Mechs vs. Minions

The box on this thing is absurd, in a good way, I opened it and just sat there for a minute appreciating the packaging design before I’d read a single rule. Everything’s got a purpose, the trays, the little drawers, the way the mechs assemble. If component quality alone decided ratings this would be a five without question.

The programming mechanic is legitimately clever too. You’re building a queue of movement and attack cards for your mech ahead of time, then watching it execute exactly as programmed while chaos happens around it, and there’s real satisfaction in a plan coming together, or in watching it fall apart in a way that’s your own fault and nobody else’s. Teaching it takes maybe twenty minutes since the rulebook doubles as the campaign, which is a nice touch, no separate booklet to flip between.

Here’s my problem though, and it’s the same one I’ve seen plenty of other people land on. There’s almost no way to actually lose. I’ve played through a good chunk of the campaign missions now and outside of a couple of specific set pieces, nothing here really threatens you. The malfunction mechanic adds some texture when your mech breaks down mid-turn, but it’s a texture, not a real threat. It’s fun in the moment, genuinely, stomping minions with my kid is a good Tuesday night. But it never once made me nervous, and I want a co-op to make me a little nervous at least once per session.

Setup takes a while for a first campaign session since you’re building the mechs and sorting a lot of pieces, but once you’re rolling from mission to mission it’s fast. Two players works fine, might even be the best count since you’re not splitting attention across four mechs’ worth of programming. I like this game. I don’t love it, and I don’t reach for it as often as the box quality would suggest I should.