UNLOCKING INSANITY

You are all aspiring cultists in the rising Cult of Cthulhu.  As you continue your indoctrination, you must prove you can handle the teachings of the Great Old One.  You might go insane, or perhaps just gain a touch of the madness, but as long as you prove that you have the most mastery, you will be welcomed as the newest neophyte of Cthulhu.

In Unlocking Insanity: Dice Vermiis Mysteriis, each player is trying to place dice results as efficiently as possible.  Every turn, you must place a positive die result (your mastery of the indoctrination training) and also negative dice results (your growing madness).  The game ends after someone fills up all of their positive or negative spaces.  Your positive scores (from each positive row) are subtracted from your negative scores (from your negative brain spaces) and the player with the highest overall score wins the right to be called a neophyte of Cthulhu.

Game Info


Game Stats


Game Design

Jeff Petersen
Tony Mastrangeli


Artists

Alyssa McCarthy


Game Info


Game Stats


Game Design

Jeff Petersen
Tony Mastrangeli


Artists

Alyssa McCarthy


Game Info


Game Stats


Game Design

Jeff Petersen
Tony Mastrangeli


Artists

Alyssa McCarthy


Awards

Reviews

Everything Board Games

WRITTEN REVIEW

"The thing I really loved was how simple it was to figure everything out, but playing successfully against the other acolytes is a different thing altogether. Quick to learn, but it’ll take time to master—which is a good thing in my book. "

Lake - everythingboardgames.com

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Meeple Mountain

WRITTEN REVIEW

"I believe the small incentive to go insane in a color first, coupled with the potential uses of insanity penalties to actually be beneficial adds enough strategy to make Unlocking Insanity a great addition to your collection. You would be “crazy” not to check this game out."

- Meeple Mountain

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Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews

VIDEO REVIEW

This roll and write game managed to make a Cthulhu themed game without making it creepy or scary! In fact, we found it to be educational for math with our 7 year old. 🙂

-Ryan and Bethany, Board Game Reviews

WATCH to the Full Review

GameHungy

WRITTEN REVIEW

"With a million Lovecraft horror style games on the market it can be hard to find something new and exciting. Unlocking Insanity does just that. With less focus on the specific horrific beasts and more focus on game play, this is a game anyone can enjoy. It doesn’t lean too heavily on the theme, and definitely not at the expense of gameplay."

-gamehungry.com

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Blue Peg Pink Peg

PODCAST REVIEW

There's no such thing as too much Cthulhu, which is why Jeremy was delighted to play the new roll-and-write Unlocking Insanity: Dice Vermiss Mysteriis by Petersen Games. Hear the discussion at https://bluepegpinkpeg.com/…/…/06/episode-168-cooper-island/

-Jeremy, bluepegpinkpeg.com

Listen to the Full Review

Tabletopping

INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK REVIEW

"A roll & write game with quite a unique theme... I found this game to be a very challenging balancing act!"

 -- Wouter, #tabletopping, @tabletoppings 

Read the Full Review on Instagram or Facebook

Rolling Dice Taking Names

PODCAST REVIEW

Marty Connell reviews Unlocking Insanity during this Rolling Dice & Taking Names podcast. Go to 43:40 to listen to the review ...  "The aim of this solid little Cthulhu themeed roll and write is to avoid going insane."

-Marty Connell, rolldicetakenames.com

Listen to the Full Review

Boardgame Geek

WRITTEN REVIEW

"One of the next novelties for next year 2020 in roll & write games is Unlocking Insanity: Dice Vermiis Mysteriis, a horror-themed game in the world of Lovecaraft and Cthulhu, something that is not very common in this genre so far." 

-SergiS, boardgamegeek.com

Read The Full Review on BGG

VERBAL REVIEW

"Joining the Cult of Cthulhu was easy. Simple memorization, great rituals, cash rewards. But studying to become an advanced acolyte is a whole different game. My mind teeters on the verge of madness – perhaps I’ve even crossed the line. But I must hold to the last few shreds of my mind. I must prove I am the strongest, the best, by Unlocking Insanity." 

-A Mad Cultist

Game Info


Game Stats


Game Design

Jeff Petersen
Tony Mastrangeli


Artists

Alyssa McCarthy


Unlocking Insanity News

Game Info


Game Stats


Game Design

Jeff Petersen
Tony Mastrangeli


Artists

Alyssa McCarthy


General Downloads

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Unlocking Insanity Rulebook 3.21 MB 217 downloads

You are all aspiring cultists in the rising Cult of Cthulhu. As you continue your...

    Game Info


    Game Stats


    Game Design

    Jeff Petersen
    Tony Mastrangeli


    Artists

    Alyssa McCarthy


    Game Info


    Game Stats


    Game Design

    Jeff Petersen
    Tony Mastrangeli


    Artists

    Alyssa McCarthy