Roll the Dice & Scream for Your Life: Mansions of Madness

We continue on the tabletop horror track with another game that I find fascinating to play. Tabletop horror games that have sanity stats are mighty interesting. Some of them, like Betrayal, are just a straight stat. Other games have...some unfortunate consequences. This is such a game with those unfortunate consequences. 'Course, all this maddening stuff happens in a haunted house that twists your mind...and hopefully not your body. Gotta have the essentials as you enter the Mansions of Madness.

(Disclaimer: For the purposes of this article, I'm using the 1^st edition of the game, as there is a newly released 2^nd edition.)

Before I begin, yes, this is game is VERY Lovecraftian. Aside from the actual mystery that the players are trying to solve, there are numerous pitfalls, puzzles, monsters and even dark rituals to overcome. Depending on the story that you aim for, the mansion grounds (tiles) that are set may be completely different. You may start off in the foyer, or the dark garden, or even an (un)holy chapel. From there, you and three other intrepid investigators must solve the mystery that forces unseen have bestowed upon you.

All 8 investigators that you can choose from have their own strengths and abilities: some are more suited for combat, while others have a keen ability to solve puzzles. Both are needed as the mansion houses numerous clues, puzzles, and dangers. Once you have your investigator, you choose a story. At it's core, Mansions has 5 stories; however, each story can have up to three variations with lots of minor (yet crucial) changes, so you technically have 15 total. It's the investigator's job to solve the mystery. It's the keeper's job to keep them from doing so.