Kingdom Death: Monster Unboxing

Apologies for the late blog post! Things have been super crazy around here, and I'm just getting back into being able to work on the website and minis again. A little while back, we finally received our shipment of Kingdom Death: Monster! We are incredibly excited for this game. We have been following Kingdom Death quite adamantly (and we have a rather extensive collection of the minis), and now that there was finally a kickstarter for the game, of course we jumped on it. Only... we weren't quite expecting the true monster that showed up on our door step!

When we received notification on the shipment, we noticed it stated '20 lbs'. How big would  this thing actually be!? What was actually in it? We had Zombiecide, we had Super Dungeon Explorer, and more... but nothing ever comes close to 20 lbs. When it was finally on our doorstep, the only thought was 'this box is bigger than my cat'. Picture of cat included of course, for proof. One of the few times he wasn't actively trying to climb on top of the box.

Upon inspection after opening up the box, we noticed that one of the corners was kind of smashed in. No big deal, we reason. It's just a corner. Yes, it stinks since the game was several hundred dollars... but due to the size and weight, I certainly didn't envision the people in shipping to think it was fragile by any means. And I know that 'I <3 Poots' is the slogan for Kingdom Death, but it never fails to elicit a giggle - especially when it's nice and glossy on the side of a box. Yes, yes we do love Poots. 

And so inside, the first thing we notice is the beautiful rule book. This took several days to read through, and I even had to watch Adam Poots' video on game play to try and grasp the rules a little more. But, certainly playing would be more practical.

This is just the assortment of models that come with the box. Unfortunately, we pre-ordered on the second wave of releases, so we did not receive the limited edition models, nor did we receive the second Phoenix. Which was okay. It's not like we really needed to go that over board.... but I am feeling that twang of jealously for those who did. Oh well. After all this time, I still haven't been able to build all of the models, but there truly is a ridiculous amount of models  that come with it. You get the initial (4) survivors, (2) Intimacy models - which I'm not entirely sure how they're supposed to be intimate.. but if you want an alternative to the standard survivor, they work just fine. On top of that, there are the survivors that relate to each armor kit. If you are really into converting, you can go ahead and mix and match the dozens of options available to customize your survivor to your specific character... but I went the route of simply building according to the armor kit. I figured from the rules... with how easy (and often) you can die, and die horribly at that... that it would be pointless (personal opinion) to customize the models. Might as well just have a generic model and work towards completing the armor set, since that does grant you stat bonuses anyways. Who doesn't like stat bonuses? 

Here we see the starting survivors. Just your typical, run of the mill, terrified humans who are searching the darkness for someplace safe to call home. The story begins in which these four (and others) awaken, only to find a hungry lion stalking them in the darkness. Suddenly, the lion attacks, killing many of the humans around you. You four manage to find what is called the Founding Stone - a sharp rock in which to defend yourselves with. If you survive the encounter with the lion, you go on to create the Lantern Hoard, which will be your home for the rest of the game (unless circumstance forces otherwise). 

There are many other beasts lurking in the darkness - such as the Phoenix shown here. By hunting the monsters and collecting resources, you can improve your settlement and craft weapons and armor to take on the next hunt. If you return from the hunt in one piece, is up to you. There is a hunt phase board, the encounter board, and more available for aid in finishing phases of the game. It seems like the more that time progresses, the harder the game becomes until your settlement is finally consumed by the darkness.... but I haven't been able to win a game yet, so I wouldn't know if there is a light at the end. 

This is only a small portion of the cards that come with the game. I organized them in this particular fashion, but you might want to organize them in a way that is more comfortable for you. My biggest complaint was that the plastic tray for the cards did come cracked from shipping, but I know that isn't the company's fault. It could've happened at any point in shipping... and it's only a plastic tray. Still, a little disappointing that after all the time spent waiting, and the funds spent on the game, that the tray would come cracked. 

There are easily over a hundred different cards available to use during the game, and I certainly haven't been able to use all of them yet. The game feels incredibly massive, and I thoroughly enjoy playing it. It's a great mashup of Dark Souls and Dungeons and Dragons - roleplaying, with the knowledge that you will die, and you will die often. Most often by simple events - such as one where you come across a spring. By bad luck, you can drop dead the instant you drink. It's a fun, macabre game that certainly takes long periods of time. If you can get a few friends together over a beer, it would be great to play a phase over the course of an hour or two - and the best part is that you don't necessarily need the exact same people every single time. A new person can make a brand new character and jump right in with the party to continue the story without a problem. 

Definitely a game to check out, even despite the high cost. It's one that you will definitely get tons of playthrough on.