Monster Mashers (Dark Mode)

Ghostbusters meets Scooby-Doo. Let the rest be up to your imagination. That might actually be for the best, since describing what makes this game so great without venturing into “spoiler” territory is quite a challenge—but I’ll do my best.
The best way to start is from the beginning, which honestly deserves a paragraph of its own. There aren’t many games that can boast such a wild opening. One moment, everything seems normal—and the next, you’re standing there, baffled and laughing at the same time. We played in Dark Mode (of course), and I would highly recommend it for the full impact of those first scenes—if you can find an available slot in the coming months, that is. When a game begins like this, you already feel like you’ve gotten your money’s worth in the first few minutes alone. Playing at night also adds to the eeriness of what comes right after the opening, and I can’t imagine it having the same effect during the day.

The game unfolds in distinct phases: some focus on exploration, others on puzzles, and some are pure, chaotic fun. The room strikes a rare balance between (light) horror and humor. Our group doesn’t scare easily, and even though we played in Dark Mode, the comedic moments were what stood out most for us. That said, objectively speaking, there are definitely scenes that could be scary for those more faint of heart. They even managed to make Heiner scream—and the last time I saw that happen was also in Belgium, quite a while ago.

There were plenty of unforgettable moments. One was when the monsters came face-to-face with Jackie—a tough player who, years ago during our first meeting, almost single-handedly held a door shut against the villain in Lethal Decision. Despite her sweet personality, she had the monsters running in fear. Other memorable moments… well, those you’ll have to experience for yourself.

Overall, this game defies easy classification. It has its scary moments, but it’s not exactly horror. It has puzzles, but it’s not solely about solving them. And that’s precisely what makes it stand out. Its originality and humor make this an unmissable experience in Belgium—a country that keeps producing blockbusters. Brace yourself Brandon Darkmoor! You have some serious competition.