Boss Monster

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 470 reviews
  • stability
  • gameplay
  • music
Boss Monster Game Cover
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Boss Monster is a retro-style card game where you build your own dungeon and lure heroes to their doom. The goal is to be the first player to collect a set number of souls while avoiding being defeated by the heroes' attacks. With simple rules and strategic depth, Boss Monster offers a fun and engaging experience for fans of classic video games and tabletop gaming.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 470 reviews
gameplay18 positive mentions
stability64 negative mentions
  • The digital version captures the fun and mechanics of the physical card game, making it a great alternative for those who can't play in person.
  • The game is easy to learn and offers a good introduction to the Boss Monster universe, especially for new players.
  • The pixel art and humor in the game are well-received, adding charm to the overall experience.
  • The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for players to navigate and understand the game mechanics.
  • The game is plagued by bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
  • Multiplayer functionality is lacking, with a dead online community and issues connecting with friends, making it hard to find games.
  • stability64 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent bugs, crashes, and glitches that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many players express frustration over the game's unresponsiveness and freezing issues, particularly at startup, while others note that the developers seem to have abandoned updates to address these problems. Despite some acknowledging the game's potential, the overwhelming sentiment is that its current state is too unstable for enjoyable gameplay.

    • “Every time I start a game, it either goes to a black screen with music in the background or, when I actually get to the title menu, it freezes completely.”
    • “The developers have all but given up on updating the game or working on the numerous glitches and hitches that have happened with the game.”
    • “This is a buggy game that the publishers appear to have given up on but released anyway in order to make a few bucks.”
  • gameplay64 mentions

    The gameplay of the digital adaptation has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a slow pace and unclear mechanics that hinder the overall experience. While some appreciate the fun and challenging aspects of the game, others criticize the buggy user interface and lack of proper tutorials, making it difficult for newcomers to grasp the rules. Despite these issues, the game is recognized for its replay value and faithful adaptation of the original card game, particularly when enhanced with expansions.

    • “Boss Monster is very fun once you understand the gameplay and mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and challenging and has a small learning curve, unlike some other card games.”
    • “What I do see in it: smooth, bug-free gameplay; tongue-in-cheek humor; well-crafted soundtrack; a faithful and user-friendly adaptation of the tabletop version.”
    • “The game falters around clarity of mechanics (e.g. where and when abilities can be played).”
    • “I picked it up on Steam sale, and the long, drawn-out, irritatingly slow gameplay is definitely hindering a potential good game.”
    • “It is barely animated, confusing as hell, and simply poorly done, gameplay-wise, at every turn.”
  • music23 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring enjoyable chiptune tracks and a well-crafted soundtrack that complements the graphics. However, some players find the music repetitive and grating over time, with criticism directed at the lack of variety, as there is only one main track. Additionally, technical issues such as freezing and black screens have been reported, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Fun chiptune music, basic animations and effects.”
    • “Nice art and music if you like pixelated things.”
    • “What I do see in it: smooth, bug-free gameplay; tongue-in-cheek humor; well-crafted soundtrack; a faithful and user-friendly adaptation of the tabletop version.”
    • “Every time I start a game, it either goes to a black screen with music in the background or, when I actually get to the title menu, it freezes completely.”
    • “Lack of music.”
    • “-repetitive music.”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics are a blend of nostalgic 8-bit art and modern high-resolution visuals, praised for their fun and thematic animations. However, many users report significant issues, including crashes, freezes, and graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. While the artwork is appreciated, the lack of polish and functionality leaves much to be desired.

    • “The artwork is a beautiful tribute to bygone 8-bit games combined with modern high resolutions and a mouse-driven user interface.”
    • “This being said, I like the graphics, music, and animations.”
    • “Fun graphics, taken from the actual cards.”
    • “I can't get through one game without a crash or a freeze or a graphical glitch that makes the game unplayable.”
    • “With the functionality and polish the game provides, it wouldn't in any way justify buying that game: no deck management, no control on where you set your rooms, graphics could have been a lot better even for a 2D card game, like I said, controls are awful.”
    • “The graphics are adequate (it's based on a card game which is in turn inspired by old-school video games), but graphics could have been a lot better even for a 2D card game.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The game suffers from significant performance issues, including frequent crashes, and is poorly optimized, likened to a malfunctioning appliance. Most negative reviews highlight these optimization problems, particularly during its early access phase, and it appears to be optimized only for two players.

    • “It's optimized for 2 players only.”
    • “The game has performance issues leading to multiple crashes.”
    • “This game clearly is about as optimized as a K-Mart toaster that's missing 3 screws.”
    • “It seems most of the negative reviews have to do with performance issues while it was in early access.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Replayability is a mixed aspect of the game; while some players appreciate the strategic depth and ever-changing dungeon layouts that enhance replayability, others criticize the low card variety, leading to repetitive gameplay. Additionally, technical issues, such as bugs preventing completion, further diminish the overall replay value for many users.

    • “Replayability is high because your dungeon is always changing!”
    • “The low card variety makes replayability low as you see the same cards over and over again very quickly.”
    • “Less than 50% of games are playable to completion without encountering bugs.”
    • “Don't be fooled by its somewhat simple appearance; there is a lot of strategic depth and replayability.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the PC adaptation of Boss Monster is praised for being tongue-in-cheek and effectively amplifying the comedic elements of the original card game. Reviewers appreciate the smooth gameplay and well-crafted soundtrack, highlighting the game's ability to maintain a fun and engaging atmosphere.

    • “On the plus side, I have the card-based version of Boss Monster, and the PC version seems like a fun adaptation, maintaining and even amplifying the sense of humor displayed by the card version.”
    • “What I do see in it: smooth, bug-free gameplay; tongue-in-cheek humor; well-crafted soundtrack; a faithful and user-friendly adaptation of the tabletop version.”
  • story4 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is criticized for lacking clear communication about gameplay mechanics, particularly regarding the "destroy room" ability and its consequences. Players feel that essential information, such as heroes returning to the dungeon entrance after a room is destroyed, is not adequately explained, which can lead to confusion and frustration. Overall, the narrative experience is seen as hindered by these gameplay oversights.

    • “You didn't tell us that when destroying a room, the hero in that room will pop back to the dungeon entrance and start again. I mean, if you don't tell us, only a pro player will know this will happen.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the digital version is heavily criticized for being a cash grab, laden with microtransactions, and plagued by unresolved bugs.

    • “The digital version is full of bugs that they won't fix and is nothing but a cash grab full of microtransactions.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players have noted that while the game starts off well, the animations of heroes moving through dungeons significantly slow down gameplay, leading to a frustrating grinding experience. Additionally, the user interface has been criticized, further contributing to the overall sense of stagnation.

    • “The animations of heroes moving through our dungeons brought the game to a grinding halt.”
    • “The UI isn't great, but the real issue is how the animations slow everything down to a crawl.”
    • “After a while, the constant grinding became tedious and made the game feel more like a chore than fun.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

31hMedian play time
22hAverage play time
5-39hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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