/pic6714726.jpg)
Game Info
Collection
Your Tier
Loading…
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
Demon Castle Mononoke is a cooperative bluffing game where players take the role of heroes defending a cursed castle from bizarre spirits of Japanese legend. As night approaches over the castle, only one hero at a time can take watch and see the spirit approach. Only they know the spirit's strength and whether it is friend or foe, and it's up to them to rally their allies... or lead them to their own destruction.
Using a unique real-time simultaneous combat mechanic and partial information about your enemies, Demon Castle Mononoke is a parable about trust and teamwork. If the castle falls, no player can win.
—description from the publisher
Featured Videos
Ask a Rules Question
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 3
This page: 3
Sentiment:
pos 1 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 1
Showing 1–3 of 3
Video -vSdfwhS_d0
Bower's Game Corner Preview at 0:28 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 82090 · mention_pk 293139
Click to watch at 0:28 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- Cool cooperative and one versus all gameplay.
- Unique artwork.
- The pop-up gimmick is cool.
- The $55 price point is good.
- People got their previous project stuff.
- The decision to set aside profit for future projects is seen as smart.
- The game looks fun and intriguing.
- Gorgeous artwork.
- Tough choices are presented.
- A glossary is included.
- The video content (trailer, playthrough) is helpful.
- It's a $55 cooperative game, a novel concept.
Cons
- The main image is uninspiring and has wasted space.
- The funding goal of $40,000 is considered very high, and not hitting it is a concern.
- The component list is presented with large blocks of text instead of pictures, which is seen as a misstep.
- The reviewer questions why $40,000 is needed.
- The stretch goals are integrated into the funding goal in a way that might cause issues if not met.
- Some parts of the rulebook are hard to follow.
- The main image is not strong enough, especially given how crowded Gamefound is.
- The decision to ask for $40,000 and stretch out stretch goals is seen as a major misstep.
- The reviewer initially misinterpreted the profit allocation for future projects, causing confusion.
Thematic elements
- Cooperative survival against Mononoke and Yokai
- A ruined castle
Comparison games
- Claustrophobia
- Loam
- Mist
- Stuff Fables
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — Players struggle to survive together.
- Deck Building — Implied by the mention of cards with text and information.
- Modular Board — The board is described as different every time.
- One versus all — One player acts as the powerful Mononoke.
- Pop-up Components — Features a pop-up castle gimmick and a pop-up Mononoke.
- Survival — Players struggle to survive in a ruined castle.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Why do we need $40,000?
- This is not a $40,000 game.
- This feels like the polar opposite of all the negative stuff going on in the hobby.
- Final grade is still solid. I think I think we're going to go with a B minus. Hm, C plus. Yeah, C plus.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video JJVFrlLkH-Y
Sir Thecos Review at 0:14 sentiment: positive
video_pk 81540 · mention_pk 290723
Click to watch at 0:14 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Fantastic theme (Japanese folklore and mythology)
- Fantastic art style
- Tense and tight cooperative gameplay
- Challenging but not unfair
- Strong cooperative aspect requiring discussion and teamwork
- Minimal table space required
- Cool pop-up elements in the Book of Dungeons add atmosphere
- Good variety with different characters, Mononoke, and floors
- Satisfying climax and well-handled anticipation towards the final fight
- Unique and challenging
- Meaningful cooperation
- Tight and demanding gameplay
- Thematic and engaging experience
Cons
- Cannot play true solo (requires controlling more than one character)
- Can sometimes feel a little unfair due to strong attacks and dice rolls
- Randomness can be bothersome
Thematic elements
- Japanese folklore and mythology
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetrical gameplay — there will be an alternative game mode where one player takes control of the Mononoke and plays against the human players. It's a very interesting, you have like a one versus all mechanism, but you can also play like just one versus one.
- cooperative play — You really have to work together. You lose your focus, you need help, and then the question becomes how do you help? Do you heal another player? Do you grant them strength? Do you do something else entirely? Maybe you have to rest. Those are all things you would really need to discuss in a multiplayer game.
- Dice Rolling — sometimes you need to roll to see how many attack cards you draw or how strong certain attacks become.
- Hand Management — You will never have all the resources you want. You will never be able to fend off everything perfectly.
- Modular Board — And also, you have different floors that you also have like come out during the game.
- Player Elimination — That said, being injured or downed is not a loss condition in itself. It mainly accelerates the destruction of the castle
- Push Your Luck — You know that every broken gate will increase the power of the final boss. So, from the very beginning, you're already thinking about that end game.
- Set Collection — On top of that, the Mononoke themselves all change the tactics of the game with their own attacks and effects.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Keep in mind that this is still a prototype and some of the components are even handmade.
- I absolutely love the theme. I'm personally very interested in Japanese folklore and mythology, so this game speaks to me immediately.
- The art style is also fantastic. I really enjoy the look of the entire game.
- In terms of gameplay, this is a very tense and very tight cooperative game.
- I also really like the strong cooperative aspect here.
- You really have to work together.
- I also like that the table space the game needs is actually quite minimal.
- One thing I really enjoyed is the Book of Dungeons. All these pop-up Mononoke elements are really cool touch.
- Having that little pop-up book as kind of a backdrop or diorama on the table adds a lot of atmosphere, and I really enjoy that.
- That gives the game a nice amount of replayability.
- The anticipation is handled very well.
- It makes for a really satisfying climax and also interesting decisions because you can actually break gates on purpose for like these effects here.
- That's a very cool finale, and I really enjoy that structure.
- All in all, Demon Castle Mononoke is a very unique and very challenging cooperative game with a fantastic theme, a strong visual identity, and a lot of tension throughout the entire experience.
- The cooperation feels meaningful, the gameplay is tight and demanding, and the build-up towards the final confrontation is handled very well.
- While the game can occasionally feel a little swingy and it doesn't offer a true solo mode, those are relatively minor points in what is otherwise a very thematic and engaging experience.
- So, if you're looking for highly cooperative and quite difficult game with an interesting theme, this might be just the game for you.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2j7m3mfSMEY
The Dice Tower Analysis at 20:46 sentiment: negative
video_pk 81178 · mention_pk 288266
Click to watch at 20:46 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
negative
Pros
- The pop-up book is a unique and gimmicky feature.
- The theme of Japanese supernatural and Yokai is present.
- The artwork is described as interesting.
Cons
- The gameplay itself was not compelling.
- The theme would have to do a lot of heavy lifting.
- The reviewers are not feeling the game.
- The artwork is not to their personal style.
- The pop-up book is considered very gimmicky.
Thematic elements
- Japanese supernatural, Yokai
- Japan
Comparison games
- Princess Mononoke
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- focus abilities — Gameplay involves using focus abilities that trigger enemy attacks.
- pop-up book — Features a pop-up book element for the final boss encounter.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is my pick for the worst thing this week.
- It just looks heartless, mean, uh stupid.
- I just as a matter of course hate that.
- I haven't bounced off of one this hard in a while, I got to say.
- Also, I want more waves of some type, more types of electronic waves near my brain.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–3 of 3