Play Matt: Shadows Of Malice Review

So it's with some relief that the opening pages of...

Read more...

Besides being pretty hard, the number one thing about this game is that you can run away costlessly from any encounter. If you draw something you're utterly unprepared for or is a lethal combo, you can and should run and refight.

Not a thing we're trained to do in adventure games because it feels bad and hurts the fantasy machismo.

Nice review. I don't currently need another co-op/solitaire adventure game, but I will eventually get Shadows of Malice anyway. I like how the game offers players the space to apply their imaginations to the setting instead of just serving up another generic Tolkien variation.

I had no idea that British houses were so small. I have an older American house, and it's still more than twice the size of a British shoebox house.

This game really does feel like an early crack at recreating the experience of original D&D. It's a very baroque design, but it feels that way intentionally. Like, there is so much dice-rolling that it actually makes the game a little longer, but it's clear it was designed that way on purpose.

It's a difficult game to get played, partially because I feel like I need to review the rules every time I get it out. It also works solo, but it a lot more fun with other people. I might actually try to get this played sometime soon, I have some friends who might really be into it.

The new edition has some official options to change the dice rolling amount and way bonuses are calculated. I appreciate that.