I was first introduced to Massive Darkness by CMON Games during the Overturn: Rising Sands Kickstarter debacle. Having finally been delivered a delayed alpha version of the rules prior to the end of the Kickstarter, backers noticed that the rules were straight up copied from Massive Darkness. The rules looked interesting enough to add Massive Darkness to my wishlist (thanks to the magic of the holidays a copy ended up under the tree), and my friends and I played the first quest on New Year’s Eve, because we’re cool.
Massive Darkness is a dungeon crawl in the style of old school D&D without a DM. Go into the dark, underground tunnels and clear them of dangerous denizens. Get sweet, sweet loot while doing so and level up.
What Massive Darkness allows for is the party to move across a modular map in a dungeon fighting an AI deck(s). This is great for people who want to play purely cooperative games in that one person does not have to become the enemy mob and play against everyone (there are other games for that niche, see the Betrayal series). The enemies in the game include mobs (groups of grunts and a boss), roaming monsters of various flavors, and agents that spawn additional help. The incentive for defeating those enemies is the loot they drop, along with exploring rooms they guard that have more items.
A problem board games have that video games don’t is who manages the enemy? What “AI” sits behind the enemy mobs and monsters on the table? In a video game the answer is obviously the computer, or whatever algorithm governs their movement. Increasingly games like Massive Darkness are coming with their own AI decks, or basic instructions for how other units behave. This requires the players to play, at least in part, the role of a computer. This is especially true for games that are cooperative. As referenced previously, this set of rules allows all players to be characters in the game working together against the game, not against a human DM.
The miniatures that come with the game are surprisingly great. They are sturdy, not bent, and pack back in their container easily enough. They are hard plastic, not obviously 3D printed with material that easily breaks or bends. Purchasing the game is also a good way to grow a miniatures collection, 72 miniatures in total including monsters/mobs/heroes, specifically for RPG style games. The goblins, orcs, and dwarves in the game are mostly the same pose, so for a wargamer they may not be appropriate for the battlefield. But for a DM who needs a variety of minis, the game provides a substantial number.
The game can play from one to six players. We played with six initially, since we had that many in attendance. Experience with dungeon crawls varied, likewise with D&D, but although the size of the rulebook was a little daunting, once we got in and going everything ran pretty smoothly. Six players does slow down the game. Picking up treasure and items dropped by enemy mobs is a large part of the game, and the haggling that can occur between 6 people drew out a few of our turns.
Each quest in the game is a discrete adventure with players starting again at level 1 and progressing up through 5. The frequency of mob encounters and item drops means players should always be able to cycle through different loot and equipment. There are a number of expansions available for the game as well, so it has variety already available with plenty of content in the corebox to keep a gaming group busy.
I’d recommend Massive Darkness for groups looking for a cooperative dungeon delve. The group should also have plenty of table space and some patience for working through the rule book. The quick reference sheet on the back can speed up leafing back through the book, but be prepared for the first couple games to keep the guide handy.
Ross Blythe is a Chicago based gamer interested in all things tabletop. He enjoys reading history as well as fiction, and so has a soft spot for historical wargames like Pike & Shotte. For the campaigns he runs as a DM he often looks to history for inspiration, for the lessons of the past to challenge the players at his table.
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https://www.nerdunion.us/2018/10/18/academy-games-gaming-through-history/
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