🦇 Dracula vs Van Helsing – a beautiful coffin, empty inside
⭐ 1/10
Players: 2
Playtime: 20–45 min
Difficulty: Light (but the rulebook makes it harder than it should be)
Game type: Two-player / Asymmetrical / Tile-based
Under the cover of night, Dracula creeps into a quiet town, turning innocents into his undead army. The only hope is Professor Van Helsing, who must track the vampire down and destroy him before darkness takes over. The premise is atmospheric, the artwork stunning, and the tiles come packed in a clever little cardboard coffin. At first glance — a gem. And then came the rulebook. Once again, Muduko proves they can kill the mood before the game even begins.
🎯 Objective
Dracula: turn four townsfolk into vampires or survive until the end of the fifth round.
Van Helsing: deal 12 damage to Dracula and send him to eternal rest.
🛡️ How a turn works
Players draw tiles (numbered 1–8 in four suits), place them in town districts, and trigger the associated actions.
Actions let you peek at hidden tiles, swap their positions, rotate the trump color, or even end the round early.
When the round ends, each district is resolved: if Dracula wins, he converts a villager; if Van Helsing wins, Dracula loses life points.
🔥 Why I (don’t) like it
Gorgeous art, neat details, components tucked into a “coffin” — visually, it’s a treat.
But the rulebook is awful: messy, unclear, and frustrating.
The game feels too random — sometimes one final tile flip decides everything, leaving you powerless.
And as a minimalist, I avoid games locked to exactly 2 players. I’d rather own versatile 1+ games than be limited to just duels.
🏆 How to win in Dracula vs Van Helsing
Learn the tile effects — it’s the only way to tame the chaos.
Control the trump color wisely; it can swing entire battles.
As Dracula: mislead, feint, and then strike where Van Helsing least expects it.
As Van Helsing: cut rounds short if Dracula starts gaining momentum.
☕ Impressions
After a few plays, all I felt was disappointment. The game looks great and oozes atmosphere, but the mechanics quickly turn frustrating. Too much randomness, too little control. And that rulebook? Pure discouragement. What could have been a tense duel ended up as yet another dud.
And honestly — if I’m going to squeeze something onto my minimalist gamer’s shelf, I’d much rather pick titles that are 1+ or 2+. That way I have more flexibility, and I know the game won’t just gather dust after a single duel.
🎯 Rating: 1/10
Pretty visuals aren’t enough. Dracula vs Van Helsing failed to win me over: the rulebook is a mess, the gameplay frustrating, and the 2-player format too limiting. As a minimalist, I prefer flexible games (1+) instead of being locked into duels.
