Unmatched is a tabletop game published by Restoration Games and formerly Mondo Tees in which two to four players use a combination of miniatures and cards to compete in a skirmish-style battle. Playable characters are drawn from mythology and pop-culture, with fighters ranging from Robin Hood to Bigfoot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sherlock Holmes, and others. The game was originally released in 2019.
Development Unmatched was developed as a collaboration between Restoration Games, known for updating and redesigning old and out of print board games, and Mondo Tees, known for movie posters, t-shirts, and other collectibles. The game is based on the out of print games Star Wars Epic Duels, from Milton Bradley, and Tannhäuser, from Fantasy Flight Games. Each character features a miniature along with a unique deck of original art for that character. The game was initially available for sale at Gen Con in August 2019, where the entire early run sold out. The first three Unmatched sets were released to retail stores in September 2019. In July 2020, Restoration Games held a deck design contest where fans could submit their own decks. They received over three hundred entries. In March 2021, the first winners were announced: The Genie, Houdini, Rosie the Riveter and Shakespeare. It was later stated that Oda Nobunaga and Tomoe Gozen were entries and future sets such as Battle of Legends, Vol 3 will include more entries.
Gameplay Before the game starts, players each choose a fighter and select a battle map for the match. Players are free to mix fighters and maps from different sets. During a game of Unmatched, players take turns using a combination of cards and actions to move their fighters around the map, attack opponents and perform other actions. Players win by reducing every opposing fighter to zero health. The game can be played one-on-one, two-on-two, or as a free-for-all. Most fighters also have one or more sidekicks, represented by plastic tokens, which are able to move around the board, attack, and defend. Each map is divided up into color-coded zones, which are used to determine whether a ranged attacker has line of sight to an enemy, and also when resolving some card effects. Combat is resolved by declaring an attack against a fighter that is either adjacent to your character or within line of sight for ranged attackers. The attacker chooses an attack card and plays it face down. If the defending player chooses to defend and has a defense card available, they may play it facedown. Attack and defense cards are then revealed. If the attack value is higher than the defense value, the target of the attack takes the difference in damage. If the attack deals no damage, the defender is considered the winner of that combat. Attack and defense cards may have additional abilities that resolve as soon as they're revealed, before damage is assigned, or after damage is assigned.
Adventures In March 2023, Restoration Games announced the first Adventures set, "Tales to Amaze", which features two villains (Mothman and Martian Invader) along with a host of minions for a cooperative play adventure, which allows for a whole new way to play the game. There are six villain minions in "Tales to Amaze": Jersey Devil, Ant Queen, the Blob, Skunk Ape, the Loveland Frog, and Tarantula. All of the villains function by turning over a card from their deck to see what attack or defense they play. After a successful Kickstarter, the game is now available on Restoration Games website. In November 2025, another Adventures set released "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fighting off Shredder and Krang. This multiplayer box of Unmatched is unique in that the villains also function as playable characters, unlike the villains in "Tales to Amaze."
Components Unmatched is played using a deck of cards unique to each character, plastic miniatures representing fighters, plastic tokens used to represent sidekicks, dials to track character health, and battle maps. Every set with two or more characters includes at least one battle map. Characters and maps from different sets can be combined and used together.
Sets
Four character sets Battle of Legends: Volume One - Includes Medusa, Sinbad, Alice, and King Arthur as playable characters, as well as two battle maps. Battle of Legends: Volume Two - Includes Sun Wukong, Yennenga, Bloody Mary, and Achilles as playable characters, and one battle map. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Includes Buffy, Willow, Angel, and Spike as playable characters, as well as two battle maps. Cobble & Fog - Includes Sherlock Holmes, Jekyll & Hyde, The Invisible Man, and Dracula as playable characters, as well as two battle maps. Tales to Amaze - Includes Annie Christmas, Jill Trent, The Golden Bat, and Nikola Tesla as playable characters, with Mothman and Martian Invader as villains, as well as two battle maps. Slings & Arrows - Includes William Shakespeare, Titania, Hamlet, and The Wayward Sisters as playable characters, and one battle map. Battle of Legends: Volume Three - Includes Blackbeard, Chupacabra, Pandora, and Loki as playable characters, and two battle maps. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Includes Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael as playable characters, with Shredder and Kraang as villains, as well as two battle maps. Stars and Stripes - Includes George Washington, Rosie the Riveter, John Henry, and Wyatt Earp as playable characters, and two battle maps.
Three character sets Marvel's Redemption Row - Includes Luke Cage, Moon Knight, and Ghost Rider as playable characters, and one battle map. Marvel's Hell's Kitchen - Includes Daredevil, Elektra, and Bullseye as playable characters, and one battle map. Marvel's Teen Spirit - Includes Squirrel Girl, Ms. Marvel, and Cloak and Dagger as playable characters, and one battle map. Marvel's For King and Country - Includes Black Widow, Black Panther, and Winter Soldier as playable characters, and one battle map. Marvel's Brains and Brawn - Includes Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and She-Hulk as playable characters, and one battle map. The Witcher: Steel and Silver - Includes Geralt, Ciri, and The Ancient Leshen as playable characters, and two battle maps. The Witcher: Realms Fall - Includes Yennefer & Triss, Philippa, and Eredin as playable characters, and two battle maps.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
