tabletoppingboardgames 
Within the rugged landscapes of the Northern Expanse, Beast unveils itself, providing a one-vs-many gameplay experience. Players find themselves amidst splendid nature, faced with the daunting challenge of formidable Beasts. The options are clear: unite as hunters or become the mighty Beast. This captivating tale is set to broaden with the imminent releases of the “Shattered Isles” and “The Great Hunt” expansions.
👥 2-4 players, age 14+
⌛ Playing time: 60-120 minutes
📝 Designers: Aron Midhall, Elon Midhall & Assar Pettersson
🎨 Artwork: Aron Midhall
🏢 Publisher: Studio Midhall (preview copy provided)
The Gamefound campaign goes live on September 19th.
An Overview of Beast’s Fundamental Gameplay:
🛡 The adventure in Beast begins with players selecting their respective roles. The individual who takes up the mantle of the Beast chooses from several distinctive Beasts, each endowed with unique abilities. In contrast, the remaining players unite as hunters, strategizing collectively to locate and overpower the Beast.
🌲 The gameplay spans a predetermined period of either 3 or 4 days, outlined by the chosen contract, urging players to strategize swiftly and efficiently. Each round kicks off with a drafting phase, allowing players to build a hand of essential strategy cards. This phase seamlessly transitions into the day segment, where the Beast focuses on strategic attacks and calls for reinforcements. At the same time, the hunters consolidate resources to set traps and determine the Beast’s whereabouts. As the day phase concludes, the night stage takes over, during which players evaluate their positions, garner rewards, and possibly obtain character upgrades. The adventure reaches a crescendo when either the Beast accomplishes its objectives or the hunters triumph by either eliminating the Beast or enduring till the stipulated time concludes.
A Closer Look at the Expansions: Shattered Isles & The Great Hunt:
🌊 The journey extends into the Shattered Isles, a place where the hunters land after navigating enigmatic oceans. Amidst narrow cliffs and lush forests, ancient civilization remnants harbor secrets about the Beasts and tactics to triumph over them, although new dangers threaten to push humanity to the brink.
🐾 The New Beasts: Serving as just a glimpse into the new additions, Vacker and the Feathered King bring fresh dynamics to the gameplay. Vacker utilizes a unique soul system, where trails become a power source for abilities. On the other hand, the Feathered King embarks on a transformative journey from fragility to unparalleled power, unveiling significant game alterations and upgrades.
🗝 Players exploring the Shattered Isles will encounter Hidden Paths for rapid movements and Ruins, promising valuable rewards. New contracts integrate seamlessly, adding some elements like offering rewards from Ruins. The “False Movement” feature, present in Beastly Talents and Vacker’s cards, adds a deception element, creating misleading trails to confound players.
💢 Both expansions will be separately boxed, ushering in many fresh adventures to the Beast universe. Notably, “The Great Hunt” incorporates a legacy contract, promising to enhance the gameplay’s depth and longevity, fostering an immersive narrative that captivates players over several sessions. These expansions herald a vibrant surge of fresh content, enhancing the existing gameplay dynamics. Players can expect novel mechanics that encourage new strategies, a new set of maps, fresh Beasts, and skilled hunters that introduce varied dynamics and strategic opportunities. This is further complemented by a diverse range of cards and contracts, designed to keep the gameplay engaging and continuously evolving, ensuring each game session offers a distinctive and exhilarating experience.
💭 Beast emerges as a game steeped in strategy, cooperation, and deception, establishing itself as a hidden movement game with balanced dynamics and intense moments of suspense. The expansions are set to elevate this further, characterized by immersive artwork and excellent component quality. By integrating the new content, players can look forward to a vastly expanded scope of gameplay, with even more replayability, and bringing the entire experience to a new level.
📝 Disclaimer: Please note that all components and information discussed and depicted in the photographs concerning the expansions are based on the prototype version and are subject to alterations in the final release. We thank Studio Midhall for supplying us with a preview copy of the expansion.
