TWISTED CRYPTIDS

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

In Twisted Cryptids, the 2025 game release from Unstable Unicorns, each character plays a cryptid, Bigfoot, Jackalope, Mothman, or the Loveland Frog (with additional cryptids available in the expansions). Over the course of five days, these cryptids make their way through life and various locations while trying to control their interaction with human hunters, researchers, and hikers. Encounters with humans can cause the cryptids to gain or lose legend points. At the end of the five days, whichever cryptid has the most legend points wins the game.

Initially, the game mechanics seem confusing, with each of the five rounds being divided into four phases, and the daytime phases being divided into three turns, but the players can quickly track where they are in the game and what they need to do in a particular phase. Points are gained by a combination of luck and strategy, and the game's strategy is the aspect that takes the longest to figure out as players become more familiar with the game mechanics.

During game set up, each player chooses a cryptid to play, each of which has a special ability they can use once per round. In addition, each player chooses a hidden trait for their cryptids, which gives them a secret goal to gain additional points. Because this will change each game, it adds an element of chance and strategy to the game.

Each round opens with three events that take place during "dawn" which impact the number and location of humans in the wilderness. This is followed by three rounds of "daytime" activity, where the players can play actions or use their special abilities to bring new humans to the wilderness, move them around, or cause them to flee. This section is when strategy comes into play as the players can attempt to influence where encounters between humans and cryptids will take place and which cryptids will be involved. At "dusk," an encounter will take place in the wilderness area with the most humans and whichever cryptids are located in that section of the game board. Finally, at night, the cryptids find new hiding places and reset for the next round.

While the initial game is designed to be played by up to four players, each expansion adds two additional cryptids (Nessie and Chupacabra in Ness Is More and the Jersey Devil and Lizard Person in Cryptid Culture), although even with both expansions, the game has a maximum of six players. The Cryptid Culture expansion also adds rules governing cryptid cults, which allow to additional types of actions to help the players strategize ways to gain legend points for their cryptids with the help of human followers.

The game was designed with Unstable Unicorn's traditional sense of whimsy and the chits and game board are sturdy, although the cards are a little on thin side. The boxes are designed to perfectly hold the components, and although the main box is large enough to hold the expansion cards, it doesn't have space for the expansion pack meeples.

Because the mechanics are easy to pick up, but the strategy take longer to figure out, Twisted Cryptids has a high re-playability factor. Even if the players aren't fully aware of the strategy to utilize, the random factors and chance that are integral to the game mean that even while learning the game, it is enjoyable. Adding more players does add to the complexity of the game in a good way, as does adding the expansion packs, with at least one more expansion, Yeti or Not, promised in the future.

Purchase this game
Purchase this game
Purchase this game

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