By Joel Harley
Two sci-fi and fantasy behemoths meet in Ian Livingstone’s Judge Dredd: The Game of Crime-Fighting in Mega-City One – a cult favourite and Games Workshop original, now re-released in this updated set by publisher Rebellion Unplugged.
First released in 1982, Ian Livingstone’s Judge Dredd allows players to step into the boots of a Mega-City Judge (whether you wear them one size too small is entirely optional), fighting crime on the mean streets. In the battle to be the Big Meg’s top cop, players have the option to sabotage and screw over other players – although one suspects stickler Dredd wouldn’t approve.
Featuring Dredd legend Brian Bolland’s gorgeous original box art and game board by Ian Gibson (both recoloured and more vivid than ever), the game looks and feels impressive. Featuring an all-new expansion, players choose from one of six specialist Judges, each represented by a small standee, straight out of the pages of 2000 AD. It also comes with all-new and updated cards, bringing in such infamous Perps as Judge Death, Orlok the Assassin, and the Angel Gang. Even better is the series’ trademark unpredictability – one minute, you’ll be fighting a hall-of-famer (say, Mean Machine), and the next, you’ll be battling a rampaging T-rex or hungry Klegg.
The rules, too, have been revised to allow for faster gameplay. Moving around the board, players combine randomly selected Perps and crimes with dice rolls and combat stats to apprehend – and keep detained – lawbreakers. The rules can be intimidating at first, but the game’s stripped-back rookie mode allows for newcomers and once learned, rounds come quick and fast. Foul (or be fouled) up? Prepare to spend some time recovering in the Big Meg’s Intensive Care Unit.
As before, much of the crimefighting is a front for the game’s real mechanic – dirty politics and a surprising amount of in-fighting amongst the ranks. Once the game gets dirty, there are more twists and turns to it than, say, The Pit.
A fantastic piece of board game history, done justice in a handsome re-release.
Judge Dredd: The Game of Crime-Fighting in Mega-City One is out now from Rebellion Unplugged
