Can you ask for help on the winning level?

[Jo Flan]

In the rules it says you can win by helping someone as an Elf and earning the winning level. I am wondering if you can play a monster you know you can't beat and ask an Elf to fight it so you both win? Are you allowed to ask for help on the winning level in general? It seems against the spirit of the game for another player to knowingly help you win.

[Andrew Hackard]

You can try, but the other players may not want to help you win even if they'll also win.

[Jo Flan]

It tends to happen a lot in games I play, even when they won't also win. Many times my friends will help someone on the winning level "just because". It doesn't feel like it's in the spirit of the game, where you're suppose to compete to be the winner yourself.

It makes it difficult to play because a lot of my friends make "don't mess with me and I won't mess with you" and "I'll help you win" pacts. It tends to be the same players also, which makes it difficult for anyone else to win because everyone else refuses to make pacts. They just decide before the game even starts that they're going to help each other win in every game.

[Andrew Hackard]

Some groups don't like really competitive games, and they'll play anything including Munchkin differently. Maybe you just need to find more cutthroat Munchkin players. :-)