Back in 2018, I backed The World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch on Kickstarter. The box arrived, full of promise and heavy with miniatures, and then… it sat. For years. Not because I didn’t want to play it, but because life, time, and other games kept getting in the way. Fast forward to 2025, and I finally cracked the seal, gathered some players, and took a deep dive into this beautifully twisted steampunk world. And I’m glad I did.
As someone who enjoyed On Her Majesty’s Service and Dogs of War, I already had a fondness for the SMOG universe. Christophe Madura’s vision is unlike anything else in tabletop gaming. It’s a blend of Victorian occult, twisted science, and grimy steampunk that feels rich and deliberate. This world is alive with bizarre characters, arcane conspiracies, and dark magic powering brass machines. It’s stylish, evocative, and it pulls you in completely.
But Rise of Moloch is not like its SMOG predecessors (at least not the ones released by CMON). Where the others are more abstract and strategic euro-style games, this is a miniatures-heavy, dice-chucking, story-driven adventure game. And not just any kind of adventure game. This one leans fully into the old-school “heroes versus game master” dynamic. One player controls the nefarious Nemesis and their villainous allies, while up to four others take on the role of Gentlemen (they say that term is even for the ladies) attempting to thwart their sinister plots.
Gameplay Overview
Rise of Moloch plays out as a campaign, with connected scenarios and consequences that carry forward. For example, Villains who are defeated might not return in later scenarios, depending on the story and how the mission plays out. That progression gives each decision a little more weight and builds a real sense of continuity.
Gameplay itself is asymmetrical and scenario-driven. The Nemesis player has secret objectives, varied goals, and villain units that feel like more than just obstacles for the heroes. They have personalities, and they’re working toward rituals or sabotage, not just trying to murder the heroes outright. Sure, they’ll try to kill the heroes if they need to, but it isn’t always their only path to victory. That makes for a richer and more dynamic experience than your typical dungeon-crawler.
Players take turns in an alternating hidden initiative order, using action points to move, fight, use equipment, or activate powers. Heroes level up between missions, and the Nemesis gets to customize their roster with new Chaos powers, abilities, and upgrades of their own. Each mission feels unique, with different objectives and layouts, and even with a limited playthrough so far, it’s clear that the variety is one of the game’s greatest strengths.
The Components and Miniatures
The miniatures are fantastic. Not just in sculpt quality, but in concept. The source material elevates them. These aren’t generic orcs or armored knights. These are gas-masked occultists, biomechanical horrors, and aristocrats wielding arcane weapons. Each figure drips with personality, and if you’re a painter, there’s a goldmine of weirdness to work with.
The rest of the production is also excellent. The board tiles, the card art, the box design. All of it feels premium and thematic. It’s clear a lot of care went into making the world feel consistent and immersive.
The Rulebook
And then there’s the rulebook.
It’s hard to overstate just how bad it is. Misleading, confusing, full of contradictions and poorly explained systems. It feels like a draft that missed several critical editing passes. If you go into Rise of Moloch using the printed rulebook alone, you’re likely to hit major roadblocks. Worse, you may walk away from the game entirely, thinking it’s broken or unfinished.
Thankfully, the community has come to the rescue. There are clarified rule summaries, FAQs, and reworked guides available online that turn this mess into something coherent and playable. Once you push through the learning curve (and unlearn what the official rulebook tells you), the actual game is solid. It’s a shame that CMON let the game ship in this state. This isn’t a minor editing error or the occasional unclear phrasing. It’s one of the worst rulebooks I’ve ever encountered in a professionally published game.
Final Thoughts
Once you get past the rulebook, and that’s no small task, The World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch is an excellent, character-rich campaign game. The scenarios are inventive, the asymmetrical gameplay is engaging, and the overall presentation is top-notch. The Nemesis role is genuinely fun to play, offering something deeper than just “crush the heroes.” The objectives are story-driven and thematic. Meanwhile, the hero characters feel like flawed, eccentric adventurers with just enough grit to make you root for them.
It’s not for everyone. This is an ameritrash title through and through, with dice randomness, campaign persistence, and a theatrical, larger-than-life tone. If you’re the kind of player who loved HeroQuest, Descent, or similar one-sided dungeon crawlers, this will feel like coming home. Only with a darker, weirder aesthetic.
Despite the enormous stumble with the rulebook, Rise of Moloch deserves a second look from anyone who loves narrative skirmish games and striking art direction. With the right group and the right resources, it can offer a memorable and immersive campaign that stands apart from the fantasy crowd. Just don’t try to learn it without help. That way lies madness.