In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection.
This breakdown is for the take-that card game Disney Villainous‘s expansions: Wicked to the Core, Evil Comes Prepared (box art above), and Perfectly Wretched.
All of these smaller-box expansions can also be used as standalone games for up to three players. When used as expansions, though, they add much more variety to players when choosing their characters. Mechanically, they work much the same as the villains in the base game, but some villains may have special goals that alter the rules a bit or add some functionality to their characters.
The villains included in the different sets (if that matters to you as a consumer) are:
- Wicked to the Core: Evil Queen, Hades, Dr. Facilier
- Evil Comes Prepared: Scar, Yzma, Ratigan
- Perfectly Wretched: Cruella de Vil, Mother Gothel, Pete
- Despicable Plots: Gaston, Lady Tremaine, The Horned King
Does one need all the expansions to enjoy Disney Villainous? Absolutely not. They are definitely bonus content and a bane for those of us suffering from board game completionism, but the average gamer may be content with just the base game or just one or two of these smaller standalone expansions. I happen to enjoy being able to play with any of the offered villains from my favorite movies. My whole family loves Disney everything, so having all available options will always be important to me.
Official recommendation: It is completely acceptable to cherry-pick your favorite villains and purchase their corresponding set(s). All sets can be combined in any fashion and will not upset gameplay at all. That is the beauty of the Villainous system. I recommend gamers to choose a set that contains villains they may enjoy playing and go from there. If you happen to fall in love with the game then add on more sets at that time. They are usually readily available and usually decently-priced.
