Tabletop Game Review: Skulk Hollow

Skulk Hollow

Pencil First Games

2 Players

Playtime: 40 Minutes

I’m a big fan of strategic two-player games. While I also love a big board game night, there is something nice and intimate about spending an evening with one person while trying to outsmart them. Needless to say, I was thrilled to get our hands on Skulk Hollow.

Skulk Hollow is a two-player asymmetric strategy game in which players take on the role of either a giant monster or the defenders of a land. It’s a classic story of a band of heroes taking on a gigantic threat, and the game fully embraces the theme in some unique ways (More on that later). Players will move around the board, use actions, and try to accomplish unique win conditions in an effort to defeat their opponent.

The gameplay of Skulk Hollow is rather simple and easy for most players to grasp onto. One player will choose a leader hero to play as, while the other will choose a unique monster. Players are given limited actions on a turn, restricting their movement, attacks, and abilities. To use an ability, players need to the corresponding card in their hand. The abilities are unique and varied among characters, adding quite a bit of replayability to Skulk Hollow.

Skulk Hollow uses two boards: A typical grid and a board that represents the monster in play. The monster board is just as large as the main board, adding a sense of scale and wonder to the game. The monster boards have various points for the hero player to “Jump on to” and land on for attacks. Each monster has a few weak points that correspond with an ability. If enough damage is dealt to a weak point, it will be destroyed and the player won’t be able to use the corresponding ability anymore. The monster can attempt to throw the characters off, leading to constant shifting between boards.

I found myself impressed throughout playing Skulk Hollow at how balanced the game was. There is a lot of variety in this game between both sides, and I expected there to be a lot of unfair games. Instead, every character is viable in some way. Some are more difficult to play with but can feel much more rewarding for experienced players. Risks are often as thrilling as you gamble on the actions that your opponent currently has available. In general, no side is stronger than the other, making the game enjoyable for both players.

Skulk Hollow‘s highlight is definitely the presentation. Every component, from the boards to the meeples looks fantastic. Even the cutout in the box is wonderfully done. Skulk Hollow completely embraces its theme, utilizing fantastic art for the cards and boards to bring the world to life. The size of the monster boards is impressive and makes the meeples climbing actions feel epic in scale. Even the meeples are impressive, with the monster meeples towering over the standard ones.

Skulk Hollow is a wonderful strategy game for two players who want a complete and thematic experience. The accessibility and short matches make it an excellent game to show to newcomers and have a good time. This is an excellent game to add to any collection.

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