- BGG rating
- 7.4
Massive Darkness: A Quest of Crystal & Lava
- 1–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,492
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Massive Darkness
2017
Rules assistance for Massive Darkness
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Massive Darkness
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Massive Darkness is a board game released in 2017 for 1–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Nicolas Raoult, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, and Raphaël Guiton and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Dice Rolling.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Massive Darkness: Black Plague Crossover Set
- 1–6 players
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Massive Darkness: Enemy Box – Elementals
- 1–6 players
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Massive Darkness: Enemy Box – Ratlings
- 1–6 players
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Massive Darkness: Enemy Box – Reptisaurians
- 1–6 players
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Massive Darkness: Enemy Box – Troglodytes
- 1–6 players
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Massive Darkness: Heroes & Monster Set – Bloodmoon Assassins vs The Hellephant
- 1–6 players
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Massive Darkness: Heroes & Monster Set – Noble Warriors vs The Cockatrix
- 1–6 players
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Massive Darkness: Heroes & Monster Set – Sorcerers vs Lord Tusk
- 1–6 players
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Massive Darkness: Heroes & Monster Set – Warrior Priests vs The Spearmaiden Cyclops
- 1–6 players
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Massive Darkness: Lightbringer Pack
- 1–6 players
- 90–180 min
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Massive Darkness: Zombicide Green Horde Crossover Set
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2018
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Massive Darkness 2: Massive Darkness Upgrade Pack
- 1–6 players
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2021
Massive Darkness 2: The Cure
- 2023
Massive Darkness: Special Scenario 1 – The Cure
- 2023
Massive Darkness: Special Scenario 2 – Lynith's Arrival
- 2023
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About the game
Massive Darkness brings the classic fantasy RPG experience to modern board gaming, with an action-packed campaign chock full of gorgeous miniatures and a streamlined system that keeps the focus on the heroes' actions, with no need for a game master to control the enemies. Using the popular Zombicide system as a starting point, Massive Darkness adds all the richness of a dungeon crawl RPG. Pick your hero, choose a class, decide on which skills to spend your XP, and get loot by searching the dungeon or killing special enemies that can use the equipment against you! Face a multitude of different enemy types, coming in all shapes and sizes, whose behavior is resolved automatically...or you can try to sneak around enemies by taking advantage of dark areas of the map. Players begin their adventure in Massive Darkness by picking a Hero – each with two special starting skills – and pair them with a Class of their choosing. Depending on the combination, another skill can be unlocked, giving players a wide range of choices and play styles. In Massive Darkness, the created Heroes go on Quests, killing monsters, collecting loot, and gaining XP. Players spend their XP to unlock new Skills, growing more powerful as the Quest progresses. Throughout the game, players encounter different monsters, including Minions, Agents, Roaming Monsters, and Bosses. An unique mechanism of the game is the Guardian. Any of the monster types have a chance of spawning as a Guardian, meaning it will use a random piece of equipment in the fight against Heroes. However, if players are able to overcome this difficult encounter, they will acquire that piece of loot!
Mechanics
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- Galápagos Jogos
- CMON Global Limited
- CrowD Games
- Guillotine Games
Questions and answers
Massive Darkness supports 1–6 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 Massive Darkness is 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 Massive Darkness for ages 14 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.
Massive Darkness 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.
Massive Darkness belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, 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 Massive Darkness are: Nicolas Raoult, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, and Raphaël Guiton. 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 Massive Darkness 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.