The Big Book of Madness
- Players
- 2-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 90 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 12+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.7 / 5
- Year
- 2015
About the game
The Big Book of Madness casts players as magic students who accidentally unleash monsters from a cursed tome hidden in their college library. Working cooperatively, you build a personal element deck to learn spells, fight off curses, and turn the book's pages before its creatures overwhelm you. Each monster brings unique ongoing curses that must be managed carefully alongside your growing deck. Defeat all the monsters and turn all six pages to win as a team.
Hobbli's Notes
Hobbli enjoys how the deck-building here feels tightly tied to the cooperative puzzle of managing curses: it's a lighter, family-friendly take on Cthulhu-adjacent horror themes with real cooperative tension.
What we like
- Deck-building tied closely to each player's magical element.
- Thematic cooperative spellcasting against escalating monsters.
- Scales for 2-5 players with variable difficulty.
- Colorful, family-friendly take on Lovecraftian horror.
Keep in mind
- Can suffer from a dominant player directing the whole team.
- Curse management can feel fiddly at times.
- Monster draws introduce a fair amount of luck.
Who it's for
Good for families and casual cooperative gamers aged 12+ who enjoy deck-building and light thematic horror without excessive complexity.
