Doom Boardgame Expansion

Ah, Doom. For those individuals who did not grow up staring at a flickering screen shooting pixel Imps, a brief overview is in order.

The plot (what there is) is that after a top-secret experiment goes wrong at a research base on a Martian Moon, the survivors must battle through hordes of monsters and daemons to get out alive.

In terms of mechanics the system, is also quite straightforward - get the guns, shoot the bad-guys, move from one end of the board to another, collecting door keys on the way. As you go through the base (represented by interlocking floor tiles), you enter new rooms, find a load of monsters and kit, and start blazing away.

In terms of interaction, there are three human players and one evil GM controlling the baddies. As it is a cooperative game there is little room for back-stabbing or self-advancement.

But where this game really excels is in the atmosphere and game experience that is created. The production quality is top-notch, with well-made plastic playing pieces depicting all the monsters and players, and card counters representing the equipment used. This certainly enhances the game experience and makes you feel you are there.

The rules also deliver. What could be a ho-hum dungeon type kill-fest is massively enhanced by the fact that the GM can spawn additional monsters each turn (through cards) which can appear anywhere and he keeps getting cards he can play each turn. This means if you hang around you WILL die, so players run round like headless chickens trying to get through as fast as possible. Also the ammo is quite limited, so you need to think about whether to shoot or scoot. This speed the games up, so they take only about 3 hours max to play, and really adds to the tension.

What niggles there are, are quite small. The dice (specially made to represent ammo loss and range as well as damage) are poorly made and after a few games start to fade. We had to resort to drilling holes. A shame considering the rest of the game is so well-made. The other complaint is a rarity- the box is too small for the stuff contained! Normally we have enormous boxes with acres of space, but here it takes effort to cram it in!

Overall this game is superb. Not for the strategic purist (neither is the computer game really), but a great, tense experience. Enjoy.

Doom the expansion offers the kind of unrivalled quality you always get with a Fantasy Flight game. The board pieces are durable, laquered and printed in high definition colour. The playing pieces are cool. The instructions (though complicated) are well laid out.

If you enjoyed your first outing to Mars, then this will be a blast. Not only can you now venture outside thanks to airless terrain, you can also do battle with even more of your favourite demons (revenants, cherubs, zombie commandos, cacodemons and vagaries). They have new skills and make some of the older ones look a little tame (all except the cyberdemon of course).

New capture the flag and deathmatch rules put a cool slant on the already ace affair, a whole deck of new cards, dozens of new tokens and there is also the promise of a new and terrible weapon. What more could you want for your money?

Awesome stuff!