- BGG rank
- BGG #3,446
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Clockwork Wars
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,071
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Maniacal
2019
Rules assistance for Maniacal
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 60–120 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.6/5
Rules assistant for Maniacal
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Maniacal is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Hassan Lopez and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Maniacal is a strategy game in which 2-5 aspiring supervillains compete to become the most infamous in the world. Choose from one of five villains, each with unique abilities and weaknesses. First, build a secret base by drafting from over seventy different rooms, such as a Robotics Lab, Massage Parlor, or Torture Chamber. These rooms will attract a motley assortment of henchmen to your lair: Beasts, Criminals, Scientists, and Mystics. Want more brainy Scientists around? Build rooms that appeal to them (a Planetarium? or perhaps an Intrinsic Field Chamber?). In this way, each player will construct a unique secret base and recruit a unique crew of henchmen. Then, assign your henchmen to evil contracts posted around the globe. Become a local warlord in Asia. Steal a nuclear warhead in Europe. Build a floating fortress of doom in South America! Time, however, is a critical resource. The farther away a contract is from your secret base, the more weeks you spend and the fewer contracts that you'll complete in a round. Succeed at contracts to earn infamy and money. Fail, and your henchman might get injured, captured, or serendipitously gain a superpower. Build your secret base, recruit henchmen, and complete as many missions as you can. Along the way, hire mercenaries, hatch schemes, and chastise your lackey. Do so, and the history books will remember you as the best of the worst!
Editions
- ManiacalenEagle-Gryphon Games2019
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Eagle-Gryphon Games
Questions and answers
Maniacal supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Maniacal is 60–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Maniacal for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Maniacal has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Maniacal belongs to these categories: Comic Book / Strip. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Maniacal are: Hassan Lopez. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Maniacal as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.