Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein

Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein

HorrorLicensed / AdaptedScience Fiction
Players
2-4
Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
3 players
Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
180 min
AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
14+
ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
3.2 / 5
Year
2019

About the game

Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein is a gothic-horror worker-placement game set twenty years after Victor Frankenstein's death, as scientists compete in a mysterious benefactor's contest to unlock the secret of mortality. Players gather decomposing materials from cemeteries and morgues, conduct research at the Academy of Science, and toil in their labs to assemble their own creature and infuse it with a spark of life. Narrative events shaped by your decisions add storytelling weight throughout, leading toward multiple possible endings. The game concludes when a player successfully animates their creation or the vengeful original creature is finally slain.

Hobbli's Notes

An atmospheric worker-placement game that leans hard into its Mary Shelley-inspired horror theme, with narrative choices that genuinely affect the story. The resource management around decomposing materials is a clever, thematic touch. It's a heavier, longer game best suited to a group already comfortable with rules-dense Euro design.

What we like

  • Strong gothic horror theme woven into the mechanics.
  • Narrative events add meaningful storytelling choices.
  • Deep worker-placement and resource management.
  • Unique creature-building mechanic ties theme to gameplay.

Keep in mind

  • Long playtime with considerable rules overhead.
  • Niche horror theme won't suit every group.
  • Noticeable downtime between player turns.

Who it's for

Fans of gothic horror theming and worker-placement strategy aged 14 and up, playing in groups of 2-4.

Mechanics

Dice RollingEventsNarrative Choice / ParagraphSet CollectionStorytellingVariable Player PowersWorker Placement

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