Monolith Arena (2018)

About this game

Wage war against opponents on a hexagonal board. Prepare your armies to face off on the battlefield and surprise your enemy with your choice of special abilities! Monolith Arena is a fantasy battleground board game built around the base engine of Neuroshima Hex, which is also from designer Michał Oracz. The game includes four factions, with unique abilities and units. Players take turns placing tiles on the hexagonal play field, building offensive and defensive advantages, all of which are activated when the field is filled or when a player uses a "battle" order. A new feature is the three-level "monolith" for each player, where the faction banner is set into the top level. The other two levels are secretly set with battlefield tokens chosen by the player at the outset, providing a strategic choice in setup that will play out during the tactical operations of the game. The monoliths mitigate the influence of the random tile draw that otherwise drives the game, giving players more choice and control.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 2.4/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.