Stepping Into HEXplore It: The Domain of Mirza Noctis
Become heroes in a land of haunted woods and frightful blood collectors in HEXplore It: The Domain of Mirza Noctis.
I’ve always loved this series of games, yet the arrival of HEXplore It: The Domain of Mirza Noctis gave me a chance to try out some new rules! And this setting seemed perfect for this time of year with hauntings, vampires, and plenty of scary elements. Most of my favorite plays come down to the story, and I was eager to see how my duo might fare!
Game Overview
Game Name: HEXplore It: The Domain of Mirza Noctis
Publication Year: 2022
Designers: K. Kimoundri, N. Loos, and J. Mariucci
Artists: Yanis Cardin and Alvaro Nebot
Publisher: Mariucci J. Designs, LLC
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Cooperative)
An open world stands ready for exploration, filled with monsters, bosses, monasteries, investigations, and even an underground dungeon to explore! Mirza Noctis rules over it all, though, and his vampiric ways threaten the villages. It’s a tale of unlikely heroes rising to the task!
First Play
October 9, 2022
Complexity
4
Latest Play
October 14, 2022
Expansions
3
Setup Time
15 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
5 Hours
High Score
N/A
Game Area
58" x 32"
Low Score
N/A
Choosing Characters
I randomly drew a few options, knowing that I would be using 2 heroes. It’s possible to play truly solo, yet I enjoy the interactions and the idea of a team working together.
My first character was Demelza Velli, a Myskia witch. In other words… A bat-like individual involved in the occult.
This new role seemed quite interesting, especially the way Hex and Coven worked. I wasn’t quite done filling in the details, but I went back to using these erasable boards.
Previously, I relied more on the app, but there’s still something so great about physically tracking details!
A Witch’s Familiar
Demelza wouldn’t be a proper witch without her own familiar! Although I had a choice, since this was my first play, I chose from a handful of options.
Yajazhaash the viper was the right option. I didn’t have a lot of ways to do direct health damage, yet his powers could be very useful to make energy damage lethal.
This is also something I love about this series: Each volume is very different and thematic. All new stuff!
The only possible downside was needing to remember to track everything, yet that was a challenge all on myself.
Delicious Scourge
My other character was quite awesome, too! Kreggihn Glik was a Ratkin scourge eater. In other words, a large rat who lived for devouring the worst of the world in order to heal.
Had I been in a silly mode, I think this pair could have been Ratigan and Fidget from The Great Mouse Detective!
Yet there they were, ready to set forth as an unlikely team. I made certain to set the right expectations to have fun. This wasn’t about winning: It was about the story.
With a team like this, I didn’t expect them to make it too far. And that was fine! I was just excited to start playing.
Shifting Into Story Mode for a Change
Many of my recent solo games haven’t had a strong theme to delve deeply into a story. Alternatively, I’ve been very focused on looking at new mechanics or content so that any narrative is pushed into the background. Not this time! The remainder of this post takes a look at the emerging storyline for Demelza and Kreggihn. Plus Yajazhaash, too!
I think the story is where this game series shines, too. There are a lot of rules to sift through, yet making mistakes is hardly worth the price of erasing pivotal story moments. And it’s not like my mistakes ever put me way ahead. My winning ratio is quite low, and as I said above, my expectation is that my party won’t make it to the end.
This is a great example of a game where the journey is where the fun lies. Keeping the narrative rolling isn’t easy when learning a new set of rules, but I felt comfortable enough to tell a little tale. Even if things fell apart during the first few turns, I would have a chance to see some of the new mechanics in action. Now, settle in for some storytelling!
In the Beginning…
“We have to leave.” Kreggihn’s voice was like a mixture of gravel and squeaks. His head darted back and forth from the basement grate, carefully watching the dark road.
Demelza gently packed her final belongings, ruffling her torn wings in the process. “Patience, my friend.”
She held her furry hand on the almost frozen floor. A forked tongue glistened in the low candlelight before the viper nonchalantly slithered up to her shoulders.
The coast was clear for these unlikely allies as they silently set out to do the impossible: Defeat Mirza Noctis.
Just a Day’s Journey
They waited for dawn to break. Demelza meditated, open to the witchly knowledge before her. And it was worth it, despite the constant noise of Kreggihn’s nervous feet.
“A sign, at last!” she nearly croaked into the morning mist. She felt drawn to the north, where the mist cleared.
Kreggihn scampered back just in time. A great cliff lay before them. Beyond, in a rare clear morning, they could see far and wide: Mountains, glistening water, and even…
“Noctis’s castle!” Kreggihn hissed at the lair far to the north. Demelza narrowed her eyes. “One day, my friend.”
Unexplained Heroics
“What do they expect of us?” Kreggihn chattered beside Demelza, eating a particularly rotten apple in delight. “The villagers hate us, but now call us heroes?”
News of the blood collectors and Mirza Noctis’s terrifying powers put aside the villagers’ hatred of the pair. They had been shunned since they were little, always on the fringe.
The witch flapped an oversized ear. “No one else would leave their silly little houses. They still despise us…”
“Even though we’re their last hope,” Kreggihn finished her sentence. They went on in silence as darkness fell.
Pardon the Interrupt…
There were plenty of interrupt events, but I had to insert my own into this story. It was most obvious to me that the safest mode of transportation was via popcorn tricycle!
And I had a perfectly costumed Calico Critter to go along with the theme. Boo! Note the driver miniature and the bunch of rune stones. Proper travel and all. Ha ha!
I was having a great time on the mechanics side, even though the story remained my main focus.
