Unmatched Adventures: A Battle Against Mothman
Battle a villain like Mothman across a sleepy town as any number of heroes and sidekicks in Unmatched Adventures.
Over the years, my husband and I have accumulated a fairly large collection of Unmatched boxes. Lots of possible battles! However, we haven’t played all that much… Which is why Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze sounded like a great way to utilize all of the content in a new mode designed for solo or cooperative play. Off to come face-to-face with Mothman!
Game Overview
Game Name: Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze
Publication Year: 2023
Designers: Jason Hager & Darren Reckner
Artists: Many (9 Credited)
Publisher: Restoration Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
A large battle takes place against a villain and hero, where using cards in the best way forms the strategic foundation. Minions offer up additional challenges, as does the threat track. Setup and rules are relatively quick, allowing the action to get underway across 1 of 2 included scenarios.
First Play
March 27, 2025
Complexity
2
Latest Play
March 28, 2025
Expansions
16
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
15 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
28" x 24"
Low Score
N/A
Mothman Sighting
All of the miniatures from this game system are awesome, ranging from the fairly standard heroes to some of the special ones… Like a huge T-Rex or Mothman here!
To be honest, a lot of this game reminded me of King of Monster Island, which had its moments, but ultimately dragged on for the sort of experience it offered.
But the difference here is how simple the rules are, which lend themselves to speedy plays with lots of action.
I actually thought this was going to be more like Dice Throne Adventures, which it is most certainly not.
Choosing Cards to Use
Cards create the main ways to interact with the game, typically in combat or unique situations. I chose to play as Dr. Jill Trent, one of the characters included in the box.
All of the other heroes can be used, although I wasn’t entirely taken with the villains… It will always be Mothman or Martian Invader, with a little minion variety.
It was neat to understand the special abilities of Dr. Jill Trent and her sidekick, Daisy, although it fell a little flat.
The artwork is amazing, as are the components, but I just didn’t feel connected to anything going on in the game.
The Deathly Tarantula
I wasn’t particularly skilled at making good decisions, although there were some exciting moments! It looked like I might actually have a handle on the situation after all.
But then a spidery visitor stopped by and that was the very quick end of Dr. Jill Trent! Not like I could stop everything.
There is a card in the villain and minion decks that cancels all of the effects on an opposing card. In a 2-player match, this is a powerful card that feels like a very clever moment.
In this case, it felt like a bad draw. My plans were cancelled out a few times, and I had no real way of properly planning.
Famous Feints
Feint is an excellent card that can turn the tide of battle, yet the villain and minion decks are small. They get shuffled a few times, so this rare card might show up a few times.
It was disheartening not only to struggle to do any damage, but to have any special effects completely ignored.
Gameplay moved along and ended quickly, but I was frustrated with the card draw randomness and lack of villain variety. How many times could I defeat Mothman?
The lack of agency and lack of thematic charm led to a feeling of disappointment, as I wanted to enjoy this one!
From Multiplayer to Solo or Cooperative Play
Not a lot of board games exist that started out purely as multiplayer, then added on a new mode to change things up drastically. Often, it’s hard to take a competitive title and turn it into something cooperative. One example I loved and plan to go through again is Dice Throne Adventures. It’s more of a campaign, and it also features limited villains.
However, there is a lot of variety in every other aspect, including lots of dice rolls. Not a perfect example, yet I returned to think about it a few times during this session. I struggled to put together a strategy with the way my card effects could be cancelled, but there wasn’t a sense of progression… I was either going to win or lose by whittling away the villain’s health.
The 2-player battles with the system can be quite interesting, and I didn’t feel like it flowed into this mode. Rather a shame, as I could have created some neat matchups! Alas, I know I can be very picky, and this one didn’t quite work for me. There are some neat elements, though, and I could see it working nicely as a cooperative adventure for multiple players.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 & 2
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Dr. Jill Trent vs. Mothman
Outcome: 2 Losses
As always, the component quality of this game is fantastic and I enjoyed the health dials! Just too bad the tonic wasn’t enough to keep Dr. Jill Trent and Daisy alive long enough to do any real damage… This might feel better in a multiplayer setting, yet I don’t know how much excitement I have for battling Mothman and Martian Invader. At least I finally got this to my table and had a chance to give everything a whirl!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
5
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
4
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the components are excellent, from high quality miniatures to thick cards with all sorts of great illustrations.
- Setup is quick and the total time needed to play is very reasonable with lots of focus on every round’s actions.
- Villains advance along a threat track to slowly wreak havoc, although victory is possible right up until the end.
- Cards can often be used in different ways, and understanding how to best utilize a deck is a neat strategic lesson.
- Initiative cards are randomized during each round and present surprises in terms of who will act first and last.
- Playing with a single hero or teams in the solo mode is possible, with compatibility across the whole game system.
– Cons (Negatives)
- There are only a pair of villains with their own matching maps, offering up a very limited amount of variety.
- Feint cards in the villain and minion decks cancel card effects when drawn, and create very unsatisfying moments.
- Although the colored spaces and lines are highly legible, it doesn’t feel like there is a strong theme on the board.
- Some font sizes feel exceptionally small, making the bridge tokens and some initiative cards hard to read.
Victory Conditions
Defeat the Villain
- Overall Goal Progress 0%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game against Mothman.
Win at least 1 game as Dr. Jill Trent.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze? Are there any other solo games you enjoy that started out as multiplayer experiences? I appreciate the quick nature of these battles, but it’s another one that didn’t resonate with me. My unplayed games pile is at least dwindling, though, and I’m still enjoying the journey of finding other games I love!
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