Munchkin, a game where you fight monsters, steal treasures, and race to be the first player to reach level 10. You never know what will be behind the next door you kick down and whether your so-called “friends” will sabotage you. With so many different ways you can mix and match Munchkin sets and expansions there will always be something unique in every game you play. This makes this game very re-playable. But, how exactly do you play Munchkin? In Munchkin you start off each game as a level one human without a class. Players take turns knocking down doors and then fighting the monster behind it. When you fight a monster you compare your current level and any bonuses you may have to the monster's level and any bonuses your “friends” may have added to them. Defeating monsters gives you treasures and levels. Treasures give you more strength to fight more monsters and they arm you with cards to prevent other players from getting ahead. Sometimes, however, you may not find a monster behind the door you kicked down. In that case you can choose to "Look for Trouble” by playing a monster card from your hand and fighting it as normal. You can also “Loot the Room" and draw a “door” card that no one sees but you. Bwahahahaha! And those are the basic rules of Munchkins, now let’s talk about some of the ways you can add some more variety and fun to your games. Below are three ways to expand your games:
Munchkin Expansions
For the original Munchkin base set there are a total of nine different expansions each with about 112 cards you can add to the cards in your base set. These expansions can add more classes, races, monsters, and different rules to how you play Munchkin. You can mix and match expansions with the base set whichever way you'd like. However one thing to note is that the more expansions you add to one game the more complicated the game could get. If you are just starting with expansions you might consider starting with
Munchkin 2: Unnatural Axe. This expansion adds a new Orc race and more powerful monsters and equipment. If you want to add a little more complexity to your game, try expansion 6: Demented Dungeons. In this expansion you get 20 double-sided Dungeon cards which add additional rules to your party or the monsters in play. For example, in "Dungeon of Elvish Excess" all players become Elves and cannot discard that race while in that dungeon. The 16 portal cards included in this expansion let you switch between dungeons throughout the game.
Munchkin Base Sets
If you would like to add a whole different theme to your Munchkins game try playing a different Munchkin base set. Two notable ones are
Cthulhu Munchkin, which is Munchkin with a Cthulhu theme to it, and Munchkin Zombies, Munchkin with a zombie apocalypse theme. Each base set introduces new classes and races and these of course can be mixed as well with any Munchkin product.
Munchkin Crossovers
Last but not least there are Munchkin Crossovers. These standalone sets take place in different thematic universes such as Pathfinder, Adventure Time, Marvel, and
Harry Potter Munchkin. These follow the base game rules but with a unique spin on the game based on the universe. In conclusion Munchkin is a fun way to add some friendly competition to your tabletop games. With lots of different expansions, base sets, and crossovers to add there are lots of way to change how you play. Why not give this classic board game a try today?
