Disney Villainous by Ravensburger
Price: ~$35.00
Players:2 to 6
Playtime:30 minutes
Perfect for:Families full of Disney fans who enjoy competitive strategic card drafting games.

Disney Villainous is a game of machinations. Players assume control of some of Disney’s most iconic antagonists (Jafar, Captain Hook, Ursula, etc.) and attempt to thwart both their fictional heroic counterparts as well as the people they are playing against. Sabotage is the name of the game, and to win Villainous, players must be cunning and strategic.

To begin Disney Villainous, two to six players choose their characters and also receive a corresponding token, game board, villain deck, and fate deck associated with their chosen villain. On a turn, a player moves their token from their current spot on the board to another open location (most boards have four locations in total). Each location then has four possible actions associated with it, and so when a player arrives there, they have the option to perform those actions if they are available. Common actions include playing cards, moving played cards, discarding cards, and revealing cards from opponents’ fate deck in the hopes of slowing down their progress.

Cards from the villain deck give the player advantages or a boost towards their goals. For example, cards in this deck might be allies or items that can be played at locations, making that space more powerful. The fate deck, however, contains heroes and other nuisances to villains which can also be played at locations, but by opponents, and when played they lock two of the four actions at that space.

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Here’s a possible scenario of how the fate deck affects others: the person playing Jafar could make Captain Hook draw from their fate deck. This reveals the character of Wendy whom the Jafar player places on Captain Hook’s Jolly Roger location. This then blocks two actions there. Wendy can only be removed if the Captain Hook player places enough allies and items at the Jolly Roger to defeat Wendy.

Gameplay proceeds until a player achieves their unique win condition. Since winning is an asymmetrical facet to Disney Villainous, the strategies people employ for their own character, as well as those to foil opponents, constantly change depending on the mix of villains in each game. For example, Captain Hook can only win if Peter Pan is revealed from the fate deck, moved over to the Jolly Roger location, and then defeated there.

What works in Disney Villainous is the thematic adaptation and the balance between progression and competitive engagement. A great deal of thought went into building each villains’ gameplay style as is evidenced in their associated allies, heroes, items, and most importantly the steps they need to take in order to win the game before their opponents. Ultimately Villainous is a race—players must be thoughtful if they want to spend their time trying to achieve their own objectives or throw down obstacles to stop others from achieving theirs.

Players who prefer cooperative games, or aren’t well-versed in Disney properties, may not enjoy Disney Villainous as much as others. Players do indeed need to be a little ruthless (it is called Villainous after all) in order to succeed, so the group assembled should be comprised of people who will appreciate the fierce competition as the villains destroy each other’s well-laid plans.

Villainous will be delightful to people who adore Disney’s animated classics, especially those who relish a little friendly head to head competition. Also, it’s worth noting that several expansions are already available (with others on the way) so the asymmetrical nature that ups Villainous’ replay value is only going to get stronger.

Recommended if you like: Vs. Series, Star Realms

Final Grade: B+

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