I was talked into trying out this game in a version ported into the Tabletop Simulator. Here are my thoughts after my first playthrough...
I overall like the general idea of the randomly arranged building with new locations (tiles) being added as you make your way through it. I also like the general element of omens, events and items, as well as the rooms having different effects. However, this is where my positive impression of the game ends.
I have a few major problems with the game. One is that it's way, WAY too overcomplicated. It has a ridiculous amount of hard to remember, oddly specific rules, many of which could have easily been simplified without the gameplay being hurt in any notable way.
Second, there are at least a few things that just aren't well designed. Like the cards. A considerable amount of them contain long walls of text, which is just a bad idea overall if you can have 6+ cards at the time and the ability to use items and such instead of moving. A better idea would be to use symbols alone for repeatable effects, and only use text for unique effects and for the OPTIONAL flavor text, instead of forcing me to make my way through all the text just so I can learn what the hell the card actually DOES.
And third, and probably worst of all: the game is just WAY too prone to screw you over. You are way too likely to be forced to make rolls just to avoid losing stats, and the game as a whole is just WAY too much of a Luck-Based Mission. During my first, and so far only, try at this game, we ended up with a haunt where the traitor is an alien, and each turn we have to make a roll for how much damage we take because of polluted air - in a way that after just a few turns, you're dead. And as if that wasn't bad enough, we were in the basement, and for some bizarre reason, it turned out that entering the haunt (at least in this case) removes all of the already visited locations, including the stairs leading to higher floors. At this point, I just wanted to ragequit. This was WAY too unfair and just plain stupid, because at this point, it was obvious that the goddamn traitor is bound to win regardless of whatever we did.
In my opinion, this game is designed in a manner that is WAY too likely to result in needless frustration. And I don't think I'm going to try playing it again anytime soon.
TabletopGame Not a great first try
I was talked into trying out this game in a version ported into the Tabletop Simulator. Here are my thoughts after my first playthrough...
I overall like the general idea of the randomly arranged building with new locations (tiles) being added as you make your way through it. I also like the general element of omens, events and items, as well as the rooms having different effects. However, this is where my positive impression of the game ends.
I have a few major problems with the game. One is that it's way, WAY too overcomplicated. It has a ridiculous amount of hard to remember, oddly specific rules, many of which could have easily been simplified without the gameplay being hurt in any notable way.
Second, there are at least a few things that just aren't well designed. Like the cards. A considerable amount of them contain long walls of text, which is just a bad idea overall if you can have 6+ cards at the time and the ability to use items and such instead of moving. A better idea would be to use symbols alone for repeatable effects, and only use text for unique effects and for the OPTIONAL flavor text, instead of forcing me to make my way through all the text just so I can learn what the hell the card actually DOES.
And third, and probably worst of all: the game is just WAY too prone to screw you over. You are way too likely to be forced to make rolls just to avoid losing stats, and the game as a whole is just WAY too much of a Luck-Based Mission. During my first, and so far only, try at this game, we ended up with a haunt where the traitor is an alien, and each turn we have to make a roll for how much damage we take because of polluted air - in a way that after just a few turns, you're dead. And as if that wasn't bad enough, we were in the basement, and for some bizarre reason, it turned out that entering the haunt (at least in this case) removes all of the already visited locations, including the stairs leading to higher floors. At this point, I just wanted to ragequit. This was WAY too unfair and just plain stupid, because at this point, it was obvious that the goddamn traitor is bound to win regardless of whatever we did.
In my opinion, this game is designed in a manner that is WAY too likely to result in needless frustration. And I don't think I'm going to try playing it again anytime soon.