders?

    * A. A cult is working on a dark ritual that requires a murder every night for 13 nights. The mansion is their sanctuary and the center of their power.
    * B. The house itself is a manifestation of evil. It has been luring in victims for weeks, gathering in power in order to attract the great daemon sultan Azathoth.
    * C. The town's inhabitants are all servants of Nyarlathotep. They have been duping the investigators and leading them towards the house to become slaves to his bidding.

The keeper decides to choose 1A, and takes the appropriate story choice marker (to remember this), and places it face down in front of him.

The first choice made by the keeper always determines the keeper's objective for this session. He takes Objective Card 1A for this story, and reads it to himself. Let's imagine that this Objective requires him to kill an investigator and place his corpse on an altar. The investigators on the other hand, simply need to kill the cult's leader to stop the ritual.

The important thing to remember here is that this card is kept secret from the investigators! This means that even if they have played this scenario before, there is still a sense of suspense and mystery. In order to see the keeper's Objective Card (and ultimately win the game), they will need to investigate the house and discover clues that will reveal the truth behind the mystery.

To conclude his part of setup, the keeper will go on to make a handful of other decisions as well, and these decisions will likewise affect various features of the game (depending on the requirements of the scenario). Based on his previous answer (1A), the keeper might now decide the following: Where do the cultists perform their ritual murders? Where is their next victim imprisoned? To what room does the secret passage in the study lead?

Based on the keeper's choices, he then goes on to scatter items and obstacles throughout the board. While some Exploration cards are placed randomly in every scenario, others, along with the clues leading investigators to their objective, are placed according to the keeper's initial decisions.

But who are the investigators, and what resources do they have at their disposal as they discover clues and other items throughout the mansion? Unfortunately for your sanity, you're going to have to wait until our next preview...

[fatolaf]

More on How the players set up characters:

"What is it, boy? Whaddaya smell?" Pete looked back to see that Duke was no longer following at his heels, but had stopped near a ruined grave marker. The animal bared his teeth and growled at the slab of rock, the fur of his neck standing on end. "C'mon boy," Pete ordered gruffly, but Duke stood his ground against the inanimate foe. Pete turned back, and placing himself between his dog and ancient gravestone, he bent down for a closer inspection. In the dim moonlight, he could barely make out the weatherworn letters, but he leaned in, squinting. An "L"... yes, definitely... and a "Y". He ran his hands over the porous rock, feeling the markings. An "N"... So unshakable was Ashcan Pete's focus, in fact, that he didn't notice the soft sound of footsteps in the grass, or his dog falling silent behind him."

Slowly, the clues are coming together in your search for more information on Mansions of Madness. You've learned of the evil plots taking shape in the mansions and crypts of Arkham, and you've even had a glimpse inside the mind of the man behind it all. Today, we'll take a closer look at the unlikely heroes standing against the encroaching darkness, and we'll see how the tools at their disposal help them against the many supernatural perils they face.

Eight investigators, all from vastly different walks of life, have been brought together to face a terrifying supernatural threat. As a player on the "investigator" side, you'll oppose the "keeper" player as he seeks to complete his objective. Whether you're challenging him alone or with up to three fellow investigator players along with you, you'll choose one of these eight brave characters to be your avatar on the board. For the keeper, the number of investigators in play affects both resources and the strength of certain minions, meaning that the difficulty of Mansions of Madness scales depending on how many intrepid investigators are teaming up.

We'll take a look at that balance, along with a closer look at the keeper's turn, in a future preview. Today, let's look instead at the investigators' setup process, including character selection.

To prepare for a game of Mansions of Madness, the keeper player has plenty of choices to make (as we saw last week). But what are the investigator players doing in the meantime? Following the Investigator Guide, they assemble the map tiles to create the board, to which the keeper will add clues, obstacles, and items based on his story choices. Next, the investigator players read "The Story So Far," a short narrative that explains the scenario's backstory and objective (or at least as much as is initially clear).

Pay close attention to the story! More than mere flavor text, "The Story So Far" offers direction, sometimes quite subtly, for the investigators to find their first clues. Finally, each investigator player chooses an investigator and receives the corresponding Character card, Trait cards, and the listed number of Skill Point tokens. The investigators now have some setup choices of their own...

If you've chosen (or been randomly assigned) to play as "Ashcan" Pete, you'll first notice three statistics on his Character card. His Health rating indicates how much damage he can take before he's killed (after which his player chooses a new investigator, as long as the story isn't in its climax). Pete's Sanity rating indicates how much Horror he can witness before he's driven insane and becomes a danger to his fellows (with some "help" from the keeper). Finally, an investigator's Skill Points are a type of resource with which he can overcome certain obstacles (more on that follows).

Next, you will determine Pete's attributes and abilities from his selection of Trait cards. From the cards available, you must choose one displaying Strength, Marksmanship, and Dexterity, and another displaying Intellect, Willpower, Lore, and Luck.

