By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Is it madness to want to own nearly every single Call of Cthulhu related gaming product that’s out there? I have six games in my slowly growing collection and this occult hobby makes for a terrific display for those miniatures based products. The first prints of H.P. Lovecraft‘s material can be a gold-mine when it comes to being collectable and valuable, and oddly enough, so can some of the role playing material. The board games are expensive in itself and that has not stopped me from helping crowdfund Cthulhu, Death May Die.
This board game is probably the most anticipated game for all Lovecraft fans to dive into and it has busted records for exceeding the goal within hours of going live. While it is too late to get the all-inclusive package (limits have been placed on production), the rest of community can still purchase the core product itself and order one or more of the bonus miniatures which make up the stretch goals.
I have been keeping my eyes out on this project for some time and should have set my alarm. Those jumping in now can get the core product to play the game. The only missing piece is the expansion pack which offers a colossal figure of Cthulhu, measuring 44x44cm wide and stands 57cm tall! This figure is certainly impressive to behold but I am generally disappointed in this particular depiction.
I have seen many renderings of this oceanic beast. Every interpretation will never beat the frantic wordplay Lovecraft instilled in the seminal work. Personally, I believe it’s a figure that rolls with the waves, and lumbers in an octopoid than humanoid fashion and crushing anything beneath its tendrils. Yes, this author does say there is a human caricature in this beast’s form. My imagination is wilder than others, and I am very finicky when it comes to owning products which I feel does justice to its frightening nature. The less bipedal this Great Old One looks, the more terrifying it is. To fathom another form of terrestrial locomotion is better than that of a biped can truly challenge those who think the human shape is superior.
Nitpicking aside, I’m excited about this game! The sculpts for the miniatures (humans and lesser evils) look fantastic. The detailing on the pieces are immaculate and the paint jobs on the test pieces are beautiful. This alone is worth the $100 US price tag. S&H will vary, depending on the destination country.
The gameplay is also demonstrated in this following video:
From the product description:
Cthulhu: Death May Die is a cooperative board game for 1 to 5 players willing to take on the Cthulhu mythos like never before! Cultists are summoning one of the Elder Ones to consume our world, and it is up to the ragtag group of investigators to face the nightmarish forces and disrupt the ritual long enough to make the Elder One vulnerable. And then kill it dead.
Designed by Rob Daviau and Eric M. Lang, the game features monster artwork by Adrian Smith and investigator artwork by Karl Kopinski. Investigators come from all walks of life, each bringing a unique skill to the team, as well as two other generic skills.
To support this game, you can head to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmon/cthulhu-death-may-die
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