The SpartanNerd’s continual fascination with 2-D graphics led him to purchase “Boss Monster.”  I never posted a review of the game, but I will go ahead and tell you that I give it about a 4/5.  Taking away a point because the game tends to be sort of short.

“Boss Monster 2” is a follow up “stand-alone expansion.”

(I suppose you can mix this game with the first iteration.)

But before any of that, many readers are wondering what this game is all  about in the first place!

Boss Monster and Boss Monster 2 are a card game.  Not an NES or Sega Genesis game.  It takes design cues from that mid eighties to mid nineties aesthetic.  For someone like me, it is a breath of fresh air.  Kind of like “Terraria.”

The point of the game…it is a little backwards.  (Maybe.)  You are the boss monster.  You build your dungeon.  And then try and lure heroes to come attack you.  So you can kill them with your base.

The game begins with five different decks.  Everyone uses the same five decks.

Like “Magic, the Gathering” you have Instant and Sorcery type of spell cards that help you along the way.  Some bosses and some rooms lend themselves more to the use of the spells, while others are just interested in presenting physical danger to each hero who dares come in.

Each turn, players “build a room.”  Everyone reveals their room.  There is “treasure” in each room indicated by icons.  the treasure types are Ankh, Money Bag, Spell Book, and Sword.  The same sort of things the main character of 1980’s types of video games would go after.  If you have the most of that certain type of treasure, heroes revealed from the top of the Hero deck with he same icon will come into your dungeon.  Each room deals damage.  Some rooms have trap abilities.  If the hero comes through, then your boss character takes a wound.  (Five wounds will kill him/her/it.)  If by chance a hero dies in your dungeon, you collect a soul.  (Ten souls wins the game.)

The game gets more intense the longer it goes, leveling up to “Epic Heros” who deal more damage.

Here is a picture of the quick guide to playing.

Boss Monster 2 plays exactly like the original.  There are a few improvements.  More bosses.  Twelve to be exact.  Each one reminds you of some game boss from the past.  (Angstigoth, for example, with one wing sticking up.  Clearly an homage to Sephiroth.)  After you build your fifth room, each boss gets a boost of some sort.  They “level up.”

Regular Heros.  It is brilliant how much personality the game designers were able to give these guys.  In addition to their name, they each have flavor text.  And their retro artwork is also really

And hero and cards with the same name get different artwork.

There are epic heroes, of course.

And this time, specialized epic heroes.  I think they show the nature that this game is a sequel.  Some of the art reflects old school sequels, as well.

These heroes are more specific in nature.  Each one is looking for more than one type of treasure.

The rooms you can build…Here is a picture of each one.  Some of them have identical artwork to other copies.  Others have alternate art.  Adding flavor, and giving the game more of a sense of action.

The spells…some are meant for anytime.  Others only during “combat.”  The spell card art is generally hilarious.  Some alternate copies have alternate art.  (Lightning Bolt comes to mind.  One card shows a hero getting zapped.  The other shows the same, but with his skeleton showing through x-ray style.)

Checkout the art from “Shortcut.”  Highly reminiscent of the warp zones on Super Mario 2!

SpartanNerd’s rating of Boss Monster 2.

I can only give it a 5/5!  This game was already fun and oozing with flavor.  Now, even more!