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Boss Battlers: Quick Reviews
🕑 Added 2023-01-25 11:34:14 +0000 UTCAs the genre of Boss Battler continues to grow and grow, both in the more heavy Miniature versions and the lighter card based ones I've wanted to take a little time and provide some light reviews of the various different ones I have played apart from Kingdom Death. So enjoy this bonus content! (Or not, it's up to you, I'm not your boss.)
Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition
1 to 5 players (Though 1 and 2 player games will have to control 3 heroes between them)
One of the first boss battling games, this one does honestly show its age a little bit, but the Essential Edition aimed to try and resolve all of that by bringing the game up to date both graphically while cleaning up some of the wording and mechanics.
While the game was a trailblazer in its time. These days it's showing its age. The rulebook still needs more work, it's easier to learn this game almost entirely online and you are locked to operating between 3 and 5 heroes with no scaling rule in the book for duo or even solo heroes. I find this one is best kept for groups of 4+ because of how much emphasis there is on team play within this game and its relatively low price for 12 heroes (each of which has an alternative hero card), 6 villains, 6 environments and some event cards keeps the variety up.
However, it is worth noting that the track record with this game is a little wobbly due to multiple editions and older cards being made defunct with new lists. It's fine to pick this up as a standalone, but be wary about getting into collecting until you're sure that Essential Edition is going to be the direction for the game's future.
Hostage Negotiator from Van Ryder Games
Solo
This card and dice based solo game where you play a titular hostage negotiator dealing with a particular kidnapper and situation is an endlessly inventive experience where every single different kidnapper has their own behaviours, thresholds, goals and triggers.
Of particular note is the Career Mode, which ties together every single product from the line into a wild pulpy story where you take the lead as a hostage negotiator through the most significant moments of their career and enjoy how even failures build into an emergent story.
It is however an expensive game to collect in full and in my opinion it doesn't really come to life until you have the career mode, but as a currently complete range, at least you know where the end point for purchasing lays and that is worth something.
Final Girl from Van Ryder Games
Solo
Spinning off from the Hostage Negotiator system, Final Girl is in almost every way an improvement on Hostage Negotiator. You take the role of the titular “Final Girl” a horror trope surrounding the concept of a single woman surviving a slasher movie, against you will be one of a range of 'knock-off' villains; including people like “Not-Jason-Voorhees”, “Not-Freddy-Kruger” and “Not-Alfred-Hitchcock's-The-Birds” to mention a few.
One of the most innovative portions of this game is its modular nature, you can run any girl against any killer in any of the game's settings and the boxes for this game unfold from their magnetic clasps to become the killer's AI boards and locations where the action happens.
Just as pulpy as Hostage Negotiator; this game really sells the feeling of being in a horror movie and is incredibly inventive with its mechanics. The second wave of these VHS sized modules is due to arrive next year and I'm looking forward to “Not-Ellen-Ripley” vs. “Totally-Distinct-From-The-Xenomorph-Alien” in particular.
Paperback Adventures from Fowers Games
Solo (2 Player variants included in the box)
This one recently landed on my desk, and honestly it is one of the games that inspired me to put out this little extra content update. Paperback Adventures is part of Tim Fowers (Burgle Bros, Sabotage) Paperback series and it is a deck building boss battler where you create words from the cards in your hand in order to deal damage.
There's a host of fun, clever little mechanics in this game, such as once you've constructed a valid word you also have to decide which way you'll splay (spread out) the cards. Splay left and you create a more defensive move and to the right is a more aggressive one. The top card also gives you an extra ability and it is also exhausted – removed for the rest of the fight.
Be aware that the cards are based around the American English dictionary. So if English is not your first language you may struggle a little. The flip side of that is it is great for learning new words (mostly in the range of 2 to 5 letters).
The game is easy to get into, lightweight to operate, has three characters, a modular system and a relatively small shelf footprint as the boxes are designed to look like books. It does have a two player mode, but it feels a bit like an afterthought. I need to play this one more, but I'm greatly enjoying its experience at the moment.
Marvel Champions from Fantasy Flight Games
1 to 4 players
Marvel Champions remains the premium superhero themed cooperative game. While I think that Arkham Horror is overall the more competent and innovative of the three FFG Living Card Games. Marvel Champions is great for that mixture of deck building and quick challenge against a boss. It's got a lot of modular difficulty, it scales reasonably with player count and the theme is one I really love because I've always adored the various Spider-Mons – especially Ghost Spider and Spy//dr.
We're going through the X-Men portion of the Marvel Universe at the moment and Rogue is coming out later this year. I love Rogue, and I couldn't be more excited to get to play with her.
If you want some more specific recommendations or a full buyer's guide article, let me know in the comments.
