Perdition's Mouth Revised Edition Review

A dungeon crawler that's going to punch you straight in the mouth. Repeatedly.

Perdition's Mouth is a big game. Seriously, it's huge. The box clocked in at something like 12 pounds. When you open the box though, you quickly realize that it packs a lot of content in there. Each player selects a character and you will select a scenario or start from the beginning. There's a lot of scenarios in this box as well. Set up one of the many player boards based on the scenario and start the game. Using the rondel system, the players will take their actions. This can be to move, attack, defend, rest, the list goes on. Each player has a set amount of action points for their turn that they can boost with cards in their hand or the other players can help as well if it's needed. After the players go, the enemies take their turn. Using a similar rondel system, a card is drawn and depending on the value of the card a stone is moved that many spaces. Everything in between activates. Enemies will do similar actions to you as well as call in reinforcements. If you take damage, good luck healing. Taking damage lowers the amount of action points you have as well as some other factors. Run out of health and that's game over. If you manage to get out of the dungeon or defeat the enemies, you will win the scenario. You can choose another one or you can keep going in order.

The Good: This game has some of the cooler minis that I've come across. From cultists to giant bug demons, the enemies are really impressive. The heroes are also really well made and there is a ton of them to choose from, all doing different things. For as big as the manual is and the size of the box, it's not nearly as daunting as you'd imagine. The overall game flow doesn't really vary too much. There are some nuances in levels and objectives but I never felt overwhelmed or like I needed to constantly refer to the rulebook.

The Okay: This game is punishing. Seriously, you don't want to get hit. You'll rarely get an opportunity to get health back and you want to have as many action points as possible. The set up time for this game can be a bit of a beast. Because each scenario has different enemies set up in different places on the grid and some have treasure or walls that need placed, it can take some time for the game to actually start. When I initially opened the box I almost hit the floor with the amount of cards and boards in the game and the expansions add even more of everything.

The Not So Good: The overall storage and repacking of the game leaves a lot to be desired. Because there are so many cards with no actual solution to pack them, it's a bit of a mess any time you reopen the box. It was also somewhat disappointing to see the minis thrown in a bag. These aren't huge problems but with a game this size I'd like to be able to set up/tear down faster than it does.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Perdition's Mouth is a game that's not going to hold your hand. It's tough and it's mean. It's also really elegant and gorgeous for a game that's as morbid as it is. It's not going to be for everybody but if a dungeon crawler is something you're looking for that's going to give you a run for your money, I couldn't recommend Perdition's Mouth enough.

A review copy was provided by Dragon Dawn Productions.