But as with any interrupt card, this quickly flew past so I could get back to the tale of Demelza and Kreggihn…
An Unexpected Ally
Away from the safety of the village, Kreggihn felt exposed. He scrabbled in the dirt, almost at a loss. Yet Demelza lowered her wings as they crept in the woods. Someone…
“Good day, good day!” The voice rang out of the darkness as a cheerful man emerged from the shadows. “I am Poe the Missionary. Have you come across any monasteries?”
Confused glances danced about. Yajazhaash coiled in alarm, ready to strike. But Poe simply smiled on them all.
“In a world of death, there is still hope.” His words were true, and there was only one thing to do: Travel with him.
Night by Night
Poe brightened the mood consideradly. Demelza was certain they would be attacked at any moment with his jovial chatter, yet he almost repelled the evil.
It was at night that fear crept in. Kreggihn could feel the workings of Mirza Noctis all around. Sleep was impossible.
Demelza watched him through the low flames of the campfire. She could never tell him the truth. How that first attempt at calling a familiar went so horribly wrong…
“He wouldn’t understand,” Poe quietly uttered in his sleep. The witch shivered. Were those his words? Or…
Treasure and Imps
Something called to them from the forest. It was long since they saw the full sky. Demelza wearied of the march into the unknown, especially with Poe’s haunting words.
“What’s that?” she called and pointed. A tunnel… It was unwise to explore dark places, yet it was too tempting.
Kreggihn whimpered once, yet stayed near her as they inched forward. It wasn’t until the imps were upon them that they realized their mistake. “Awful, awful wings!”
Poe and Demelza were wounded by the horde, while Kreggihn did little but mumble to himself over the horror.
Solving a Mystery
“I fear this is worse than I imagined…” Poe seemed genuinely upset at their discovery in the woods. Wounds had been healed, but Noctis’s recruitment was terrifying.
“Do you think this is who watches us at night?” Kreggihn shuddered, his whiskers noticeably vibrating.
Demelza put a kind hand on his shoulder and looked at Poe. “Perhaps. But they won’t be forever, if we have anything to say about it. Right, Yajazhaash?”
The viper circled the group, only to point the way to a hidden stash. “See? Luck is on our side.” Even Poe smiled.
Finding Vrin in Shadow
The journey veered to the northeast, where the terrain was unsteadying. Their map pointed to a village, yet by nightfall, they were in the pit of a new forest.
“We’ll find it tomorrow, Demelza?” Kreggihn looked to his friend with doubt, but settled as she nodded.
They were hounded by something in the night. It dared not come closer, but lurked just out of sight.
When they came upon the village, Demelza was greeted by a canine. She instantly knew him: Vrin, a new familiar who found the witch’s trail and felt inexpicably bound to her.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Cooperative)
Play Details: Starter Difficulty Level
Outcome: Incomplete
Far to the west, the trio began their trek into the wilds to visit the monasteries. See that crypt at the very bottom? I needed a canoe to get there, along with a crypt key. No dice on either! This was just the start of the adventure, encompassing 7 turns over about 2 hours. Perfection. This story was so fun to write and experience! Now to keep playing to see what might happen next…
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
6
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
10
+ Pros (Positives)
- A huge variety of possible characters and combinations create plenty of different opportunities to explore.
- Each play delves into a story with all sorts of possibilities, and often spans only a portion of the content.
- The erasable boards keep the components limited and help showcase the important information at a glance.
- Map tiles can be connected in all sorts of ways, leading to a unique map to travel across in most plays.
- Combat only involves skill test rolls and a random action for the enemy, allowing for better planning.
- There are many elements to try out and although the final goal is the same, getting there presents many choices.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The rulebook is lengthy and can be difficult to use to reference a single rule with its many pages and sections.
- Table space will continue to spread with the way the map evolves and other cards or tiles are added to the area.
- With so many mechanics and aspects to play, it can be easy to forget about a rule or active ongoing effect.
- Character death can happen early on, ending the game quickly, yet it’s usually pretty easy to reset to play again.
Victory Conditions
Defeat Mirza Noctis
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game at the starter difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about HEXplore It: The Domain of Mirza Noctis? Do you have a favorite game in the series? The stories are always so much fun, and it’s all about the journey through the different terrain. I don’t know what might happen next… Demelza and Kreggihn might lose, or they might be on the path to victory. Can’t wait to see which it is!
Thank you for the deep dive. I hope your heroes persevere! Have fun and roll well!
Thank you very much, Frank! I hope all goes well for them, too, but it’s already been a blast. I sped through the last few turns, which have been all about me plotting how to get a canoe… Or realizing that I also need a crypt key to use said canoe. Whoops! Yet there are lots of monasteries out there, so taking Poe to visit them all seems to be a high priority. Lots of choices, and who knows what’s lurking out there?! Appreciate you stopping by!
Your tale is perfection! I loved reading about Demelza and Kreggihn’s story and wish them luck on their journey. Thanks for taking the time to write it, it was quite enjoyable to read and it paints a fantastic picture of the realm of Krasvetelia!
Happy adventures!
Thanks, Jonathan! It felt easy to keep this story flowing with the world around them. Love the changes from previous volumes, along with more flavor text and artwork. Can’t wait for more in the HEXplore It series!
The campaign book is something I can’t wait to try out. Looking forward to seeing some more of those in the future, along with the next volume. Best of luck with the continued development of everything! Your team and you have done an awesome job of building this up. I have everything that’s been released, and hope to have an epic month (or months) of solid HEXploring through everything someday. Thank you for everything!