Date: 2008-11-02 11:52:02 Created: null
It was rather inevitable. Having seen it so many times and having got into the habit of getting games regularly, plus our ever-increasing trust for Steve Jackson Games, getting this eventually was an accident waiting to happen. So today (August 7th 2002) Henrik figured that my birthday a month ago was a really good reason to get Munchkin for me, and who was I to disagree ...
Immediate playtesting all night followed, and three games later I think we have a lasting hit on our hands. That I won all three games doesn't make me biased at all :-) ...
To describe Munchkin fast to a modern human: think Diablo, without story (yes, even less story). Yes, all about killing monsters and collecting stuff! And what monsters, and what stuff ...
The grand objective of Munchkin is to reach level 10 of experience. The main way to do this is by slaying fearful monsters, naturally looting them on any treasure they may have while you're at it. If the monster proves too big you can always try to run away. If that fails, the monster will do Bad Stuff to you, anything from stealing things you've got to taking levels to killing you. But don't worry, you'll be back next turn, ready for more! Treasure are all kinds of useful objects that will give you bonuses. More on those below.
It should be said right away, you'll laugh so much more at this game if you've ever been into roleplaying games of any kind. Otherwise you'll probably just find many cards totally strange. Fun perhaps, but not half as fun as you'll find them if you've played some AD&D or something. This is all a parody of roleplaying stuff, and it shows in every corner. There are goblins, clerics, thieves, warriors, dragons and so on, but they're all different. Funnier. What does a gold dragon have to put up against a plutonium dragon for example? Or a jelly cube against a gelatinous octahedron? Oh yes, and don't forget the 3872 orcs either!
And there's the things you find as well, oooh! How about an electric radioactive acid potion? A convenient addition error (you gain a level)? Kneepads of allure?
That it's illustrated by John Kovalic of course only raises the fun a few notches more. It's all spot on.
Oh yes I'm sold. This has to be the best of the easier and faster games from SJG I've tried yet. Just as easy to pick up as Chez Dork, but a lot more flexible at the same time. You can do a lot more to affect (alright, ruin things for) the other players here, and with the spirit of the game there's not much of hard feelings either (hopefully :-) ... It has all those wonderful funny cards just like Chez Dork and better gameplay on top of it.
I'll be back to comment if anything radical happens to the fun factor in the future (like, if I start losing all the time ;-). Right now it's a solid recommendation. Fast, furious and fun.