Recently I got to play Disney's Villainous card-based strategy game, using characters from the two most recent expansions. In this article I provide an overview and impression of the game and expansions. I have some friends who are huge Disney fans, Don and Shannon. They collect many Disney-related items and are gaming buddies. Don and I typically attend GenCon together and both he and Shannon are close friends with whom we play games on a regular basis. Recently Don and Shannon brought over their copy of the brand new release "Despicable Plots" the most recent Villainous expansion as well as the previous expansion "Perfectly Wretched". The four of us selected characters from these two most recent additions to the Villainous family and got a game underway. Villainous is a primarily a strategy card game in which players select a villain. Each villain has its own unique deck of cards as well as a unique fate deck. Every villain has a specific set of tasks or goals thematically tied to the Disney movie plot from which that villain appeared. Players must attempt to complete the villain-specific tasks. The first player to successfully complete their villain's unique goals is the winner. In addition to cards, each player has a villain board, sculptural mover, and a guide. There are also power tokens, a molded plastic bowl, reference cards and rules booklet to round out the components. The quality of components is excellent. Though available through Target and many big box retailers in addition to smaller board-game retailers, the publisher created a truly collectible quality series. The plastic movers are tiny sculptural works of art hinting at the demeanor and silhouette of the villain for which it depicts. The box is printed with a high standard of quality and texture as well as cards and guides with top-notch graphic design and illustration. The two expansions we played were, "Perfectly Wretched" featuring Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmations and "Despicable Plots" featuring Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. I have included photos from both sets of all character boards with their sculptural movers and reference cards. We have played Villainous many times before. Though the game was familiar we would each need to read the villain guide to familiarize ourselves with the unique and specific goals required for our selected characters. As we played, we became more familiar with our character's specific strategies. We played against other's villains occasionally by choosing a card from their fate deck and playing it in their realm. That is the primary mechanic used to interact with other players and to attempt to slow their progress toward end goals. Other than that, players focus on moving their villain around their own realm and drawing cards needed to complete their goals. In this game, my wife, Brenda, came out victorious playing the villain of Gaston. All four of us enjoyed playing with the new expansions and appreciate the ways the designers have infused elements from the movies into the strategy and goals for each villain. This gives the game a very high replay value. Each game play, you can attempt to learn new villains' strategies and will most likely have opponents who are playing as a different combination of characters.
We very much enjoy playing Villainous and continue to have fun trying out new villains as expansions are released. Keep in mind, this is not a "lightweight" game. Just because it's Disney doesn't mean you can play it with a fourth grader. This is truly a game-hobbiest style middle to heavier weight game. It requires that you each devote some time to learn the character in which you are playing so that you can work toward achieving the specific goals needed to win. I would recommend that all fans of Villainous try out these two latest expansions. For those who have not played, give it a try and see if its for you. To purchase the latest expansion for Villainous click this link to Ravensburger or stop in at your local Target or game retailer. Take a moment to follow the King's GameNight Facebook page and... game on!
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