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Description
It's been twenty years since Victor Frankenstein died on a ship in the arctic, but his vengeful creature lives on, as does Robert Walton, the sea captain who vowed to kill the fiend before mercy stayed his hand. It's now 1819, and a sinister darkness descends upon the city of Paris. A mysterious benefactor of gigantic stature has emerged in the scientific community, never showing his face, claiming to possess the late Frankenstein's research. He sponsors a grand competition, offering an even grander prize: unlocking the mystery of mortality!
Renowned scientists from around the world come to take part: some drawn to solve this eternal riddle, others coerced against their will. But a certain captain comes as well, one deeply suspicious of the secretive patron, hoping to finally fulfill his vow.
Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein is a competitive game of strategic monster building for 2-4 players, inspired by Mary Shelley's classic novel of gothic horror. In the game, the creature demands your help to accomplish what his own creator would not: to bring to life an abomination like itself, a companion to end its miserable solitude. Through worker placement and careful management of decomposing resources, you'll gather materials from the cemeteries and morgues around the city, conduct valuable research at the Academy of Science, hire less-than-reputable associates, and toil away in your lab — all in an effort to assemble a new form of life and infuse it with a "spark of being". Do well, and the creature may reward you during one of its surprise visits; do poorly, and you may come to regret not putting forth more effort. Narrative elements come into play throughout the game, guided by your decisions, leading to potentially unsavory outcomes.
The game ends when you succeed in bringing your creation to life or when the Captain kills the creature, whichever happens first. Then the player with the most points fulfills Frankenstein's dark legacy, becoming his heir, for good or ill...
—description from the publisher
Year Published
2019
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 6
This page: 6
Sentiment:
pos 5 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–6 of 6
Video oUqhm8wbVu8
Cardboard Herald game_review at 0:28 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 13471 · mention_pk 39437
Click to watch at 0:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- intriguing resource degradation system that adds high tension
- strong, original thematic flavor with a dark horror aesthetic
- multi-use cards and dice manipulation offer varied strategic options
- the interplay of emergent storytelling with strategic planning can be compelling
Cons
- setup and upkeep can be cumbersome for a heavy game
- the game can feel clunky and long (up to 12 rounds), which undermines fluidity
- story elements sometimes disrupt strategic flow and can be frustrating
- graphic violence and gruesome imagery may not feel fully earned or comfortable for all players
Thematic elements
- ethics of creation, humanity, and horror as a driving force of strategy
- Frankenstein-era Europe with a laboratory-driven storyline around creation and experimentation
- emergent/story-driven through encounter deck and player actions; choices influence outcomes
Comparison games
- Dead of Winter
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- dice-based upgrading of monster parts — dice results affect upgrades and can downgrade parts via electricity-driven processes
- humanity/reputation tracking — dials track humanity and expertise; affects scoring, available workers, and payout
- resource management with degradation — resources degrade over rounds unless preserved (ice blocks), creating pressure to optimize timing
- story/event deck with cover cards — encounters presented each round via a deck; events can present grim choices with consequences
- upgrading monsters with cadaver parts — assemble and upgrade monster parts to improve scoring and capabilities
- worker placement — send pawns to locations to gather resources, perform actions, and unlock upgrades
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- abomination is a unique blend of highly thematic storytelling and resource management
- this game has an incredible resource degradation system where unless you purchased one of these ice blocks to degrade instead your resources at the end of the round are going to end up sliding down a stage
- it's a gruesome game with really graphic imagery and concepts that don't feel entirely earned
- an OK game with a lot of really good ideas that should have been great but much of this abomination should left on the cutting-room floor
- I love horror and think verbal violence can be used for powerful dramatic and yes even comedic effect
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video tde2mTSt4bo
Board Game Coffee general_discussion at 25:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 12959 · mention_pk 37911
Click to watch at 25:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- thematic and flavorful
- fits Halloween vibe nicely
Cons
- rules can be fiddly
- complex for casual players
Thematic elements
- monster creation and social reputation
- Gothic horror, Frankenstein-inspired thematic
- dark, thematic narrative with moral choices
