Mansions of Madness is a strange mix of a board game and a digital game, and I actually think that is what makes it work so well. The Steam version is not a standalone horror game in the usual sense. It is the companion app for the second edition board game, and it handles the story, map setup, encounters, monsters and other things that would normally need to be managed manually. I can use it with the physical game while investigating Lovecraftian mysteries around Arkham, and the whole thing is built around exploring locations, finding clues and trying to work out what is actually happening.
The atmosphere is easily my favourite part. The app does a good job of making the scenarios feel like proper horror stories instead of just a collection of board game rules. I can explore a room, discover something strange, hear a bit of narration and then have to decide whether I want to investigate further or get myself out of trouble. There are monsters, NPCs, puzzles, sanity effects and different events that can completely change how a scenario feels. I really like the fact that I do not know everything that is going on from the start. The mystery is much more enjoyable when I am slowly putting the pieces together.
I also think moving the game master role into the app was a really smart idea. The application handles a lot of the complicated background work, including revealing parts of the map and telling me when to add monsters or other components. That means I can concentrate much more on actually playing instead of spending ages preparing the scenario or checking rules. The app also adds narration and music, which makes a big difference when I am trying to get into the horror atmosphere.
The actual gameplay has a nice mixture of exploration and danger. I can search rooms for useful items, solve puzzles, talk to characters and fight monsters, but I am also constantly dealing with things like damage, horror and sanity. I like that combat is not the only answer to every problem. Sometimes it makes more sense for me to investigate, run away or use an item rather than trying to fight everything that appears. The investigators also have different abilities and equipment, which gives me some useful choices when deciding how to approach a scenario.
The biggest problem for me is replayability. Once I know the main mystery and understand what is going to happen, some of the surprise disappears. The game does randomise certain things between runs, including some locations and items, but the main story beats and discoveries are still familiar once I have already experienced them. That makes the first playthrough of a scenario much stronger than later attempts. The base content also feels fairly limited compared with something that is designed to be played endlessly. The Steam app is free, but additional scenarios are sold as DLC, so getting the most out of it can require spending more money.
I also have mixed feelings about the fact that the app is essential. It works really well when everything is running properly, but it means the physical game depends on software continuing to be supported. I am not usually a fan of games that require an external application, but here I think the benefits are strong enough that I can understand why it was designed this way. The app takes away a lot of the fiddly work and lets the actual investigation take centre stage. There have also been updates over the years, with the Steam version still receiving maintenance updates in 2026.
Overall, Mansions of Madness is one of the more interesting digital and physical game combinations I have come across. I really like the Lovecraftian atmosphere, investigation, hidden information, puzzles and way the app handles the game master role. The main weakness is that the stories lose a lot of their impact once I already know their secrets, and the Steam version only really makes sense if I have access to the physical second edition game. Even with those limitations, I think the combination of storytelling and tabletop gameplay is strong enough to make it a very enjoyable horror experience when I am in the mood for something slower and more atmospheric.
Rating: 7.6/10
