Minion Hunter
A cooperative board game set in the Dark Conspiracy universe.
Minion Hunter is a cooperative board game from 1992, released by Game Designers' Workshop as a tie-in to their *Dark Conspiracy* role-playing system. Designed by Lester W. Smith, its main goal is for players to work together to disrupt or defeat the schemes of four Dark Minion races, while personal character growth is a secondary concern.
The game comes in a box containing a 20-by-17-inch map of "Dark America" (drawn from the *Dark Conspiracy* setting), which highlights metroplexes and connecting highways. The board also features a Career Track around its edge, along with tracks for Minion Plots, Hospitals, and Plot Points. Other components include an 8-page rulebook, 72 Plot Cards, 40 Equipment Cards, ten pawns (six for players and one for each of the four Dark Minion races), a pad of blank character sheets, a ten-sided die (players must supply their own six-sided die), sheets of play money, and a page of Advanced Rules.
The premise is that four Dark Minion races are attempting to take over the world. Players must balance building up their personal stats—needed for combat—with intercepting minions before their plots succeed.
Each player starts with one point in Combat, Contacts, Stalking, and Empathy. They begin by moving around the Career Track, aiming to land on spaces that boost their attributes or let them buy equipment. Plot Cards have a location on the back and a minion’s name and stats on the front. The top card is placed facedown on the first square of the Plot Card Track, advancing one space after each player’s turn. If a character leaves the Career Track and reaches the card’s location, they can flip it over to reveal the minion and choose to fight or retreat. Retreating leaves the minion on the track. Defeating a minion removes it, places a new card facedown on the first square, and awards the player Fame points. Losing a fight sends the character’s pawn to the Hospital Track, where it must travel to the end before returning to play. If any Plot Card—facedown or revealed—reaches the end of the Plot Track, it is flipped (if needed); if the revealed minion is one of the four Dark Minion races, its pawn moves a set number of squares along the Plot Point Track. That card is then discarded, and a new one is placed facedown on the first square.
In combat, a character must use the attribute listed on the minion’s card. To defeat it, the player rolls
- Publisher
- Game Designers' Workshop
- Year Published
- 1992
- Designer
- Lester W. Smith
- Genre
- Cooperative board game
- Number of Players
- Up to 6
- Expansion
- Minion Nation
Lore & Background
Minion Hunter was designed by Lester W. Smith and released as a boxed set containing a 20" x 17" map of 'Dark America', an 8-page rulebook, 72 Plot Cards, 40 Equipment Cards, 10 pawns, a pad of blank character sheets, a 10-sided die, sheets of play money, and a page of Advanced Rules. The game's plot involves four Dark Minion races attempting to take over the world, with players dividing their time between building personal statistics and intercepting minions before their plots succeed.
Gameplay begins with each player having 1 point in Combat, Contacts, Stalking, and Empathy. Players move around a Career Track to increase attributes or buy equipment. Plot Cards move along a Plot Track; players can travel to the location on a card to confront the minion. Combat involves rolling a 10-sided die and subtracting the player's attribute from the roll, aiming to roll under the minion's listed attribute. Defeating a minion grants Fame points; losing sends the player to the Hospital Track.
If a Plot Card reaches the end of the Plot Track, the revealed minion advances a Dark Minion pawn along the Plot Point Track. The game ends in a loss if any Dark Minion pawn reaches the end of that track; otherwise, the player with the most Fame points wins after the Plot Card Deck is exhausted. An expansion, Minion Nation, added cards, equipment, and rules for random encounters.
Reader's Guide
Minion Hunter serves as a board game introduction to the Dark Conspiracy role-playing universe, blending cooperative and competitive elements. Its significance lies in its attempt to translate role-playing themes into a structured board game format, though reception was mixed. Rick Swan, reviewing the game in Dragon Issue 188 (December 1992), noted that the role-playing aspects were too slight for role-players and the rules too basic for board gamers. He also observed that the basic game was stacked against the Dark Minions, recommending the advanced rules to make the game more balanced. Despite these criticisms, Swan suggested that gamers interested in the Dark Conspiracy setting or in monster-bashing might find the game stylish and not disappointing. The inclusion of the Minion Nation expansion in later boxed sets indicates ongoing support, but the game did not achieve widespread acclaim. Its legacy is primarily as a niche product within the broader Dark Conspiracy line, offering a cooperative board game experience with a focus on plot interception and character advancement.
Did You Know?
- Minion Hunter was published in 1992 by Game Designers' Workshop in conjunction with their Dark Conspiracy role-playing game.
- The game includes a 20" x 17" map of 'Dark America' taken from the Dark Conspiracy game.
- An expansion pack called Minion Nation was released shortly after the original game and was included in all further boxed sets.
- Rick Swan's review in Dragon Issue 188 noted that the basic game was stacked against the Dark Minions and recommended using the advanced rules.
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