VagrantSong from Wyrd Miniatures
1 to 4 players
I reviewed this over on BoardGameGeek and the game has remained one of my favourite games since I first got to play its campaign. The acrylic standees are a beautiful and accessible alternative to miniatures, the game has a unique take on AI with its “bag builder” adjacent Bindle. While VagrantSong is not the only “rubber hose cartoon” aesthetic in this list, it does have some of the most unique mechanics and is a wonderful self contained experience that you'll get at least two playthroughs out of it (if not more).
Aeon's End from Indie Boards & Cards
1 to 4 players
Another lifestyle game, Aeon's End is a deck building game with a twist, you don't shuffle up the order of the cards in your deck. This clever little mechanical change has two major impacts, first of all you're spending less time shuffling what is a tiny deck of usually under 20 cards and secondly you are rewarded for paying attention to the order your cards are returned to your deck. This gives an unprecedented level of control and is a very engaging experience.
This game also has a bunch of different ways you can experience it, the core game is an expandable experience that can gain additional player controlled breach mages, some of which are very unique in how they play, additional enemies and even alternative mini-campaign modes in the 'Expedition' game. You can also purchase two different Legacy editions of this game and they are a wonderful way to ease into this game and also have a playable set at the end (or purchase a reset pack to go again). There is also a relatively inexpensive rendition of the game available as an App.
If people want a buyer's guide as extra content; let me know below in the comments!
Too Many Bones by Chip Theory Games
1 to 4 players
Technically a series of boss-like encounters, Too Many Bones is something we discussed on the podcast a while ago and it has still remained my favourite waterproof game. Too Many Bones could also be called Too Many Expansions; there's a huge wealth of options out there – but I would like to firmly recommend the 1 to 2 player standalone expansion Undertow. It's got a more developed design under its belt and it is both cheaper and takes up less room.
Just be warned, this game is a beast and can be an entire lifestyle game if you let it take over. It's also got limited time content that came out in 2022, I don't approve of limited time content.
Townsfolk Tussle from Panicroll Games
1 to 4 players
A light, short campaign boss battler that is just slightly too long for an evening's play, but is excellent for an afternoon into evening. Townsfolk Tussle has that Cuphead rubber-hose arms style in common with VagrantSong, but it has moved in a more adult direction with cartoon violence. This is a cartoony world where dismemberment is not just a hazard, it can result in a weapon for your Townsfolk.
Due to return to Kickstarter with an expansion in 2023; the game is a lightweight entry and is a great option for a group who wants a re-playable, short campaign boss battler with a few rogue-like unlocks.
Warp's Edge by Renegade Game Studios
Solo
Prefer your boss battlers to be more like Shoot'em Ups? Do you love bag building mechanics over deck/dice builders and want that as a solo experience? Warp's Edge is a low price, small footprint game with a lot of replayability, variable difficulty and deep strategy.
You take control of a starfighter (chosen from several options) and battle against a boss and its minion ships over a number of warps. As you destroy your foes you will gain power ups of various types and have to juggle offence and defence demands constantly. Kill the boss before you run out of time and you win!
Catharsis from Cyber Wizards Games
1 to 5 or 6 players
Catharsisis a card and dice boss battling game from first time publishers Cyber Wizards Games. This was one I backed and sort of forgot about until it arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago. The game has been a bit of a surprise delight and it has a huge amount of content inside its box. It scales from 1 to 5 players (with a 5-6 player specific boss in the box) and it's something you can play through within two hours.
Community member tannerd mentioned on the discord that Cyber Wizards have launching a smaller version of the game in Catharsis Sagas: Nocturn; which will be ideal for 'try before you commit to the whole thing'. You can check that out here.
Link to Cyber Wizards Games here if you decide you want to purchase the game instead of waiting for Nocturn.
Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood from Shadowborne Games
1 to 4 players
2022's Critical and Community darling. Oathsworn is a narrative and mechanical delight that just keeps on unfolding. You can get it in either a miniature or a standee version and I think I'd recommend the Standee version for anyone who isn't absolutely in love with miniatures. You get the best miniatures in both versions (the heroes); but the standee version comes in just one meaty box. The miniature version has two additional boxes that hold all the bosses in the game and there is even a fourth giant box for the terrain.
Oathsworn topped many people's Boss Battler/coop/solo lists last year and it took the lead as my favourite boss battler until recently, when a certain Greek Themed game down below arrived on my table.
Monster Hunter: World from Steamforged Games
1 to 4 players
I've only had a chance to play the electronic demo, and I am still awaiting my copy of the game to arrive. So this is only a tentative “I like it”; but it should always be noted that Steamforged Games have a spotty track record – I seem to be one of the few people who enjoys Horizon: Zero Dawn for example.
