Insecta (1992)

About this game

Insecta is a game of bug-to-bug conflict and combat. Players design a mutant bug team and with them attempt to escape from "The Hive," filled with real-world arthropods and controlled by an adversarial "Hivemaster" player (somewhat akin to a dungeonmaster). The game comes with 16 mutant bug displays (6 are "starting" displays, the others are swapped in as the bugs mutate), design cards, mapsheets, minature bugs and counters. A limited reissue of the game, The Mutant Kit, was published in 2000 without rubber bugs or Hive cards, creating a modular game system that could be combined with other expansions. Expanded by: Insecta: Rainforest Insecta: Trilobite Insecta: Desert Hive

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 7. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 2.7/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.