Escape The Everyday with The Umbrella Academy

In an inexplicable worldwide event, forty-three extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who’d previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children: when asked why, his only explanation was, “To save the world.”

These seven children form the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers… 

Now back on Netflix for Season 4, if you’ve not discovered the extraordinary world and stories created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba, then there has never been a better time to start.

There’s even an Umbrella Academy board game which we’re pleased to bring you in two brilliant editions – both in stock and available right now!

Let’s look at why you should pick this up for your next game night.

1. Defeat the Apocalypse…Together

Reading and watching The Umbrella Academy is one thing, but slipping into the shoes (Ed: unless you’re playing as Klaus…) of these characters, and carving a path through events as a multi-player team really is a next-level way to enjoy this setting!

And your group will choose the story! In the standard edition alone, you’ll play scenarios based around the fatalistic Orchestra Verdammten (determined to end the world with their rendition of The Apocalypse Suite), the powerful White Violin (we’ll stay spoiler-free on that one!), and even go up against Hazel and Cha-Cha (the psychotic duo of time-travelling assassins). Good luck!

Whichever you choose, the hazards, villains, and super-villains you face will all be themed to that story – drawing you ever-deeper into Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s magnificent and eccentric world…

NOTE: Although originally designed as a co-operative experience, the game also includes a special mode for single-player adventures!

2. Iconic Characters Brought To Life

At Mantic we make games, but we also make an enormous range of miniatures based around totally different art-styles. From the hard lines of the Warpath Universe to the delightful comic violence of Worms (and everything in-between!), our studio team love to create physical game pieces that make you say ‘wow’.

And whether you’re a serious collector, or just a casual fan, it’s brilliant to have these iconic members of the Umbrella Academy in the palm of your hand – or proudly on your shelf. When you get these home, hold them up to the comic panels and we’re confident they’ll put a huge smile on your face!

3. Dodge The Deja Vu

We mentioned a whole bunch of super-villains before, and then there’s your choice of heroes, and the randomisation of the game’s multiple card decks…

…but we haven’t even started on the amazing variety, replayability, and sheer amount of content unlocked by the mighty Collector’s Edition!

It’s packed full of extra villains, miniatures, allies, hazards, heroes, and even a whole alternate game board to play across – the combinations and possibilities here just keep on coming. You can construct amazing ‘what if’ scenarios with your wider selection of heroes and villains, as well as reliving more cool moments from the original comics.

Go on, let’s indulge ourselves and really dig into a few of the cool tie-ins and in-game combinations made possible by the Collector’s Edition for a minute:

• If you like Vol 1: The Apocalypse Suite you can now visit Paris during your games, play as the young heroes under the watchful eye of Reginald Hargreeves, battle the Terminauts, and even partner up with Dr Phinneas Pogo as an ally (while you still can)…
• Or delve into But The Past Ain’t Through With You by challenging the Murder Magician and his giant MurderBot, back when Ben Hargreeves (the Horror) was still alive…
• If you’re a fan of Vol 2: Dallas you can take on a certain Presidential Monument, link up with Old Number Five, battle the Temps Aeternalis, and even pay a visit back to the 1960s…
• And if you’ve read Vol 3: Hotel Oblivion, you can gather your strongest allies, flip the board, and use the unique properties of the hotel itself to help contain the movements of your enemies…

However you look at it, the big Collector’s box really is the one to get if you want more gameplay, more storytelling potential, and (of course) plenty more fantastic miniatures.

4. Saving The World Ain’t Easy

And it’s not supposed to be! The world is full of co-operative games…but how many of them actively throw the occasional spanner in the works? Well, they should…

Families don’t always get along, even in the face of impending doom(!), and in The Umbrella Academy you’ll sometimes have to work around or resolve feuds, phobias, sibling rivalries, anger issues, or even your own pride.

But, if you can find a way for your characters to put aside their differences when they arise, you’ll create super-satisfying moments as you return heroically to preventing the apocalypse, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with each other.

Want to find out a bit more before pulling the trigger? Check out the rules below:

5. A Board Game You’ll Actually Have Time To Play

At Mantic, we don’t just make games – we play them. And we know that some games just don’t get to the table enough, usually because of long set-up times, and because they take more time to play than you’ve actually got!

This is why we make games that are fast and exciting, and that reveal their smartest ideas and tactical depth as you peel back the layers game after game…

The Umbrella Academy on tabletop is like a whole series of the Netflix show, but playable in the length of just one episode (60 mins). That makes it perfect for any of us to get our gaming fix, even on a busy weeknight.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get you started!