We’d buy Munchkin first. We rate it 4/5 Pandas against 3/5 for Here to Slay, because Munchkin’s fights turn into bargaining and betrayal, and Here to Slay’s are settled by a roll. Buy Here to Slay if you want a game that ends in under an hour or works with two players.
Some links below are Amazon affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate, King Panda Games earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.
Both are card games about collecting gear, fighting monsters and wrecking your friends’ plans. We’ve played our Munchkin Deluxe copy more than 20 times, and Here to Slay a few times, so we know one of these far better than the other.
| Here to Slay | Munchkin | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2001 |
| Publisher | Unstable Games | Steve Jackson Games |
| Players | 2–6 | 3–6 |
| Age | 10+ | 10+ |
| Play time | 30–60 min | 60–120 min |
| How you win | Slay 3 Monsters, or a party with 6 classes | Reach Level 10 |
| How fights are decided | Roll two dice against a target number | Your level plus bonuses against the monster’s level |
| List price | $20 | $39.95 for Munchkin Deluxe |
| BoardGameGeek rating | 6.87 | 5.87 |
| Our Bamboo rating (easy to learn) | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Our Pandas rating (fun) | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Here to Slay’s specs are from its publisher’s page. Munchkin’s are from Steve Jackson Games’ Munchkin Deluxe page.
How a Fight Works in Each Game
The games look alike and fight very differently. This is the difference that decided our ratings.
In Munchkin, combat is addition. Your level plus your item bonuses has to beat the monster’s level, and monsters win ties. If you’re short, you can ask one other player to help, and they’ll want something for it. Everyone else can play cards to make the monster stronger.
In Here to Slay, combat is a dice roll. You need the right Heroes in your party to attack a Monster at all. Then you spend two action points and roll two dice against its number. Other players can play Modifier cards to push your roll up or down.
You need an 8 to slay a Monster in Here to Slay. No bargaining, no help. You roll, and 42% of the time it works. In Munchkin, the same fight starts a negotiation: you’re two points short, one player offers to help for half the treasure, and another is deciding whether to make the monster bigger.
That table talk is why Munchkin gets the extra Panda from us. A Here to Slay attack is over in a few seconds.
Check Munchkin Deluxe price on Amazon →
Here to Slay Is Much Shorter
Here to Slay takes half the time. Its publisher says 30 to 60 minutes. Munchkin’s box says one to two hours.
Our Munchkin review lists the long ending as its main weakness. Once someone reaches Level 8 or 9, the whole table gangs up to stop them, and the last few levels can drag.
Here to Slay has less of that problem. There are two ways to win, and it’s harder for the table to block both at once.
If your game nights are short, or you want something to play before a bigger game, Here to Slay is the better fit.
Player Count
“Which one works with two players?” Only Here to Slay. It plays 2 to 6, with one Party Leader banned at two.
Munchkin needs at least three. The game depends on having more than one rival to bargain with and betray.
BoardGameGeek’s community polls rate Here to Slay best with 3 or 4 and Munchkin best with 4. Both top out at six.
Luck, and What You Can Do About It
Both games are lucky. They’re lucky in different ways.
Munchkin’s luck is in the draw: who gets the big monsters and the best gear. But once the cards are on the table, a fight is arithmetic, and you can see whether you’ll win before you commit.
Here to Slay’s luck is in the dice, and it shows up on every action. Using a Hero’s effect is a roll. Attacking is a roll. A Challenge is a roll.
The common assumption: newer means more refined, so Here to Slay must be the less random game.
What the rules show: a failed roll in Here to Slay still costs the action point. You can do everything right and lose a turn to the dice, which doesn’t happen in a Munchkin fight you’ve already added up.
BoardGameGeek users disagree with us, for what it’s worth. They rate Here to Slay 6.87 and Munchkin 5.87.
Price and What’s in the Box
Here to Slay is the cheaper box. Its list price is $20, for a 115-card deck, 6 Party Leaders, 15 Monsters and two dice.
Munchkin Deluxe lists at $39.95. It has 168 cards, a gameboard with a level track and 12 standees. The card-only Munchkin set lists at $34.95.
Both have a long line of add-ons. Our guides to Here to Slay expansions and Munchkin expansions cover what to buy next for each.
Check Here to Slay price on Amazon →
So Which Should You Buy?
- Three to six teens or adults who like to haggle: Munchkin.
- Two players: Here to Slay. Munchkin doesn’t work at two.
- An hour or less: Here to Slay.
- Kids around 10 who love cute art: Here to Slay.
- A group that wants one game to play again and again: Munchkin. We’ve played ours more than 20 times.
- A tight budget: Here to Slay, at half the list price.
For the full picture on either, read our Here to Slay review or our Munchkin review.
We also compare it with its own publisher’s other big card game in Here to Slay vs Unstable Unicorns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Here to Slay better than Munchkin?
We don’t think so. We rate Munchkin 4/5 Pandas and Here to Slay 3/5, because Munchkin’s fights involve bargaining and Here to Slay’s come down to a dice roll. Here to Slay is shorter and works with two players.
Is Here to Slay like Munchkin?
In theme, yes. Both are light card games about fighting monsters and sabotaging other players. The mechanics differ: Munchkin compares levels and bonuses, and Here to Slay uses action points and dice rolls.
Which is shorter, Here to Slay or Munchkin?
Here to Slay. Its publisher lists 30 to 60 minutes. Munchkin’s box says one to two hours.
Can you play Munchkin with 2 players?
Not officially. Munchkin is for 3 to 6 players. Here to Slay plays 2 to 6.
Which game has more luck?
Here to Slay puts luck on every action, because Hero effects, Monster attacks and Challenges are all dice rolls. Munchkin’s luck is mostly in which cards you draw.
Which is better for kids, Here to Slay or Munchkin?
Both boxes say 10 and up. Here to Slay is shorter and has friendlier art. Some of Munchkin’s card jokes are aimed at older players.
Which is cheaper?
Here to Slay, at a $20 list price. Munchkin Deluxe lists at $39.95 and the card-only Munchkin set at $34.95.