This article originally appeared in Pyramid #17
Monster Derby
Published by Gamesmiths
Designed by Jeff Siadek
Price: $25.00Monster Derby is one of those rare games that creates laughter every time it's played. Not just most of the time, but every time. This is partly because the game is so different each time, partly because the rules are so easy as to become invisible, but mostly because the setting is just plain silly and fun.
The basic premise is simple: seven or more fantasy monsters are in a race across a long, narrow course with lots of different terrain. (You can use two, three or four boards placed end-to-end, depending on how long of a race you want.) Unlike most racing games, though, no one plays a single monster. Instead, at the beginning of the game, players secretly write down the order in which they think the monsters will finish. This list is not revealed until the end of the game, so much of the strategy comes from trying to keep your opponents guessing how you ranked the monsters, yet still trying to insure the "right" ones come in early. Players take turns moving monsters — no monster can be moved twice until all are moved once, and so on. So you may move your favorite monster on one turn, but your least favorite on another — to keep your favorite from getting too far ahead!
The game comes in a bookcase-sized box. To be honest, the cover art isn't very good, which may turn some foolish buyers away. The components are a little better, being of adequate quality. You get 30 different monsters, four . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: January 1, 1996
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