Monochrome Inc. Review

Monochrome Inc. – from Adventure Games: Discover the Story (AGDTS) – forms part of an ever-expanding series of adventure games from publishers Kosmos. Inspired by Kosmos’ popular ‘Exit – The Game’ series of at-home escape room games, AGDTS games allow players to explore a narrative over three distinct chapters. Players solve key missions and reach varying conclusions, depending on the actions taken during the game.

Cleverly designed AGDTS games can be replayed, unlike their counterparts Exit – The Game. It’s suitable for 1 – 4 players aged 16 or over. Each chapter within the game takes roughly an hour and a half to complete. There are three chapters, which come packed neatly into an A5-sized box for easy storage.

Monochrome Inc is one of two AGDTS offerings currently on the market,alongside “The Dungeon”. Furthermore, in August 2020, a third offering will join the line up: “The Volcanic Island”.

Learning Curve

It is important to take the time to learn how AGDTS series of games is played, in order to get the maximum enjoyment from Monochrome Inc and to avoid having to consult the Rulebook during a chapter’s gameplay.Players who are new to the series should take particular care to understand the first eleven pages of the Rulebook, as this series of games has a unique playing style, which can seem complex at first.

In order to expore Monochrome Inc. to its full potential, you will need a large playing surface. Players will quickly find that their table fills up with Adventure and Level Cards. Placement of both these types of cards is also vital and you might end up placing as many as seven cards in a column, so the more space available the better!

Gather Your Companions

After a good flick through the rulebook, Monochrome Inc. is fairly straightforward to set up, following the detailed instructions provided. Monochrome Inc consists of a set of Adventure Cards, Character Cards, Level Cards, the Rulebook, and an Adventure Book.

Possibly the most useful resource for players of Monochrome Inc. is the handy companion app, available for iOS, Android, or Fire devices. The app is a direct replacement for the narratives contained within the Adventure Book.

The companion app offers players the chance to have their narrative read to them throughout their gameplay, rather than having to read aloud the narrative themselves. The app also provides a greater immersive experience for players during the exploration of their narrative. In addition, it means that players won’t accidentally come across spoilers for the narrative, something which can easily happen when searching for entries in the Adventure Book.

Nothing Is Black and White

Within each chapter of the game, players receive a mission card. This leads them in the direction of the overall aim that they must solve in the chapter. Each chapter usually contains several levels for players to explore.

Players assume the role of one of the four characters in the game and take it in turns to explore levels. Along the way, they will discover extra narrative and potentially helpful items. Then, players must decide how to explore their levels and use or combine the items in their possession, in order to achieve their mission aim. Players can exchange items with each other as they see fit.

The game ends when players have completed all three chapters. The game can be saved at any point, by remembering the configuration of the game players have currently reached. The completion of each chapter acts as a great save point for those players wishing to play over several sessions.

Final Thoughts on Monochrome Inc.

A major pull towards these games, over their ‘Exit’ counterparts, is their replayability. This comes at a minimal increase in cost compared to the Exit – The Game series. Those who enjoy thriller films or books, puzzling, or escape rooms are bound to love Monochrome Inc.

If players take the time to study the Rulebook upfront, then it should be easy to jump in and out of these games. However, the learning curve can be steep initially. So, be warned: you might struggle to pick this game up and play it straight away! However, stick with it and you will be rewarded with an enjoyable, thrilling journey through the chapters of Monochrome Inc.

The time spent learning the Rulebook is definitely not time wasted if players plan on expanding their collection with further AGDTS games. Monochrome Inc. is a thrilling little adventure, in a little box, for little cost. Friends and grown-up families can enjoy this game either alone or together. There is definitely some curiosity in awaiting your next game, to see how the narrative will differ next time around, and whether anything players learned in their previous games will be of use in their next…and whether the conclusion will be the same…