Overview:
Munchkin 6 - Demented Dungeons (from here on referred to as M6) is the latest expansion to the original Munchkin by Steve Jackson Games. It brings a dungeon crawl experience to the standard hack and slash parody that we've come to know and love/hate (whichever you prefer). Right about here is where you're either rolling your eyes and either thinking "How many expansions can one game have?" or "Another Munchkin expansion? It's about time!" So, what does M6 bring to the table that Munchkin 1 through 5 didn't?

The Components:
I suppose "components" is probably a bit of an overstatement, Munchkin is a card game after all. So it must be another 112 cards to add to an already unsurmountable deck, right? Wrong! In fact, it's only 36 cards and a rulesheet in a handy tuckbox. Don't let the relatively tiny number fool you. Twenty of those cards aren't just regular cards to be shuffled in, they are the new double-sized Dungeon cards.

Each Dungeon card is the width of two regular Munchkin cards side by side. This size leaves plenty of room for John Kovalic to do his thing and provide his unique style of artistry to support each Dungeon card's text. Speaking of text, the Dungeon cards are well written and clear for the most part, leaving little room for misinterpretation or rules-lawyering.

The remaining 16 cards are yet another new type of card: Portals. Portals are the way to bring the Dungeon cards into play. There are 8 different Portals (2 of each), but the matching Portals each have different artwork which was a nice touch.

Component Summary: To be honest, I was relieved that it wasn't another 112 cards to add to my deck. The art compliments the cards effects well, and the production quality of the cards themselves is nice.
Components Rating:

Gameplay:
So, how do these new types of cards affect gameplay? Well, that's all depends on what Dungeon cards (yes plural) are in play at any given time.

You start the game with one Dungeon in play and will add more as the game proceeds. The Dungeons in play affect all players at the table. There are a variety of effects from making everyone an Elf to allowing players to add monsters to combat without a Wandering Monster card to granting the abilities from the Epic Munchkin rules. Some of the effects are great, others will leave everyone scrambling to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Do the Dungeons affect the length of the game? Yes and no. For example, one Dungeon lets everyone get the Class card of their choice from the discards or the deck. It can take a while for each player to do so, but it isn't unbearable. Others help the players get extra treasure which can speed the game up.

The Portal cards mentioned above are one way to add and remove Dungeon cards to the table. When a Portal is played, you'll always wind up drawing a new Dungeon. In some cases, you'll be instructed to discard some or all of the current Dungeons, in others you won't. This was also a nice distinction added to the Portals, rather than 16 bland "draw one, discard one" Portals.

Gameplay Summary: It's a mixed bag, sometimes you wind up with a longer game, other times the game gets shortened. Overall though, it adds a new dimension to the game, and allows for new strategies to be devised. The new rules are simple and keeping track of all the Dungeon effects can be a bit daunting at times, but it certainly adds something new and exciting to the line.
Gameplay Rating:

Value:
Here's what it all comes down to for some. Is it worth the price? Personally, if it says Munchkin on it, I'll buy it. That aside, the retail price of this expansion is $9.95, which I think is reasonable. The production value of the cards is on par with other Munchkin products, which is to say great.

Now, here's the best part: M6 is not dependent upon Munchkin 2 - 5. You can add it to your original Munchkin standalone game without any of the other expansions. If I had to recommend any of the 5 expansions to someone who wanted to breathe new life into their Munchkin games, I'd say add M6.

Value Summary:It's well worth the price of admission. Great quality combined with new gameplay and flexibility make for a great product.
Value Rating:

Overall:
Overall, I think this is a great way to change the way Munchkin is played. It doesn't deviate from the basic equation to an extent that it becomes something wholly different. The ability to use this with any combination of Munchkin expansions is also a nice touch.

I wouldn't make this a part of every Munchkin game I play, but it's got enough replay value with different combinations of Dungeon effects that I'll want to add it in again and again.

Overall Rating: