/pic4659575.jpg)
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
- thematic and flavorful
- fits Halloween vibe nicely
- rules can be fiddly
- complex for casual players
- monster creation and social reputation
- Gothic horror, Frankenstein-inspired thematic
- dark, thematic narrative with moral choices
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
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)
- Excellent thematic integration
- Deep strategic options
- Narrative storytelling elements
- Resource management complexity
- Long gameplay (2.5+ hours)
- Lack of gameplay evolution
- Some randomness in events and dice rolls
- Creating a Frankenstein-like monster
- Gothic horror, scientific laboratory
- Storytelling through event cards and encounters
- 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
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)
- creepy, immersive atmosphere
- strong thematic coherence with Halloween
- distinctive depiction of corpse-related cycles and lore
- grotesque content may be off-putting for some players
- long playtime, especially with larger groups
- 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
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
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)
- Non-dice, deck-based actions offer more control
- Thematic integration and minis/art
- Not enough detail in interview about mechanics
- Monster creation and scientific ethics
- Gothic horror, Frankenstein-inspired setting
- Story-driven, narrative with thematic depth
- 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
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