Is it worth to buy first edition as an expansion?

By Boxxy, in Mansions of Madness

Hey guys!


I just purchased Mansions of Madness second edition and have only played two maps so far. I really love the atmosphere of the game and already afraid that I will lack content in a few weeks.

Is it worth it, to buy first edition - as an expansion but also to play through. Is it the same quests I will meet in the two editions?


Best regards

Not a complete answer; but:

-1ed is a somewhat different game. It's an 1 vs up to 4 adversarial story telling game. 2ed is full coop or solo, with the app doing much of the story telling. The experience is different.
-I don't know to what extent you'd get 'extras' from including 1ed to your 2ed collection, someone else will have to chime in on that.
-Much of the variety comes from playing with different people doing and reasoning differently. Soloing has a shorter expiry date, in my experience.

I think that as far as expansions go, your best bet is to try and find a company that you can get Recurring Nightmares and Suppressed Memories from. These expansions cover all the same tiles, monsters, and characters that you would get from hunting down a first edition box. The only difference is you wouldn't have access to the inner workings(i.e. old version card decks and rule books). But the app takes care of all that stuff anyways.

As far as the quests, like Aleitafrommars said. The first edition had a different gameplay element meaning that someone had to be the antagonist in order to play. The app helps by taking on that role. From what I've read some of the quests in the 2nd edition are written as sequels to those from the 1st edition.

I guess the answer has more to do with how you want to add content.

If you can't find it at your local game shop, CoolStuffInc does have both the 2nd edition expansions, as well as the newest 2nd edition expansion 'Beyond the Threshold' which can be shipped to you. Try to avoid Amazon as they tend to have some scalping when it comes to the expansions.

Hope that helps!

A friend of mine gave me his 1st ed set after I picked up 2nd edition. While in theory I like having the option of running the 1st edition game if I want to, I also feel that when I look at the 40 minute setup time for a 1st ed game and weigh that against running a 2nd ed scenario I may have played twice, I think I will go for the 2nd edition game.

Options are nice and 1st ed is just $30 more than the figure and tile pack for 1st ed. I guess it comes down to how much a $30 risk is worth to you.

I am hard pressed to say that 2nd ed is better than 1st ed. Sure it sets up quicker and is simpler/streamlined in some respects, but there is something to be said about an intelligent keeper providing opposition. Different would be a better word for it.

I'd say no, it's not worth buying the first edition as an expansion. If you already own it, then that is great and you can use the conversion kit to use the content with the second edition. If you don't own it, then I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to buy the first edition (specially at the price they sell it for around). FFG has released the contents of the first edition (monsters and tiles) in the Recurring Nightmares expansion, and that's what you need for the Second Edition. I don't believe there is anything else from the 1st Ed that you can bring to the table like scenarios since you have to use the app.

FFG created the conversion kit for people that already own the game, in order to bring the contents into the second edition, but if you don't have the original game I don't think it's worth buying in lieu of the Recurring Nightmares, or Suppressed Memories.

I have the same thoughts as the op - can buy 1ed used for £40/$50 - isn't that a good price since Recurring Nightmares is now so expensive? Or should I rather use the money on Beyond the Threshold?

I just bought 2nd edition and haven't played it but as I understand adding the 1st edition will also add more variables not only monsters and investigators but also tiles? What about scenarios are any added through the conversion?

Jobu mentioned longer setup but isn't the app taking care of that even if you add the 1st edition?

I think Jobu was talking about using the 1st ed to play 1st ed games as well. The app does take care of that time crunch.

That sucks that you can't find the expansions priced well. We have that like to put their copies on Amazon for a lot more thank retail since it's not something that you can find at your typical store. Luckily I found an online retailer who had reasonable prices.

So none of the storylines from the 1. Edition are adapted through the app?

58 minutes ago, amorbavian said:

So none of the storylines from the 1. Edition are adapted through the app?

Correct