In Villainous: Bigger and Badder, each player takes control of one of three Disney characters, each one a villain in a different Disney movie, specifically Syndrome (The Incredibles), Lotso (Toy Story 3), and Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone). Each player has their own villain deck, fate deck, player board, and 3D character.
On a turn, the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board, takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand), then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies, items, effects, and conditions. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.
One of the actions allows you to choose another player, draw two cards from that player's fate deck, then play one of them on that player's board, covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes, items, and effects from that villain's movie, and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.
In more detail, just like in The Incredibles, Syndrome will face off against Frozone and the Parr family, using his minions and advanced technology to come out ahead. To win as Syndrome, players need to upgrade the Omnidroid, then defeat it and all heroes in his realm. Lotso seeks to control Sunnyside Daycare by reducing four heroes' strength (utilizing a game mechanism new to Disney Villainous) and moving those heroes to the toddlers' Caterpillar Room. Finally, those playing as Madam Mim will need to win a wizard's duel against Merlin, using Mim's Transformations to defeat Merlin's.
Villainous: Bigger and Badder is playable on its own, and its characters can also face off against those in the other Disney Villainous games.
- iconic IP with flavorful asymmetry
- thematic heavy for casual players
- asymmetric, competitive strategy
- Disney villains with distinct agendas
- character-driven, thematic
- Dominion
- Scythe
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Asymmetric play — each player has a unique villain with different goals
- hand management — managing villain-specific cards to advance objectives
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I even saw wingspan there translated in Japanese which I really really wanted with all the expansions that was freaking awesome to see
- I managed to find Scout in multiple places
- I would definitely have to pick one game from that day and Le Havre would have been it if that managed to fit in my luggage
- Scythe oh my God in a Japanese how it just looks so cinematic for some reason
- the brand new Agric 15 Edition… there were so many updated titles
References (from this video)
- thematic and approachable asymmetry
- fun for fans of Disney IP and light strategy
- not as deep as heavier strategy games
- familiar IP may not appeal to all players
- villainy, strategy, character-driven powers
- Disney villain-themed asymmetrical strategy
- fantasy, thematic, asymmetric
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric roles — each villain has unique abilities and goals.
- asymmetric teams — each villain has unique abilities and goals.
- Card-based actions — cards drive actions with villain-specific effects.
- set collection — collect specific items to advance schemes.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- my number five is Quacks.
- It’s a fun fun game. I love games where you pull things out of a bags, test your luck, try not to explode.
- Number two is Twilight Struggle. So cold. Probably quite nothing. Do say I’ve never played that.
- I love two-player games. Patchwork is a classic.
- Puerto Rico, which I’ve been just introduced to recently and I think it’s a great great game.
References (from this video)
- Strong IP integration; accessible for family and hobbyists; attractive components.
- Can be complex for new players; expansions can add complexity.
- asymmetrical strategy; villainy and plot
- Disney villains each have their own domain and goals
- character-driven, thematic
- Munchkin
- Evolution
- Catan
- Red Dragon Inn
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetrical gameplay — Each villain has unique abilities and paths to victory.
- hand management — Players manage action cards and resources.
- hand-management — Players manage action cards and resources.
- Unique player powers — Different win conditions depending on the villain.
- Variable player powers — Different win conditions depending on the villain.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- take that doesn't normally involve fully eliminating a player from a game.
- before playing a game like Munchkin, Evolution, Katan, Villainous, or the Red Dragon Inn, make sure everyone knows this game might get a little mean.
- But it's all in good fun, right?
- And now you know.
References (from this video)
- great couple-game dynamic
- beautiful art and pieces
- engaging with expansions
- with many players it can feel heavy to track
- antihero alignment (Disney villains) with curse tokens
- villain lairs across a shared world
- cartoonishly dark, playful
- A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (asymmetric engine)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection — collect items to meet win conditions
- Unique player powers — each villain has unique abilities
- Variable player powers — each villain has unique abilities
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- one of the cutest games i've ever seen
- it's a great time for a movie nerd to cross those streams and get into board games
- the thing infection outpost 31 or everything epic's awesome big trouble in little china aren't on here
- the back in time is also one of the hardest games i've ever played
- this is a license to print money but a hell of a game
- it's not just the art style which is super evocative and cool