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- body-part collection — collecting parts to assemble a Frankenstein monster
- reputation management — reputation grows or suffers with actions and choices
- worker placement — you gather resources from locations like graveyard and university
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we're giving away over 50 board games to people
- the live winners will only be announced in live
- this is not the first time on this is in a giveaway with us
- the box makes it look interesting
- it's exhausting 24 videos in 12 days
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 4l1bUzWkP8U
The Secret Cabal Gaming Podcast game_review sentiment: positive
video_pk 11987 · mention_pk 35137
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Excellent thematic integration
- Deep strategic options
- Narrative storytelling elements
- Resource management complexity
Cons
- Long gameplay (2.5+ hours)
- Lack of gameplay evolution
- Some randomness in events and dice rolls
Thematic elements
- Creating a Frankenstein-like monster
- Gothic horror, scientific laboratory
- Storytelling through event cards and encounters
Comparison games
- Through the Ages
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action selection — Sending scientists to different locations to collect components
- Dice rolling — Activating and potentially damaging body parts
- Resource management — Collecting and managing body parts with decay mechanics
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Not only that it actually exceeded my expectations
- They really paid close attention to theme in this game
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video UfpatY6TAC4
Board Game Coffee top_5_list at 7:51 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7147 · mention_pk 21155
Click to watch at 7:51 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- creepy, immersive atmosphere
- strong thematic coherence with Halloween
- distinctive depiction of corpse-related cycles and lore
Cons
- grotesque content may be off-putting for some players
- long playtime, especially with larger groups
Thematic elements
- body horror—digging up bodies, stealing corpses, and assembling a monster
- Gothic horror focused on Frankenstein's monster construction
- story-rich, atmosphere-heavy with grotesque elements
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action-selection and worker-like decisions — players perform varied actions to progress their goals
- dreadful theming and story elements — story-driven encounters that emphasize atmosphere
- outside-the-box theming — romanticized yet disturbing portrayal of Halloween-esque horrors
- resource/part assembly — collect and assemble body parts to advance Frankenstein's creation
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I really like the theme in this game because the campaign follows the movie.
- it's basically Zombie Side with the Knight of the Living Dead license mixed in there.
- hidden movement game
- we've also teamed up with people and you know this plays five players—one player playing Dracula and the other four playing the hunters
- it's got this really creepy feel to it because you are digging up bodies from a grave you are stealing bodies from a morgue
- it's a great legacy game and it's got a lineage type of thing
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Gd-Kya2CEBc
Going Analog quiz_show at 3:13 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4401 · mention_pk 12851
Click to watch at 3:13 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Thematic, dark humor
- Strong production
Cons
- Grim theme may be heavy for some players
Thematic elements
- gothic horror, creature creation
- Frankenstein-inspired lab
- thematic, narrative-driven
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice drafting/placement — Roll and place dice to assemble monster parts
- hand-management — Manage cards for actions in the lab
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's an awesome series so people should check it out
- I am very passionate about elephants
- this was so much fun I'm glad you enjoyed it
- New York Zoo
- I love the little googly eye you put on your own
- it's one of my favorite flipping games
- this one's a hardcore like crazy campaign game
- it's never one card game
- highly recommend it
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Dy3r1wDDVQ4
Cardboard Herald interview at 0:46 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1824 · mention_pk 5262
Click to watch at 0:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Non-dice, deck-based actions offer more control
- Thematic integration and minis/art
Cons
- Not enough detail in interview about mechanics
Thematic elements
- Monster creation and scientific ethics
- Gothic horror, Frankenstein-inspired setting
- Story-driven, narrative with thematic depth
Comparison games
- Mice and Mystics
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck-building / card-driven actions — Uses a deck of cards to control actions instead of dice
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- we got rid of the dice we don't draw from a bag anymore we have a deck of cards
- there are personal goals and trying to build up your colony
- the miniatures really pops
- they're fun fast demos each page plays pretty quick
- we're hoping to bring in families that aren't necessarily gamers yet
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–6 of 6