"I think I am going crazy. It may be that all I have ever written you is a dream or madness. It was bad enough before, but this time it is too much. They talked to me last night—talked in that cursed buzzing voice and told me things that I dare not repeat to you. I heard them plainly over the barking of the dogs, and once when they were drowned out a human voice helped them."

Fantasy Flight Games is excited to announce the new Mansions of Madness Second Edition. This game is not only a new version of the game, but it features an app driven component to play the AI.

This eliminates the need for anyone to have to play the baddies and allows for a more immersive and random game experience each time you play.

This fully cooperative adventure will take you and up to four fellow investigators through the dark and desolate halls and alleyways of Arkham. Much like the original Mansions of Madness, the second edition sends you through a series of thrilling and confounding scenarios in which you must explore unpredictable maps haunted by bloodthirsty monsters, in order to solve intricate puzzles and uncover ominous secrets.

Focus your mind and grab a weapon…fast! The game will be available everywhere next Thursday, August 4th (Gen Con!).

Yes, you can combine this new version with your older one. The game comes with a conversion kit for you to mix components, which is a really nice feature. And no, you cannot play the new game without the app. I found this to be an interesting point, but after reading through their explanations, I understand their reasoning.

Not only does the app take over the responsibilities of the Keeper, but it does so in a wholly unpredictable way, randomly generating the scenario’s map, the monsters that haunt it, and the paralyzing events you will have to endure, all in unique combinations every time. While your ultimate objective remains the same, each unexpected and twisted detail will be exposed as you explore the map and the the app reveals its gruesome secrets to you.

The rooms still concealed behind closed doors and the terrors within, however, will remain unknown to you until you are able to reach them. I think this is really cool. It should truly add to the suspense of the game without getting a peek behind the curtain.

Plus, I love the fact that the app doesn't try to do everything for you- you still roll dice and still handle physical cards. I love the idea of technology but I still want that visceral connection to the game.

Long story short, my Gen Con list just got a bit longer! We will definitely see if we can get a closer look at this one (if not pick it up) while at the con.

What do you think of the app driven component to the new Mansions of Madness?