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Co-op Campaign2016
Mechs vs. Minions box art
Co-op Campaign

Mechs vs. Minions

Program your mech, watch the plan go sideways, laugh anyway.

3.8 out of 53.8/5

Designed by Chris Cantrell, Rick Ernst, Stone Librande, Prashant Saraswat, and Nathan Tiras · 2016

Players2-4
Play time60-120 min
WeightMedium
Ages12+
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The verdict

A gorgeous, generous co-op campaign that turns careful planning into glorious chaos. The replay value is thin once you finish, but the ride there is one of the warmest experiences in the hobby.

Best for: Groups who want a friendly, funny campaign they can pull off the shelf for a few months

The full review

What it is

Here's the pitch. You and up to three friends each pilot a clumsy mech, and instead of just moving it around, you build a little program. You draft cards, slot them into a six-slot command line, and run them left to right. Think Robo Rally crossed with a co-op dungeon crawl. The catch is you stack new cards onto old ones over the mission, so your machine keeps doing things you half-forgot you told it to do. The minions pour in, the campaign unfolds from sealed envelopes, and it's a riot.

The catch

Now the honest part. This is a game about careful plans falling apart, and that's the whole joke. Shut Up & Sit Down nailed it: the system is a comedy generator, so if you want a tight tactical puzzle where competence is rewarded, you'll grind your teeth. First missions confuse people too. The rulebook has soft spots. And here's the real catch: once you finish the ten missions, you're mostly done. There's a hard mode, but replay value is genuinely thin.

Who it's for

So who's this for? Groups who treat a campaign like a season of TV, something you commit to for a couple months and then retire with a smile. It's friendly, funny, and welcoming even if nobody at the table knows League of Legends. The original was out of print and pricey for years, but a 10th anniversary reprint lands in 2026, so you won't need to raid the secondary market. If you want lasting depth, look elsewhere. If you want joy, grab it.

What other players say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:

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