Maximum Aocalypse review!!!... A classic fave of mine

This game is so greta, they even released some new expansions AFTER i wrote this, so theres like Horror themes and vampires and dinosaur apocalypses now!!!

     I’ve always had a soft spot for this game. Its not “particularly new”, but the reason I’m writing this review is that this game will be getting its first BIG expansion, Gothic Horrors, that will almost double the content and add all kinds of new goodness to the core game. The game at hand here is Maximum Apocalypse from Rock Manor games. Of course, usual me, fell in love with this game on first playthrough. Laughs) Loved this game so much that it inspired me to make a custom playing mat for it, that you see in the pic. You cant get that mat anywhere besides me. (laughs) The game is just so damned great it needed a mat to actually give the tiled board structure and uniformity and help immerse you in this awesomely twisted game world.

     There are some really cool and clever play mechanics here like hand management, solo co-op and multiplayer co-op, dice chucking and heavy on resource management to keep your group alive to reach the end of each adventure. The premise is very cool, in the near future, you have your choice of a few apocalypse scenarios to choose from, like the zombie apocalypse, alien invasion, mutants, even a Kaiju apocalypse. The new expansion will introduce Cthulhu mythos and more conventional horror. A dinosaur apocalypse and a host of new playable characters are offered here too. I am so excited for this new content because I saw the potential in this game. It’s not an easy game and that may be a turnoff for some players. I loved the difficulty, but a few friends found it a turnoff and didn’t give the game its true due.

     I love this game, of course. (laughs) Like I stated previously, it has a nice mix of hand management, resource management, dice chucking, world building with tiles. All giving this game infinite replayability and maximum fun in my maximum apocalypse. (laughs) Again, I will start to add a negative here and there, not just pure love fests  which I’m sure you guys all expect my reviews to be at this point. The hunger tracker in this game is brutal. To some players it was almost game breaking brutal. I didn’t see it as a design flaw, just as a really tough challenge curve that you weren’t expecting. Each apocalypse you build your decks, pick a mission, and create your tile pool. Most missions are survival with an objective, like find fuel for you van and food and find a way to the next clearing once your van is fueled up. Its just fun straightforward missions like this with some real zingers in there like rescue missions and just blind exploring. I found the game experience engrossing, immersive and flat out captivating. Even with the almost impossible hunger tracker which will probably kill you 98% of the time.

     This isn’t really a gateway game, but its gentle on newcomers and not overly complex to learn. It’s the difficulty again that may be offputting to some newcomers. I found the difficulty deep and engaging, and with a few good card draws and rolls you can do just as well as when you’re getting you’re asses chewed off by zombies or mutants…. (laughs) This game is worth tracking down now if you can find a copy, and the new kickstarter offered a reprint of the original core game too. This game is a staple in my collection now and sees play often, especially with my custom mat. If any of you get this game and want the file, I can make arrangements to get it to you. I used inkedgaming to get it custom printed, and that company should be the subject of a review by me, because they never cease to amaze me with the quality of their work, enhancing all the games you get mats made for.

     So in closing, this is an instant classic to me, simply love it, and cant wait for the Gothic Horrors and dino expansion content. This will be a treasured addition to your collection. Something a little different than what you’re used to and maybe a little to a lot more difficult to what you’ve become accustomed to. Never bad things. New challenges and new difficulties just push the hobby further and further and advances the evolution of this hobby we all love.

Always sincerely loving,

Andrew Baumgartner