I'll post more on this one once it actually arrives here, but that's probably not going to be before late Spring/Early Summer. It should hit retail, so you can hang fire on this until I give a final verdict.
Aeon Trespass: Odyssey from Into the Unknown Studio (ITUS)
1 to 4 players
I think for most people this game is firmly on their radar, either you ordered it back when the Kickstarter was live, or you are hoping to see a reprint. Aeon Trespass: Odyssey (AT:O) has become the new gold standard for a campaign boss battler. This is due to its blend of a more modern design, well written narrative, deep theme and a more accessible Greek aesthetic for mainstream players. As much as I do love Kingdom Death, there is no doubt that its aesthetic is a barrier that stops it becoming a household game.
AT:O is honestly the best member of the genre I've played to date, and it holding not one, not two, but three entire cycles (linked campaigns) is just. So. Much. Content. This game is narratively rich without being a group reading exercise (something Oathsworn sometime falls into); it's got a lot of interesting decisions around which titans to use, what weapons to give them and what technology to generate. It also has a bunch of additional optional challenges that turn up along the way and it's something I'll be writing about in more detail when I finish the first cycle for a second time. It will be an occasional staple on this patreon going ahead for the near future because it is that good.
If you don't have it, you can either go pressure ITUS to do a reprint or get on the train with their second game Kingdoms Forlorn. Or both. Both is good.
Kingdoms Forlorn from Into the Unknown Studio
1 to 4 players
If you missed the boat on Aeon Trespass: Odyssey you can still get on board with Kingdoms Forlorn. This dark fantasy is closer to Dark Souls/Elden Ring in its theming and I've played the demo a lot, enough now to be able to give it two confident thumbs up. ITUS have a proven track record with an absolute gem of a game in ATO and if anything Kingdoms Forlorn's setting has me more excited than the Greek one of its predecessor. It's also always exciting to see a designer return with a different game; because often they have innovated and improved upon their own designs. I really cannot stress how much I think this is a must back.
Also, the Egg Knight is absolutely cracked.
Kickstarter with late pledges is here.
Other Boss Battlers
While I cannot spill details of it, I have played some of Sankokushin Five Sacrifices (from Axis Mundi Games) and it is every bit as exciting a development of the genre as both of Into the Unknown Studios offerings are. Disclaimer, I will be designing a small expansion for them.
I have not had a chance to play Primal: The Awakening from Reggie Games, they were unable to get a review copy to me without requiring that I send it on to another reviewer (I need more time than they could allow and shipping costs are very high due to being on an island). But after watching other content creators I decided to not back the game because of how unnecessary I felt the miniatures were for what is in essence a card game. Perhaps they offered a miniature free version, but I haven't returned to check if that's the case because Monster Hunter: World is pretty much all I want in that style.
I have also not had a chance to play the upcoming “The Bad Karmas and the Curse of the Zodiac.” from Teburu as they didn't reach out to me so it slipped off my radar. It is open for late pledges still here. Sadly I cannot provide an opinion on it due to rising costs of living. As such this is more of a 'you might be interested in checking this out' mention (unless someone wants to sponsor me to get and play it!)
Comments
Jesse M
I have been enjoying ATO quite a bit, glad to hear it's intended to become a staple. Looking forward to your posts on it! I enjoyed cycle 1 immensely, and am partway through cycle 2 now. Not sure which I enjoy more so far.
Joseph Cannon
I decided long ago to be all in for TMB, and so I bought Riffle and would have regardless. But I dislike sales techniques that encourage people to buy by limiting availability. It's a shame that CTG does this, although I imagine they'd say that Riffle is by their nature hard to get. In all other respects though I think they customer service is fantastic, so I'd cut them slack for this.
Fen
That's content available only during a limited period each year. It's exactly limited time, just not the kind you're thinking of. Call it seasonal content limited to just a particular time of the year if you prefer. My point still stands, I have the same issues with KDM seasonal limited time content.
Stijn Van den Bergh
TMB's Riffle is not really limited time content. While it is planned to only for sale for a couple of days at a time, it is guaranteed coming back every so often. In that sense it is much more accessible than most of KDM's white boxes, where you never know if or when there would be a reprint.
Fen
It's going to be a review of the first cycle to start with. Then some deep dives into the Primevals from that cycle.
Tim Wanger
I am so looking forward to you covering ATO and KF in your Patreon. Any idea about your first post and how this would look like?
Ophir Gonen
Thanks for that. Havn't thought of hostage and final girl as a boss battler, but yea, sure, makes sense. Would like to see a buyers guide for the new player to Marvel Champions
