Last year, French-based Monolith Board Games partnered with Warner Bros. for a Kickstarter exclusive Batman game . The game would feature unique gameplay mechanics lifted from Monolith’s well-received first tabletop venture, CONAN, and it included a staggering number of highly detailed miniatures based on artwork from DC comics.
The Kickstarter campaign had a set goal of five-hundred thousand dollars, but Monolith’s titillating initial pitch made such an impression on the Bat-community that Gotham City Chronicles ultimately attracted over $4.4 million in funding from 19,000 pledgers. And while a board game that actually makes it possible for you to partner Renee Montoya with Bat-Cow might sound too good to be true, Monolith actually delivered on their many promises. Not only did the company ship a finished game, but the end product received positive feedback from casual and experienced tabletop gamers alike. And so even though we’ve been wary about spotlighting Kickstarters in the past, Monolith has earned consumer trust with Season One and we at Batman News are ready to talk about this gargantuan board game just in time for the announcement of a second campaign!
Fundraising for the popular Kickstarter exclusive’s second season began on Tuesday afternoon with a goal of $562,673 displayed at the top of the webpage. It exceeded this goal within the hour!
The all-new Batman: Gotham City Chronicles Season Two will feature Suicide Squad, League of Assassins, Batman Incorporated, and many other heroes and villains from the Batman universe. Like Season One, Season Two remains an immersive, scenario-based miniatures board game where two to four players (an ability to add a 5th player was added to Season Two) take control of the Caped Crusader, his allies, and his enemies. Each game sees one player assume the role of a villain (and you basically have your pick of the entire rogues gallery judging by the vast assortment of miniatures included) while the remaining players take on the role of heroes, and I have to say the game is surprisingly up-to-date on who’s who in the Bat-family. You can even roll with Duke AKA The Signal if you want to. Season One (which you will need in order to play Season Two) even offers figures from Zero Year, Batman Eternal, Court of Owls, Endgame, Year 100, and on and on. Opposing players strategize against each other and take turns attempting to foil one another’s plans.
A large playbook supplies various backstory and plot details, provides the location and supporting cast information, and more. Various expansion packs are available as well to mix things up for the sake of variety and to make an already enormous game even more titanic. It basically appears to be the biggest Batman board game you could ever possibly play, and I intend to review a copy of Season One for you all in the next week or two.
Options are available for purchasing Season One, Season Two, and seasons One and Two combined, and all options will ship in May of 2020.
All the content of the season 2 of Batman™: Gotham City Chronicles:
- 1 Suicide Squad expansion
- 1 League of the Assassins expansion
- 1 Batman Inc. expansion
- 1 5-Players pack
- 1 Board map: GCPD station/Sewers
- 1 Poison Ivy New 52 pack
- 1 Batman New 52 pack
- 1 Prof. Pyg Gang pack
- All the packs from the Picking Zone
- 1 Red Hood miniature gift
All the content of the season 1 of Batman™: Gotham City Chronicles:
- 1 Batman™: Gotham City Chronicles (1 heroes box + 1 villains box)
- 1 Wayne Manor expansion
- 1 Arkham Asylum expansion
- 1 The Batmobile add-on
- 1 Versus expansion
- 1 Dice pack
- 1 The Narrows Chronicles campaign pack
You’ll also find far, far more detailed information on every aspect of Season One and Two at the official Kickstarter page. The official page showcases more high-resolution photos than what have down below and will give you a thorough explanation of the game’s complex mechanics, the possible stretch goals, and more.
Season Two expands the miniature collection with a cast of characters lifted from Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated, including Ra’s Al Ghul, Heretic, Chief Man of Bats, and more. Suicide Squad includes the following crooks and ARGUS officials: Joker’s Daughter, Diablo, Deadshot, Black Manta, Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang, Deathstroke, King Shark, Amanda Waller, and Rick Flag. Additional heroes and villains offered individually or in packs are Batman (James Gordon from Superheavy), Rookie (the big bunny-eared robot), Gang of Robin (from We Are Robin), Amygdala, The Ventriloquist, Poison Ivy, and a plant monster called Carnivorous Plants Rex.
Versus mode is the primary focus of Season Two, which offers 10 new versus mode missions. Nine new missions have been added to Adventure mode and some of the new Season Two characters can be used in the Season One core box adventure mode missions. Picking Zone is a new component that allows players to choose their favorite character and play them in versus. Icons will be displayed alongside each character, identifying which modes the miniature is playable in.
For more information, and to pre-order, head over to Kickstarter.
