What is it?
Mononoke is a semi-cooperative bluffing game where players take the role of heroes defending a cursed castle from bizarre spirits in feudal Japan. However, only one hero at a time can be on watch to see the spirit approach. Only they know the spirit's strength and whether it is friend or foe, and it's up to them to rally their allies... or lead them to their own destruction.
Using a unique blind bidding combat mechanic and partial information about your enemies, Mononoke is a parable about trust and teamwork. If the castle falls, no player can win, but if you play it too safe, you may be left in the dust as another player rises to the top.
What Makes it Fun?
"This game creates a good space for chaos agents to get up to mischief while giving their more orderly counterparts plenty of chances to teach them a lesson. There were lots of funny and dramatic moments for both types of players to enjoy." -- Heather Newton, Protospiel Online Lead Organizer
This Week
We did some SERIOUS design this week, mainly we added a ton of great work on one of the parts of the game I was most frustrated with, the "day" phase. It always felt a bit like a slog to me, the part you need to do to get to the fun part of the game, the Night. We changed a decent amount, and still need to test it more, but the new way the phase works seems great. The rooms you can utilize in the castle are all much more interesting, with a "selfish" and "cooperative" side to each room, allowing for players to choose their motives and demonstrate a bit more strategy during this usually neglected game phase.
