Welcome to the Funkoverse. It’s a bit complicated, but it’s ultimately an incredibly fun way to spend an evening with friends while mixing some of your all-time fave fandoms.
For those who missed Funko’s foray into the board game category, Funkoverse is a new line of strategy board games that incorporates smaller (3-inch) versions of the popular Funko Pop! figures into gameplay. So far, there are versions for Harry Potter, DC, Rick and Morty, and Golden Girls — some as full games with four figures, and others as expansion packs with two figures.
The game is very location-centric, with each side of the game board inspired by an important place from that fandom. The figures get divided into two teams, and players must strategically move their figures around the board, utilizing each character’s unique abilities, challenging opponents, and earning points by meeting challenge-specific goals.
On each turn, players choose one of the three characters on their side and perform two actions, which include moving, using one of that character’s abilities, or challenging a rival. Once that character performs two actions, they are “exhausted” and can’t be used again. The teams take turns until all characters are exhausted, then the process starts again, with all of the characters in play.
For anyone who is well-versed in the art of strategy games and regularly enjoys games with rule books that take the “book” part literally, this game will be a welcome addition to the rotation and is fairly simple to learn. For anyone who simply loves Funko Pop! Figures or the characters in these new games, a word of warning: the game — and its 19 pages of rules — may feel a bit daunting.
However, Funko really did take novice strategy game players into account when making Funkoverse. There is an instruction video available online (which may help for those who are more visual learners), as well as introduction instructions for playing a lighter version of the game. This helps new players get accustomed to gameplay and learn how to move around the board before introducing some of the more complicated aspects of Funkoverse.
I highly recommend just jumping into the starter game and giving it a try instead of trying to figure out exactly how every part of the game works. By doing this, you truly pick the game up as you go. You may start by choosing random characters and aimlessly moving them around the board, but soon you’ll start to understand how to leverage your different characters’ abilities to better achieve your goals.
I won’t take time getting into too all of the game’s details, but the full game features a great combination of luck and strategy. Plus, every game will feel a little bit different because you can choose from different scenarios, which each provide different board setups and game objectives.
Of course, I haven’t even gotten to the best part of things: mixing characters. As you and your friends build your Funkoverse collections, characters from different fandoms can mix. Yes, in theory, your Funkoverse game could feature Voldemort, Blanche Devereaux, and Harley Quinn against Morty Smith, Batman, and Hermione Granger. And they’re all in the Room of Requirement, or maybe the streets of Gotham City. The possibilities are truly endless.
Overall, Funkoverse feels like a win. It finds its greatest strength in combining sets, but even one expansion pack will be enough to get in on the Funko fun.
All of the Funkoverse titles are available now from Entertainment Earth and other major retailers. Full games are $39.99, while expansion packs are $29.99.
Photos: Funko
