Review: Vampsylvania

About a week ago I got in contact with a great guy named Mike who has this card game on kickstarter called Vampsylvania. He was gracious enough to send me the files for the game so I could print it out and review it.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!

First thing I like to start with is a story/quote/excerpt from the games that I review so you can see what you're getting into:


"Vampsylvania is a card and dice game set in a lighthearted world of monsters and mayhem. In Vampsylvania, you’re a newly-risen vampire ready to take the world by the throat. Unfortunately, you’ve risen in the most vampire-savvy place on Earth. Hunting here isn’t gonna be easy. The villagers are tough, and they’re loaded with anti-vamp weapons, skills, and allies. And to make matters worse, your fellow vamps keep trying to sabotage you, too"



Now, knowing that this is a card AND dice game intrigued me. Not many that are "up and comers" seem to have these mechanics down. I'm glad to say that Vampsylvania does in fact have this down.


The game has two decks to it. A smaller one that is the "Villagers" and another one that is what I was calling the "Vamp" deck. Players all take turns being the alpha vamp(or 1st player) and turns go around the table as we've all come to know.

The Villager Deck is just that, A deck that has villagers that you are trying to capture for yourself to gain points. They each have a certain number of life points/hp/toughness, whichever you'd like to call it. And you have to try and have EQUAL TO or MORE THAN their points in order to capture them. Seems simple right?

Well, for all that it's worth, it's VERY simple. In a GOOD way. The game is easy to learn but can be difficult to win. That all depends on cards played. See, Although there is a Villager Deck that you get your victims from, other players can play various other cards on you OR them.

If they play them on the villager, it usually "toughens up" the villager making it harder to capture them. If they play other cards on YOU then it can drop your vamp score making it harder for you to have enough to capture the villagers as well.

Now, the VAMP Score is a number that is pretty much equal to your vampires toughness. At the end of a "Hunt" (or round) starting with the Alpha Vamp, You Roll a die and add that to your Vamp Score. The higher the score, the easier it would be to capture the villager. The catch is, If someone else doesn't want you to capture the villager because maybe THEY want them, then they can play a card on YOU that gives you a negative amount to your total Vamp Score.

There's also ONE MORE catch to all this. If no-one is able to score high enough to capture the villager, that one is considered safe and goes to the "Mob Pile". This pile is a collection of ALL the villagers that got away. At the end of the game, you have to add up all the villager points as well as any add on cards you gave them. Divide that by the number of players and take the remaining total as a point reduction for all players.

Lastly and of an important note, The Vamp Deck. When players draw from this, throughout the game you're sure to go through the entire deck. This deck as well as the Villager deck is a timer for the game. Once you go through the Vamp Deck the amount of times equal to the amount of players, the game is over and you add all your points. The SAME thing happens prematurely IF you go through the villager deck first.






On to my opinion of the game:

The art: It's great! It's very fun and "comic-y". For what could be a sensitive theme to use for younger players, the cards and art are wonderful. There's no sense of "fear" in the art but instead a playfulness that I think helps represent the game well.

The cards: So, they're mainly just cards. HOWEVER, the layout of the cards seem to be very nice. Everything has a nice clean and clear look to it. The text is clear and easily read. Now, I can't comment on quality of the cards since I printed this at home but I expect that to be of good/great quality as well and will update if I receive a physical copy to try when the Kickstarter is over.

Playtime: The game runs very smoothly, Once the first round is over you know everything you need to know and it just sails on through.

Difficulty of learning: Now, I know this could be different for others out there so this is, again, just MY opinion. It's very EASY to learn. SIMPLE, FAST and FUN are things I like to see or hear in a game and this one delivers on that quite well.




CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!



So in closing, I would have to say this is a great family game. Great for kids and adults alike. I know the art may seem directed more towards a younger audience but don't let that fool you. The game has some collection and take that elements that are a nice tough for older gamers as well.

If you're looking for a game to enjoy with your family and not have to invest a lot of time, Then this one may be for you!

As always, Thank you for reading and take care! :)
-Tim