Unstoppable review — I’d like it to stop.

I’m a big fan of Villainous. The twist of playing as the Villains is just fun, and the gameplay, with its puzzle and race to victory, is an engaging experience. The problem with Villainous, though, is that it requires a lot of reading, and for some characters, a surprisingly nuanced strategy that makes it prohibitive to play with younger family members, which I happen to have several of. My kids. I’m talking about my kids. They can’t play Big Villainous. 

Enter Baby Villainous. Officially called Villainous: Unstoppable (but I’ve renamed Baby Villainous forever and all time). Before I lose you, I’ll cut to the chase. I hate this game. My kids love this game. It’s a kids’ game, so how do I review this? 

We’ll come back to why I am less than enthused about this game in a minute. Villainous: Unstoppable is billed as a family-friendly version of the original game that simplifies the mechanics to a more accessible format for the kiddos and those less hobby game inclined. Players will choose one of four villains and take turns playing cards to move around the board and perform actions. The first player able to complete their objective wins. 

Each player has a hand of cards and will choose two of them to use each turn. The first card will be used for its number, which determines the number of spaces you get to move around the board. The second card needs to have an action symbol matching the action that you landed on, so that you can perform that action. Each action, except gaining Power, has an associated Power cost that you must also pay. This two-card dynamic of movement and action selection is the first odd standout for me. It is simultaneously a difficult concept to understand for young kids and trivial for older kids and the adults who may be playing. My oldest is 6 (the game is rated for 7+), and she struggles to connect the movement, action, and cost together. It becomes easier over time, but it’s still a pretty big step up from typical little kid games. On the other end of the spectrum is my 9-year-old niece, who can easily play regular Villainous. Obviously, this is all going to vary by kid, but the core concept of the game seems to be simultaneously too complicated and too easy. By the time everyone really masters the mechanics, you may be able to just play the real thing.

The other standout is the Villains themselves. Despite the different characters and themed cards, the win condition for all of them is the same. Land on the Advance Objective space 4 times, and make sure you have the Power and cards to line up the action, and you win. If you don’t have the right cards or Power, you get to spend another handful of turns running the bases again with no real purpose. There is nothing worse than a game dragging on for no reason other than you couldn’t land on the right space. There is some asymmetry that makes it into the action space layout of each character’s realm, but functionally, they all play exactly the same.

The presentation of the game is, of course, gorgeous. The artwork has a charming brightness to it, and each realm is offset nicely by the black and gold motifs of the central board. The movers are the same pieces used in the standard Villainous game, but the entire style of the game has been catered to a child’s eye with simplified designs and bright, bold colors. 

All of this makes for an extremely dull game for the adults. However, it IS a kids’ game, and my kids love it. Begrudgingly, I have to say it succeeds at what it sets out to do. A family can enjoy this game, and any game that gets my kids excited about board games is a win for me. There are kids’ games out there that are fun for the whole family, but making sacrifices for my kids to have fun is just called “Parenting,” so I can handle the occasional dull game or two.

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