Yaoguai 2015

Evil has returned to the land. The malevolent Yaoguai, a demon of great power, has escaped its celestial prison. Returned to the world, it sets its sights on its true enemy: Sun Wukong, the immortal Monkey King.

As the Yaoguai makes its way down the mountain, Xuanzang spurs his disciple to action: he must set a trap for the fiend and seal it back within its prison, for if the beast can manage to defeat and consume the Monkey King, then it will steal immortality for itself. The Monkey King gathers the fiercest heroes and monks and awaits the demon at the foot of the mountain. He installs seers of great power to seek for the beast, and surrounds the camp with guardians to protect both him and his master. As Xuanzang prays to the goddess Guanyin for guidance and blesses powerful talismans with the mantra to bind the creature back to its mountain, the Monkey King’s generals sit and wait in anticipation of the coming conflict.

But, the Yaoguai brings a corruption that runs deep. It whispers dark, honey-sweet words of glory and promised enlightenment to those in the Monkey King’s camp, threatening to turn many who reside there into traitors. In its wake follows the shapeshifting Mo Shadow, seeking the flesh of Xuanzang to achieve its own sinister purpose. Fox spirits emerge to dart about, bringing their assistance to those they choose. And deep beneath the waters of a nearby lake, unbeknownst to all, a fish begins to quiver and sprout wings, and should this Peng burst forth, it will force an end to any fighting with its brilliance.

You are the Monkey King’s generals. Will you find and seal away the Yaoguai, or turn the power of the Talisman on the Monkey King himself? Will you weed out the traitors in the camp, or will you be the traitor, sending your men to capture their allies and make way for the demon? The deeds of this day will be forever recorded and you shall live within them, with either honor or infamy. The choices are yours.

In Yaoguai, take the role of one of the Monkey King's generals. Players draw and play cards from hand, simulating the conflict between the various entities in the game. The goal is to capture the correct combination of cards, or the highest overall point value, while attempting to maintain some degree of secrecy.

Yaoguai is a game for 2-4 people that is playable in 5-10 minutes, and is highly influenced by Chinese literature and mythology.

This game was a finalist in the Geekway to the West and BGG Micro game contest! Thank you to all who voted for it. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot. -Eric