Mansions of Madness

About

Mansions of Madness is a single player and multiplayer casual strategy game with a horror theme. It was developed by Fantasy Flight Games and was released on August 1, 2016. It received very positive reviews from players.

App for Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition board game from Fantasy Flight Games.

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+10

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 554 reviews

story17 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The app enhances the atmosphere and immersion of the game, providing great narration and sound effects.
The game offers high replay value with randomized scenarios and different outcomes, making each playthrough unique.
The cooperative gameplay eliminates the need for a 'keeper', allowing all players to work together against the game.

The app can be buggy, with issues such as freezing or crashing during gameplay, which can disrupt the experience.
There is a limited number of scenarios available in the base game, and additional content can be expensive.
Some players find the rules and mechanics complex, leading to a steep learning curve for newcomers.

story
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
76%
4%
The story aspect of the game is praised for its immersive and evolving narrative, enhanced by an app that serves as a dynamic storyteller, providing unique experiences with each playthrough. While the core storyline remains consistent, the randomization of maps, events, and character interactions adds significant replayability, making it engaging for both new and returning players. However, some reviewers note that the limited number of missions in the base game and the lack of deeper narrative branching can detract from long-term enjoyment.
- “Its depth of storytelling and the way it evolves with each playthrough make 'Mansions of Madness' a must-have for any tabletop enthusiast seeking a truly immersive and endlessly entertaining adventure.”
- “The atmospheric music and each unique story have been an absolute blast to play through with friends.”
- “I also really like the storyteller aspect the app adds to the game, with fully voiced prologues and epilogues really drawing you in; the unpredictable nature of what will happen next or what's hidden in that cabinet you just found is also really cool.”
- “There's no slow burn of intrigue and story.”
- “It's monotonous and kills any sense of story or control.”
- “The narrative and the core elements are always the same; there aren't even branching story trees, like in the first edition.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The gameplay of "Mansions of Madness" is praised for its immersive narrative, challenging puzzles, and cooperative mechanics, enhanced by effective app integration that streamlines the experience. While the onboarding process is smooth, newcomers may find the complex rules daunting, and some mechanics can lead to frustrating outcomes. Overall, it offers a rich, atmospheric experience ideal for fans of slow-burn horror and puzzle-solving, though it may not satisfy those seeking fast-paced action.
- “Its narrative-driven gameplay, immersive atmosphere, and challenging puzzles are superior to its peers, despite minor issues with setup time.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are innovative and engaging, guiding players through a series of chilling scenarios where they must work together to uncover dark secrets and confront otherworldly horrors.”
- “Combining exploration, puzzle-solving, and tense combat within a haunted mansion setting, it’s perfect for fans of Lovecraftian horror and cooperative gameplay.”
- “However, compared to games like Betrayal at House on the Hill, Mansions of Madness requires a more intensive study to fully grasp all the mechanics.”
- “The component quality of the contents of the box is very high, but the gameplay itself is severely lacking and tiresome.”
- “It's extremely swingy and there are very few mechanics that mitigate bad rolls.”
atmosphere
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
12%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, enhanced by high-quality sound design and music that effectively draw players into the narrative. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a tense, thematic environment that complements its challenging gameplay and puzzles, making it a standout experience in the genre. While some minor critiques exist regarding the app's sound variety and setup time, the overall consensus is that the atmospheric elements significantly enrich the gameplay experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly well crafted; the music that accompanies the app and the sound effects really create an enticing atmosphere, and the gameplay/ruleset itself, while not too complicated, keeps you involved at all times.”
- “Mansions of Madness, though incredibly difficult in certain spots, is one of the most immersive, atmospheric, and sprawling adventures in the hobby.”
- “Detailed, moody art style and atmospheric sound design create a captivating horror ambiance that draws you deeper into the mansion’s secrets.”
- “Only two things I would say negative about this app is that you should get your own soundtrack to play it with, as the ambient music isn't enough for atmosphere, and the DLC seems a bit too pricey as they're only individual scenarios.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly captivating, with high-quality components and detailed miniatures that bring the eerie mansion settings to life.”
- “It really adds to the tone and atmosphere of the game.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
