Mansions Of Madness 2nd Edition - How To Play

Mansions of Madness: Second Edition is a 1-5 player game that uses a companion app to manage scenarios. Setup involves sorting map tiles, monsters, various tokens (common items, unique items, spells, conditions, horror, damage), and choosing investigators. The app is crucial for starting new games, selecting scenarios (Cycle of Eternity is recommended for first-timers), and distributing starting items and clue tokens. The app dynamically generates map layouts, token placements, and monster encounters, ensuring unique experiences in each playthrough.

The game proceeds in rounds, starting with the Investigator Phase, where each player takes a turn performing up to two actions. Investigator abilities can be active or require an action. Movement allows investigators to move up to two adjacent spaces, passing through revealed doors but not walls or impassable borders. Secret passages allow movement between specified spaces. Movement can be interrupted by other actions.

The search action involves interacting with tokens on the board via the app, often leading to skill tests. Skill tests require rolling dice equal to a character's skill value, with successes usually represented by an elder sign. Clue tokens can convert magnifying glass results into successes. The app dictates the outcome based on the number of successes. Interaction actions allow players to engage with specific tokens or characters on the map, with choices that may or may not consume an action.

Players can use actions found on their controlled components or items through the app's inventory. Exploit tokens activate new areas of the board via an 'explore action' through the app, revealing new tiles and giving options for free movement. Combat involves attacking monsters using melee or ranged weapons; the app manages monster health and damage. Monsters have special abilities listen on their bases.

Pushing can move willing or unwilling targets to adjacent spaces, requiring a strength test for unwilling targets. Stealing from another investigator also involves a skill test (strength, agility, or observation), with successes determining the number of possessions that can be taken. Setting fire (with a light source) places fire tokens; fire damages monsters and investigators unless extinguished using an agility test. Barricade tokens can block doors, requiring strength tests to move past them.

Investigators suffer damage or horror by drawing cards from respective decks. Face-up cards have immediate or ongoing effects. Total damage or horror exceeding health or sanity limits leads to consequences. Exceeding health results in a 'wounded' condition; a second wounded condition eliminates the investigator. Exceeding sanity results in an 'insane' condition, giving the player a secret objective or bizarre behaviors, which they must keep secret from other players. Accumulated horror on an already insane investigator leads to elimination.

The game includes various puzzles (slide, code, lock) that require skill values to attempt, with clue tokens allowing additional steps. Darkness tokens on the board restrict investigators from using clue tokens for extra puzzle steps or converting dice to successes in skill tests unless they are in or adjacent to a light source.

The Mythos Phase starts after investigators take their turns. If fire is present, players decide if it spreads. The app then presents mythos events, which can be narrative challenges or skill tests. Monsters activate, moving and attacking according to app instructions. Finally, investigators must make a horror check against monsters within range with the highest horror rating. Successes help negate negative effects.

If an investigator is in a space with a monster and wants to perform an action other than attacking or involuntary movement, they must first pass an evade test against the monster with the highest awareness. The game ends when investigators complete the scenario's objective (win) or if all investigators are eliminated or fail to resolve the investigation in time (lose). The game can also be saved and reloaded for future sessions.