Are you ready to run? Push your luck in the video game world of Megaland to fight monsters (and bunnies) and collect coins!
At the start of each round, each player places their character on the level tile, then draws one treasure and places it above their character board. Once everyone does this, draw the topmost level card to see whether players suffer damage from the monster on it. Players can then decide whether to leave the round and bank their treasures, or whether to press on; if they go on, they draw another treasure card, then reveal the next level card. If you take total damage equal to your number of hearts, you fail and are out of the round, losing any treasure that you had.
Once everyone has left the round, whether by being knocked out or by passing and banking their treasures, players can buy building cards, such as bowling alleys, arcades, and soap makers. Buildings cost 1-5 treasures, and you must pay different treasures when buying a building that costs more than 1. Each building gives a one-time or permanent effect. Maybe you'll collect jump tokens that you can use to clear monsters so that you don't take damage; maybe you'll acquire a hospital that gives you coins when neighboring players fail the level; maybe you'll buy more hearts to let you run farther in the future; and maybe you'll collect coins, which can be the most precious item of all since the game ends after the round that someone collects 20 coins. Whoever has the most coins at that time wins!
Megaland contains six starred building types that are used in each game, along with seventeen other building types, with only seven of them being used in any game.
Contains Above and Below: Megaland Bonus Cards (under the insert)
- Family-friendly
- Bright art and approachable rules
- May feel light for experienced gamers
- City-building and resource collection for victory
- Fantasy land with a bright, cartoonish vibe
- Light, approachable, family-friendly storytelling
- Above and Below
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- set collection / tile placement — Players collect resources and place tiles to expand their land
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "Emerald Edition this is a must have for Ryan Laukat fans"
- "promo cards for some of Ryan's most popular games"
- "check out my channel to see me play some of Ryan's games"
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- really fun as usual
- this time i definitely lost
- really great game
- i can highly recommend that
- pushy luck game
- really simple for up to 8 players
References (from this video)
- accessible for a broad audience
- fun thematic tie-ins to a live-action tie-in with the designers
- lighter on depth for hard-core euro gamers
- tile-laying and city-building on a playful map
- fantasy land build-up with worker-placement vibes
- light, family-friendly strategy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Tile placement / area development — players place tiles to build a growing map and achieve objectives.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- welcome to the Going Analog Quiz Show
- you've earned a place on the leaderboard today
- the name is Mallory, but the game is Megaland
- it's War of Mine—the board game, not the video game
- Puzzle Strike's puzzle-strategy vibe is surprisingly satisfying
References (from this video)
- Accessible and has a satisfying chaotic feel with strong replay value due to varied builds
- Engaging engine-building potential through diverse buildings
- High production value and art by Ryan Laukat
- Solid two-player experience with meaningful decisions
- Luck can dominate in some setups with random draws
- Balance can feel uneven due to deck variance and card distribution
- collecting coins and treasures while navigating level cards and enemies
- treasure-hunting on a modular map with monsters and temples
- lighthearted, humorous, adventure-driven
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- basement treasure storage — buildings provide a basement to store a treasure safely, protecting it from loss at the end of a round
- jump tokens and tactical movement — jump tokens allow skipping certain enemies; tokens can be earned and used during play
- Push Your Luck — players decide to stay in a level to draw treasures and advance, risking damage or loss of treasures
- risk vs. reward level cards — levels present skulls and serpent threats; choosing to stay yields treasures but risks heavy damage
- set collection / building economy — treasures are collected to purchase buildings that generate coins and provide bonuses
- variable player powers via buildings — different buildings grant special effects and strategic options, influencing each player's engine
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Mega Fun and mega land
- it's a push your luck game so we are trying to go through a level and try to stay in there as long as possible to get like enough Treasures to buy buildings
- the artwork is great of course I mean Ryan does really great designs
- it's a great game and it's a lot of fun
- the game is fun at all player counts but the more players the better it is