These seven attributes represent the unique makeup of your character. Additionally, the cards that display them offer special text abilities, which further distinguish you from your allies and makes every game a little different... even those in which you choose a favorite character again (instead of Jury-rigging, you might have chosen the Trait card with the False Trail ability; this would result in a slightly less intellectual Pete, but one more able to evade enemies). With Duke trailing behind us, let's move on to Skill Point tokens.

Attributes are used to overcome all manner of challenges, but most often they are pertinent to Attribute Tests. When prompted to perform an attribute test, simply roll a ten-sided die and compare this value to your character's applicable attribute. If the roll is equal to or less than the attribute, you pass! If a challenge looks too daunting, you can also opt (before the roll) to spend one of your Skill Point tokens. Doing so will add your luck value to whichever attribute you are about to test, and this represents a feat of particular resourcefulness on the part of your character.

Attributes are also helpful in maintaining your sanity in the face of the many horrific sights you'll encounter, and solving the puzzles that stand in your way... but we'll take a closer look at those in the weeks to come. Keep checking back!

[fatolaf]

A guide to players turns:

The dim lightbulb swung lazily on its cord, and with intermittent flickers it threatened to abandon the dank basement to total darkness. The thought of it made the tiny hairs on Jenny's neck stand up, but it wasn't the darkness that frightened her most. Reaching a slim hand into the blue silk purse hanging at her side, Jenny drew forth an ivory-handled .45 automatic pistol as she began her way tentatively across the dirt floor. By her third step, however, the heels of Jenny's Parisian leather shoes were sinking beneath her. The earth was freshly disturbed... but what had been buried in the mansion's cellar, and by whom?

Horrible secrets lie hidden in the dark corners of Arkham, and it's up to a few brave investigators to bring them to light. In our exploration of Mansions of Madness, the macabre board game of horror, insanity, and mystery for 2-5 players, we've thus far seen an explanation of story construction and the mechanics of character setup. Today we'll take a look at the investigator turn, and we'll see how humanity's heroes collect the clues necessary to stop the keeper's horrible plot.

Every turn presents an investigator player with several compelling options, but precious little time before the keeper completes his dark objective. On each investigator's turn, he may take two Movement Steps and one Action Step, in any order. Movement Steps are simple; they consist of moving an investigator into an adjacent space (an area separated by a white line or a door). But what if a door is locked? During setup, the keeper will have "seeded" the board with Exploration Cards (representing items and clues), and placed Lock Cards on top of some of those stacks as determined by the scenario guide. To enter a room that contains a face-down Lock Card, the investigator must first turn the card face up and resolve it, which sometimes calls for an Attribute Test (as seen in last week's preview).

The choice of how to spend your Action Step is rarely as simple. Let's imagine that you are in control of Jenny Barnes, the wealthy fashionista who was dragged into a horrific web of mystery by a troubling letter from her beloved sister. During investigator setup, you chose to arm yourself with your trusty dual .45 automatic pistols and the "It's Personal" once-per-game ability. As your Action, you could use a special ability (marked "Action") from one of your cards, or you could:

    * Run (take a third Movement Step)
    * Drop (discard an item into your current space)
    * Attack (we'll take a detailed look at combat in a future preview)
    * Explore (see below)

"Explore" is the most common Investigator Action in the game, and it drives the discovery of items, spells, and most importantly, clues. When a player performs an explore action, the keeper flips over all cards in the room being explored one at a time, starting with the top card in the pile and working down (the order is important, since a much-needed clue may be hidden beneath a difficult obstacle). The keeper reads each card aloud and then hands it to the player exploring the room, who must place them next to his character card.

Exploration Cards come in a range of types and are generally quite useful to the investigator who draws them. Items like keys (necessary for opening certain locks), tomes (which often provide Spells), artifacts (ancient and powerful tools), and weapons (anything from pistols to crowbars) are all spread throughout the crypts and manors of Arkham.

Clues, however, are the most important Exploration Cards available to an investigator, since they guide players toward their ultimate objective. As we saw in our first preview, the keeper begins the game by planting clues around the game board based on the story choices he makes (and places them under stack of other Exploration Cards, Lock Cards, and Obstacle Cards). Each clue leads investigators to the next clue, compelling them to follow a carefully constructed narrative thread until the keeper's evil plot becomes apparent. The final clue will then complete the puzzle, directing players toward the scene of the story's climax. But will they uncover the truth in time, or will the keeper complete his evil plan?

In short, the mechanics for Mansions of Madness are streamlined and intuitive, and are designed to keep the focus where it belongs: on the story.

Though the mysteries behind Mansions of Madness continue to unravel, many horrors still remain undiscovered. Keep checking back over the coming weeks, when we'll take a look at the keeper's turn, combat, and puzzles!

[fatolaf]

Available to Pre-Order Now.
Strictly ltd numbers so to guarantee your copy, order today...

For collection & cash, you will get 17.5%% off , PM for invoice

[fatolaf]

This has now slipped from the Xmas release schedule 

Now due out Q1, 2011.........