67%
11%
Overall, "Mansions of Madness" offers a mixed bag in terms of replayability. While many players appreciate the immersive gameplay and the variability in scenarios, which can change with each playthrough, the limited number of base scenarios (only four) and the repetitive nature of the core story diminish long-term replay value. Additional content and expansions are anticipated to enhance replayability, but currently, some players feel that the game lacks sufficient variety for the price.
- “Having delved into 'Mansions of Madness' for about 60 hours, I'm captivated by its immersive gameplay and remarkable replayability.”
- “Each scenario feels unique and offers endless replayability, ensuring that no two games are ever the same.”
- “And this game is exactly this: a huge experience of gaming in a new age and in a new dimension, giving a potentially static game endless replayability, because the mission specifics change, the map changes, the monsters change every time you replay even the same game.”
- “Only downside is the scenarios in this game don't really have any replay value.”
- “Multiple scenarios and random elements add variety, but once you’ve experienced the main stories, replay value diminishes without additional content.”
- “While each playthrough will be a different layout, the core story will be very similar, so each scenario only has limited replayability.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience with ambient sounds and a well-crafted soundtrack that contributes to the overall mood, particularly in horror-themed scenarios. However, some users expressed a desire for more variety and additional background music, noting that the existing tracks can become repetitive. Overall, while the music adds significant immersion, players recommend supplementing it with personal soundtracks for a richer experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly well crafted; the music that accompanies the app and the sound effects really do create an enticing atmosphere, and the gameplay/ruleset itself, while not too complicated, really gets you involved at all times.”
- “The app fulfills its role excellently, with good music and voiceover.”
- “The music is great and adds a nice ambience to the gameplay.”
- “Maybe some more background music and sound effects; we ended up using ambient background music and sounds from YouTube to mix it up.”
- “Other than the atmospheric spooky background music, we all felt the app had little added value.”
- “Music could use more variety.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
Overall, the graphics of the game are praised for their detailed artwork and atmospheric design, contributing to an engaging experience, particularly in horror settings. However, some users report performance issues, such as sluggishness and compatibility problems with certain graphics cards, alongside minor UI concerns. Despite these drawbacks, the visuals and sound design are generally well-received, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “Great artwork!”
- “Detailed, moody art style and atmospheric sound design create a captivating horror ambiance that draws you deeper into the mansion’s secrets.”
- “The graphics are nice, the music is atmospheric (if a little repetitive).”
- “My graphics are a bit sluggish, but I don't claim to have a decent video card.”
- “- massive pop ups that cover most of the graphics.”
- “At the beginning, it didn't seem to work with my GPU... I've tried 800x600, 1024x768, full resolution either in desktop or mobile graphics quality, full screen or windowed, and the game never started.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting frequent bugs, including freezing issues and graphical glitches like blacked-out tiles. While some players experience crashes and other technical problems, others find that the game generally functions well despite these shortcomings. Overall, the stability is considered subpar, particularly due to the lack of new content and the presence of buggy DLC.
- “I can get to the menu, choose a new game, set it up, but when I go to start it, the game apparently freezes.”
- “There's a catch though: it's rather buggy to solve puzzles and sometimes the tiles are all blackened out and you need to keep clicking on it to see, but it's a rather unimportant part of the game sometimes; you're not obliged to solve puzzles.”
- “It's not perfect; we've crashed it starting a game a few times (causing a reseed of items, happily a thing done in 30 seconds) and it has some glitches, but overall it works fine.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring excessive effort without meaningful rewards. While it aims to alleviate some frustrations from the previous edition, many feel it ultimately bogs down the gameplay experience rather than enhancing it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This makes for a much more tedious game and doesn't actually save any time; it just results in a bogged down experience.”
- “It doesn't try to be a video game but instead helps the player(s) with the tediousness that plagued the first edition.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization is generally well-received, with users rating performance and stability at 8 out of 10, indicating a solid experience with minimal issues.
- “The game's performance and stability are impressive, earning a solid 8/10.”
- “I appreciate how well-optimized the game is, providing a smooth experience even on lower-end hardware.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring minimal lag and consistent frame rates.”