Despite the need to go insane to get stronger, it only takes a few bad rolls with lots of horror results for things to go sideways!

Cthulhu: Death May Die – Season 2 Expansion - BoardGameGeek Cthulhu: Death May Die – Season 2 Expansion - BoardGameGeek

As best we could, we ensured they triggered their insanity at a particular point or in a particular place, ensuring minimal threat to other players. Fire vampires in particular are a nuisance as they spawn and create fire, attack and create fire, and hit like a truck. But if they can collect enough clues to find a weakness, or alter the ritual just enough to cause one, they can blast the god to death before it gets a foothold. Nowadays we’ve become so desensitised to everything that film makers have to resort to full blown gore and disembowelment to get an audience to flinch.

It suits the theme beautifully but also makes you realise why these characters are taking on these tasks. The issue you have with being on a timer is that you won’t have enough time to do everything you need to and come out untouched. If you’re looking for the investigation and clue side of Lovecraftian horror, go for Mansions of Madness. P. Lovecraft, you and your fellow players represent investigators in the 1920s who instead of trying to stop the coming of Elder Gods, want to summon those otherworldly beings so that you can put a stop to them permanently.

Cthulhu: Death May Die CMON - Cthulhu: Death May Die

Players take their three actions, these can be movements, attacks, interactions, rests, using items, or episode specific actions. Lovecraftian horror is undeniably one of my favourite genres of board game, game, book and sandwich fillings. Mix that with knowing any Elder God can be played in any episode and you’ve got tonnes or replay-ability.But the idea of celestial horrors, unspeakable curses, psychological torment and beings with unfathomable power is a tricky one to replicate. Finally, all necessary tokens are placed in reach of all players and players choose investigators and are dealt a random insanity. Players take on the roles of investigators trying to stop rituals and eventually the Elder God behind them. Having this new speed coupled with the theme, lore, and weight it presents makes for a brilliant experience. Being a poor quality painter myself, I would have appreciated having the miniatures pre-painted, however this isn’t something that will keep me up at night.