Cube Monster (2023)

About this game

The Cube Monster awakens, and the race begins! Your village chose you, their champion, to climb up Mount Kubia and beat your opponents to the top. No matter your craft, you are first and foremost a builder. It is in your blood. The climb will be far from easy. Play by the monster’s rules – feed it, worship it, build for it – and be rewarded greatly! However, fail to meet its demands, and disaster will befall your people. Cube Monster is a strategic engine-building game where players take the role of champions racing to the top of Mount Kubia, sacrificing cubes on their way to the mountaintop. Take turns feeding the monster and awaken its desire for offerings. Use that wisely to reap rewards as your opponents suffer its wrath. Do you build structures planning for amazing cube-generating combos, or do you brute force your way to the top? —description from the publisher

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 4. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 2.5/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.