Stats:
No. of players: 2-4
Amount of time to play: 45-60 min
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 5 minutes

Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000 Description:

Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000 is an expansion that adds four new meme factions to the base game. Read on to see just what new elements this expansion includes.

If you have not played Smash Up, read my review of it. I go over the basic rules of the game there. The rest of this post will be about the new things introduced in the Awesome Level 9000 expansion.

The new memes are killer plants, ghosts, steampunk and bear cavalry. There are four brand new bases and reprints of the originals. You even get Victory Point tokens so you can track the score without pen and paper or d20s.

Just like the old factions the news ones concentrate on a specific mechanic or aspect of game play that matches their meme. The Killer Plants grow in strength and breadth the longer they stay out. Steampunks allow you play abilities onto bases. Bear Calvary force other minions to move off bases. And the ghosts get better the less cards you have ion your hands.

The only new game mechanic is Talents. Talents give you special abilities and can be used once each turn.

Quick Review of Awesome Level 9000:

Awesome Level 9000 is more of the same for Smash Up and that a good thing. The new factions add more variety, strategies and fun to the base game. This expansion blends easily with the base game as there is little new to learn.

The components in this game are good quality and match those of the original game. The art is still fantastic too. Upgrades include new original bases with bigger text that is easier to read. The included Victory Point tokens are great and fix my biggest complaint with the original game.

I like that the new factions keep the basic balance of the game. That is not to say that some meme combinations aren’t more powerful, but that the new factions are not in and of themselves a lot more powerful than those in the base set.

The new memes just keep adding to the fun and the new options create some interesting combinations. The new factions are pretty straightforward and easy to play. Of the new additions the ghosts are the hardest to play.

It is also nice that the expansion is playable by itself. You won’t have a ton of variety but it is a nice that it is an option. If you have the base game you should buy this expansion. It will level up your experience and fun with the game.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 3 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 6 out of 6
Replay Value 4 out of 6
Complexity 3 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6