Review – Disney Villainous: Bigger and Badder board game delivers

In the Disney Villainous games,

Players take on the roles of classic Disney villains from across the studio’s 85-year history. Each has its own goal, field, maps, and unique game mechanics required to implement its scheme. And each add-on with its own collection of villains can be played on. It’s own or in combination with any other part of the series. More and worse adds three new characters to Disney Villainous, bringing the total to 24 episodes. It is also the first expansion to include Pixar characters as they are Incredible“Syndrome and Toy Story 3Lotso. Madam Mim from the Disney cartoon The Sword in the stone ends the new list.

In Disney villains, each player progresses individually on their sub-boards,

Using any of the available actions in one of the four spaces on their turn. These actions include gaining power, playing and discarding cards, activating abilities, and taking a Destiny action that allows players to draw cards from the opponent’s deck and play an Effect, Item, or Hero that harms them in some way. The player’s villain deck contains cards that they will use for themselves, while the Fate deck contains cards that others will draw and use against them. The key strategy is not to hold on to the cards in the hope that they might eventually help – Disney Villains. it’s a game where each turn is increased by available actions, and when you can combine multiple cards, get extra actions and make huge moves, it can be incredibly satisfying. And slowing down other players can be detrimental to your own progress.

Disney villainous is most persuasive when telling a story.

Maps are designed to mimic storytelling through game mechanics, and playing as an unfamiliar character can feel like you’re discovering their story for the first time. Madame Mim’s goal is to defeat the wizard Merlin in a battle of wits. IN Sword in Stone, they each turn into different animals in an attempt to defeat the other. IN More and worse, Mime plays different Transformation cards, which give her the opportunity to defeat the corresponding Merlin Transformations. I found her gameplay to be the most fun due to its resilience and fast pace. The more Mime Transforms you play, the more you can do in a single turn, creating opportunities for incredibly satisfying combos.

IN Toy Story 3Lotso is a manipulative figure,

He puts toys where he wants and rules with a plush fist. IN More and worse he controls the Heroes. He can move towards his goal fairly quickly, using a deck full of useful cards that reduce the power of Heroes and move them where he needs them, but he also has an equally harsh Destiny deck that has the ability to push Lotso a few steps back. . in his process. When playing with more vigilant players, Lotso can be a difficult villain to defeat, as it’s quite clear when he’s on the verge of winning, and can be significantly slowed down in solo Destiny.

The syndrome is the most interesting new character to play on a purely narrative level.

His cards tell the film’s story of a villain testing and fortifying a superweapon against the Heroes. The game’s design successfully evokes a sense of development and improvement in one of the most powerful forms of storytelling in the Disney Villainous collection. The syndrome is the first villainous Disney character whose goal is to pretend to be a hero as he positions himself to defeat his own Omnidroid and remove all Heroes from the board. But removing Heroes can take a long time, which gives Madame Mim an edge when it comes to fun.

At the level of graphic design, Ravensburger continues to perform better than many of its competitors.

The visual style of the series is to create hand-drawn interpretations of various scenes done here by Lucas Torquato, Johnny Morrow, Peaks Smith, and Jesse Larsen. The best artwork tends to come from adapting classic 2D animation, but this time with a crisp, stylized design. Incredible does appear in the Syndrome deck. The evocative, minimalist game engines leave a lot to be desired, as the Syndrome part replicates certain design elements from past engines. Lotso’s work loses all semblance of minimalism, depicting his real head. And while Madame Mim’s purple-covered postcards are a great addition to any villainous box, the rusty orange Syndrome deck feels a bit dull compared to the five other brown and orange decks in the series.

Some of these are, admittedly, minor complaints,

But they are relevant when discussing Disney Villainous, a series known to fans for its attention to detail. Key moments are immortalized and supporting characters get their day – Madame Mim has less than 10 minutes of screen time in her original movie, but her gameplay here is still mesmerizing. Meanwhile, artwork and stories are handled with care here. More and worse feel impressive; not only because it’s an innovative expansion, but also because it’s a reassurance to loving fans who always want more.

Minor flaws aside Disney Villains:

Bigger and Worse it’s a villainous franchise at its best. It’s creative and fresh, and it opens the door for new characters in ways that seem promising for the future of the series. The new tiles, tokens, and mechanics are interesting, but most importantly, each character, whether you like it or not, tells a compelling story that’s fun to play. This is an addictive board game. Interesting to see what happens next with Disney Villainous, but it’s a pretty good place right now.

Disney Villains: Bigger and Worse is available now exclusively at Target, with a wider release coming later this year. The board game has been verified with an advance copy provided by Ravensburger. Vox Media has partnerships. This does not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions on products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Read more about Polygon’s ethical policy here.