It’s been a bit since I’ve done one of these, and I am going with a different company than my normal. Horrible Guild is very different than your Mythic Games and Awaken Realms in that they don’t do the massive games. Horrible Guild makes a lot of lighter games but still great games and great games with tons of toy factor.

Publisher Portrait: Horrible Guild

Horrible Guild was founded in 2014 by Lorenzo Silva. Back when it was founded it was known as Horrible Games, but in 2019 they changed their name to Horrible Guild. This Italian board game company is known for making innovative and different games, which I’ll be talking about shortly. Horrible Guild is another company that does a lot of their initial funding for games on Kickstarter, but they have more of a retail presence than a Kickstarter only game company. You can find more about them on their website, here.

What Are Their Games Like?

So, I mentioned this above, but Horrible Guild really tries to create unique games. Now, not all of these games are small, but a lot of them fall onto the lighter side of board gaming. But because they are lighter, that gives them a really good chance to be creative in what they are doing.

Horrible Guild is probably best known for the game Railroad Ink. This was a roll and write that hit the markets towards the front end of the roll and write craze that we are still actively in. Now, a roll and write doesn’t sound that unique and it isn’t, but it is a good demonstration of the quality that Horrible Guild puts into their games. It came with dry erase boards and markers instead of sheets. And the dice are nice and chunky that you are using not just your standard dice. This is something that is consistently throughout all their games. They really give a ton of toy factor to what they create.

Board Game Spotlight

Railroad Ink/Railroad Ink Challenge

I have been talking about this game a lot lately. That’s mainly because there was an app that came out for Railroad Ink Challenge, and it’s great. But also the game is a ton of fun. I played it recently over on Malts and Meeples. But this game is really worth talking about, especially because in the Challenge version, it gives you a lot of think about. And because it is the game that put Horrible Guild on the map for them. Railroad Ink is all about connecting routes, making long roads and train tracks, and nothing that revolutionary. However, it takes what we already know and leverages that.

Then Challenge adds in a whole lot more, well, challenges. Basically timed requirements where if you get them done in time you get more points. Plus a few more places to score points. In some ways Challenges is less punishing because you can score points with towns and double up the use of dice. But it’s more punishing because you now have those goals or challenges you’re going for. And those sometimes don’t match well with the dice, or what how you started. Do you want to score well there or go more for routes. Both version, though, a ton of fun.

Potion Explosion

When I think Horrible Guild, though, this is the game I think of. And that is because this game has so much toy factor. It is like playing an app game, but as a board game. In Potion Explosion you pull out marbles and they drop down , if you hit two of the same color together you get those two as well. It can create a great chain reaction that is so satisfying. But beyond that, it also has fun combo game play. You use the marbles to make potions. You use the options to get more marbles. It’s not complex, but out on the table it looks like so much fun, and its good for a wide variety of gamers.

Similo

This game is arriving in the mail today. I have yet to play it, but it is a big one for them in that Horrible Guild has a ton of expansions for it. What is drawing me to the game is that it’s a cooperative party game. Now, cooperative party games are becoming more common, but this one seems like a lot of fun. It has almost a bit of a Codenames element to it. One player is it and they have a secret card, out of 10 on the table, they want you to guess. And then a handful of cards to give you clues. They can’t say anything but with the cards they play, they tell you if it’s similar or different. Then the other players need to eliminate cards. Super simple, but super fun looking.

Tiny Turbo Cars

Finally I have one that I backed on Kickstarter. This one hasn’t shipped yet, still in production and development. But this one again has that amazing toy factor. You race cars across the living room floor. Well, the board game version of a living room floor. But the toy factor element, a little controller, that you program how your turn is going to go is just amazing. It’s a sliding puzzle and it looks like an RC controller. So you slide it to create that program in real time. I am so excited to get this one in.

Final Thoughts on Horrible Guild

As I talked about at the end of the video on Malts and Meeples on Wednesday, Horrible Guild is a company that I really pay attention to now. I just like their stuff. They make really fun games, generally really accessible games, and sometimes that’s what I want. I clearly love massive board games like those that Mythic Games and Awaken Realms put out, but I can’t only have that in my collection. So Horrible Guild gives me so many unique and fun twists on games that I’d have never thought of.

What is your favorite Horrible Guild Game?

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