Unboxed the Board Game Blog

Running off IDW Games' miniatures-driven "Adventures Universal Game System" (AUGS) engine, Batman: The Animated Series Adventures – Shadow of the Bat allows players to take the role of any hero in their roster in the game's 24 unique missions, which areall inspired by fan-favorite episodes. Even villains can be swapped out in every mission to change up the threats that players will face. In Shadow of the Bat, 1-4 players take to the streets as Batman, Batgirl, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, and Catwoman, each with their own unique character abilities, skills, and custom dice. They have to work together to take down the likes of Two-Face, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Man-Bat, The Joker, and Harley Quinn. As with other AUGS games, villains can be controlled by the game itself for full co-op play or by a fifth player. AUGS' modularity means that players can even create their own dream scenarios and teams, including bringing in elements from other AUGS products.

Who—or what—is out there? Eons ago, your ancestors searched the black void of space for intelligent life. Their search proved fruitless. They were alone. Desolate, they used their technology to send the seeds of life to inhabitable planets across the galaxies. Over millions of years, the alien species evolved, but before the ancestors could see the fruits of their labor, they disappeared. To aid their children, your ancestors left behind a legacy of advanced technology and hyperspace gates- gifts to encourage communication and harmony between their children. But without the guide of an elder, you and your distant alien cousins must learn to communicate, negotiate, and coexist. Welcome to the Cosmic Age. The open skies of countless worlds are filled with speeding spaceships, and a panoply of alien species compete to populate the galaxy. Will your people choose to occupy undefended worlds, create peaceful civilizations, or ruthlessly conquer foreign planets? In the quest to colonize the vast cosmos, there are as many paths to victory as there are aliens seeking it. Peace, war, negotiation, betrayal—you never know what will happen in the next encounter!

Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition is a board game in which one player takes on the role of the treacherous overlord, and up to four other players take on the roles of courageous heroes. During each game, the heroes embark on quests and venture into dangerous caves, ancient ruins, dark dungeons, and cursed forests to battle monsters, earn riches, and attempt to stop the overlord from carrying out his vile plot. Featuring double-sided modular board pieces, countless hero and skill combinations, and an immersive story-driven campaign, Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition transports heroes to a vibrant fantasy realm where they must stand together against an ancient evil.

Descent: Journeys in the Dark is a "one vs. many" game in which up to four players will choose characters with a wide assortment of skills and innate abilities to be the heroes who will explore dungeons in search of treasure and adventure, while one player will take on the role of the Overlord and will control the dungeon's many traps, puzzles, and monsters. The heroes' goal will be to cooperatively conquer the dungeon, seize its many treasures, and achieve other objectives as set by the scenario. If the heroes cooperate and achieve their goals, they will all win. The Overlord's objective is simply to use all the means at their disposal - from deadly traps to ferocious monsters - to kill the heroes. Each hero has a certain Conquest Point value to the party and if too many Conquest Points are lost through hero death, the party loses and the Overlord wins.

It is 1926, and the museum’s exotic curios and occult artifacts open barriers between our world and the elder evils lurking between dimensions. Other Worlds begin to leak through and terrifying creatures of increasing strength steal through them. Animals, the mad, and those of susceptible minds are driven to desperation by the supernatural forces that the portals unleash. In the midst of this chaos, a handful of investigators race against time to locate the eldritch symbols necessary to seal the portals forever and stop evil Ancient Ones from reducing humanity to cinders. Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of Arkham Horror. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient Ones. Armed with cards for tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game.

The Count has returned! Eight years ago, a small band of God-fearing people stopped Count Dracula. Or so they thought… Play as Count Dracula and claim dominion over the night as you sire new vampires, lay traps, and lead your enemies on a wild-goose chase. However, some will prefer to play as the Hunters determined to put a stop to the wicked count and destroy him!

Taking on the role of one of their favorite "Heroes in a Half Shell" or their allies, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Change Is Constant players battle their way through scenario-driven campaigns focused on retelling the stories of the IDW comics or one of the many one-shot, quick play missions. Heroes have to battle it out against a team of villains played by either a villain player (in the 4vs1 mode) or an AI-controlled villain (in the co-operative mode). Depending on the game mode chosen, missions generally take between 30-120 minutes. Change Is Constant is volume one in IDW's series of "Adventures"-branded miniatures games. Both it and volume two (City Fall) are standalone games, while also being compatible with one another. Change Is Constant follows the first two story arcs of IDW's TMNT comic universe series, while City Fall focuses on the story of one turtle's unexpected recruitment into the Foot Clan. Each standalone box contains five unique heroes and a variety of villains associated with each story, with more than forty miniatures total.

Unseen Forces are at work in the first expansion for Elder Sign, the cooperative dice game for one to eight players set in the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s weird fiction. Mysterious powers subtly grant blessings and level curses at your investigators. Master Mythos cards present horrifying new challenges for veteran players, and Entrance Cards offer players new options and new locations to visit. Two custom dice along with new Ancient Ones, investigators, monsters, and adventures await in Elder Sign: Unseen Forces!