I'm a Bit More Haunted...

 Ok, so, I lied. Actually, I just completely forgot that I owned this game. I got it on sale over a year ago, put it away, and never even played it. In fact, the first time I looked closely at the instructions were today. And oh boy!

This is the Funko Haunted Mansion Game. It came out a couple of years ago, and Mansion fans went crazy for it! Then people started playing it. Wow. There are a LOT of confusing rules! Those people that watched the online tutorial (yes, it's that complicated) and stuck with it say it's fun. Is it? Heck if I know.

Here are my pictures...

The main thing this game has to recommend it is its incredible artwork. Inside and out, this game is absolutely beautiful.

The back of the box shows the game set up for play. If you really wanted to play it, this would come in handy.

The sides of the box are pretty much all the same. One has a picture of Leota on it, but it's not a big deal.

These are the instructions. They are as big as the box and filled with rules that will probably drive you to a different kind of spirits.

By the way, when you pick up the instruction booklet, you see this printed on the bottom of the game board.

Here are the instructions. I didn't include all of them (they have some examples of gameplay that I left out) but they give you the basics.

I just placed the pieces on the board randomly to show what they look like, and because I didn't care enough to set it up. Do you think that's a bad attitude? Well, how about if I told you I didn't even bother to take the cards out of their plastic shipping wrapper? 

If you flip the whole board over, you get this great painting...with a hole in the middle.

Before you put the box top back on, look up at the inside of it. There's only one way to play...and it's "my way...." (Cue thunder clap and scream.)

I must say that even though the game is beautiful, gameplay reads like long division. It has the apparent excitement of balancing your checkbook. Speaking of which, I'm glad I paid very little for it.

It's not often that I have this negative of reaction to a game, but I think the art deserved a much more exciting effort. I give it a D+...and all for looks.

Still, people who have suffered through learning it report that it's actually fun. I'll take their word for it. Maybe someday I'll play it with my daughter and her family...or not...

But, until next time, keep searching for treasure!

(I'm now COMPLETELY out of Disney games...I think...)