A Steampunk Board Game of Greedy Scheming
Gremlins, Inc. is an intense strategy board game set in a steampunk world of corrupt capitalist gremlins. The goal is to compete for money, political power, and prestige. The game features a hand-drawn 2D style with a great soundtrack and a satirical, comedic tone. It is designed for up to 6 players and can be played in single-player mode with AI bots or in multiplayer.
How Your Group Plays Together
Each player holds 6 cards drawn from the same deck. On your turn, you use these cards either to move around the playing field or to perform specific game actions. The main deck contains 201 cards, including permanent, regular, secret, and criminal types. There is a lot of interaction between players, allowing you to steal, extort, arrest, and get arrested. Because of this, a duel plays very differently from a 3-player or 4-player game.
Your group can set up custom sessions with your own parameters or use password-protected private sessions to play undisturbed. If you want to team up, there is a team mode supporting 2x2, 3x3, or 2x2x2 formats with human players and AI bots. Team victory relies on communication and coordination, not just strategy. There is also a built-in spectator mode so friends can watch the match and share messages and emoticons with players and other spectators.
What to Know Before Starting
Sessions can be tailored to your available time. A quick duel for 20 score points with a fast timer can finish in under 20 minutes, while a 4-player session for 60 rounds can last for 2 hours or more. You can play until a certain score limit, an agreed number of rounds, or a time limit. Single-player mode includes an automatic save/load function at every turn, and multiplayer offers re-connect functionality as long as the session is still in progress.
Strategy involves both short-term and long-term planning. You will spend about half your game accumulating resources and building a foundation for the end-game, and the other half controlling your opponents through stealing, arresting, and initiating conflicts. The game uses a diverse resource system including score, money, votes, malice, income, and bribes, which allows for comeback chances even after you are robbed or arrested. There are also optional features, such as 6 Chaos Cards, that you can turn on or off to change the dynamics of the session.