MUNCHKIN IMPOSSIBLE

The series of Munchkin games celebrate the excesses of players, and the James Bond films (and many other spy films) have an abundance of over-the-top action, gadgets, and seduction, so it's natural that the two should be combined. Munchkin Impossible gives this genre the Munchkin treatment, as the players become spies and government agents working with (and often against) each other.



As with previous Munchkin games, Munchkin Impossible has the players racing to be the first to achieve level 10. This is achieved by playing "Go Up a Level" cards, selling 1000 gold pieces worth of items for a level, or the main method of getting levels and treasures: combat! Players battle a variety of espionage enemies -- from the Level 1 Defective Defector to the Level 20 Super Spy -- hoping their level and bonuses from gadgets will be higher than the "monster" and its bonuses. Other players can interfere, making a sure victory a sure loss; the player can then get help from another player (usually by promising them treasure in return) or try and run away, risking Bad Stuff varying from losing items to death.

So what's new in Munchkin Impossible? The main addition is that of Loyalties: Players can have their characters American, British, Chinese, or Russian, getting certain benefits, being able to use certain Items -- and facing new bonuses or penalties against monsters. Players can also add monsters ending with "...in Black" to help other "...in Black" monsters/ Otherwise, the game mechanics are the same as in other Munchkin games: Classes (Assassint, Playboy, or Tourist), Hirelings, Training, Traps, Stuff, etc.

As one would expect, Munchkin Impossible is pretty similar to other Munchkin games. Fortunately, this includes their sense of fun too. The combination of thwarting other players and persuading them to help you (sometimes in the same turn) makes for an interesting dynamic, and the game gets quite cutthroat when players reach level 9. Munchkin Impossible has a great sense of humor), and anyone with even a slight knowledge of James Bond will get most of the jokes. So if you like laughing a lot while plotting against your fellow players, get ready to blast your way through Munchkin Impossible. (Accent optional.)

Overall grade: A-

Reviewed by James Lynch