Seriously, this is one of the best-looking board games out there. Villainous is downright beautiful every illustration has been made with the utmost care stunning, and each mover is a work of art in its own right. Speaking of alternate characters, it's always a treat to dig through their decks. These add-ons encourage you to adopt all-new strategies, and they're a good way of injecting life back into the game if you think you've mastered it. It's a similar story when you're taking on different villains as well… particularly if you throw Disney Villainous expansions into the mix.

What if the bad guys triumphed for once? And wouldn't that be more fun? As it turns out, yes. Genuine skill is rewarded here coming out on top isn't due to luck, and knowing when to use certain abilities (or saddle your opponent with a well-timed hero) is essential. Despite being complex, Villainous is a masterclass in how to make a compelling, endlessly replayable strategy game. Gameplay: Once you've gotten your head around your villain's special rules, you'll be cooking with gas. Seeing as these do-gooders block certain actions or introduce obstacles until they're removed, it adds a whole new dimension to proceedings. (As our review points out, 'there's so much to get your teeth into.') What's more, you can delay your rivals by sending heroes to harass them. You'll navigate a personal board in search of allies, effects, or items that can help you complete your unique objective, and because each character has their own play-style, the experience is surprisingly deep.

There's complexity hidden beneath all those gorgeous paintings, though. What follows is a nostalgic romp through classic Disney films, reimagined here with original artwork. Think of it like a 'what if' scenario, where the antagonists finally get their way. How it works: As the name would suggest, Villainous revolves around classic baddies getting their way - Jafar wants to control Genie, Prince John is trying to amass a fortune, and so on. It's a great choice in terms of must-have board games for 2 players. While duking it out with lots of other people is fun, reducing the head-count makes things less chaotic and gives you more time to strategize. If you ask us, that intricacy makes Villainous better when played head-to-head.

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