One of the standout successes in the multiplayer gaming world last year was Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, which captivated players with its mission to spread democracy across the stars through intense battles against aliens and robots. Now, following the successful launch of their Elden Ring board game adaptation, Steamforged Games is bringing the fast-paced, chaotic action of Helldivers 2 to the tabletop. The board game is currently available for backing on Gamefound, and IGN had the opportunity to play a prototype and discuss the project with designers Jamie Perkins, Derek Funkhouser, and Nicholas Yu.

Helldivers 2: The Board Game

17 ImagesDevelopment of Helldivers 2: The Board Game began shortly after the video game's launch early last year. This adaptation successfully captures the essence of what made the original game so thrilling, including intense firefights, unexpected twists, and a strong focus on teamwork, while adding unique tweaks to enhance the tabletop experience.

Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game, playable by one to four players (with a recommendation for solo players to control two characters). Each player assumes the role of a different Helldiver class, equipped with a unique perk, a set of action cards, and a one-use "Act of Valor" ability. The demo showcased classes such as the Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, and Captain. Players outfit their characters with primary, secondary, and support weapons, a grenade, and three strategems, with recommended loadouts provided on their class cards, though experienced players can customize their setups.

Gameplay occurs on grid-based boards that expand as players explore, revealing sub-objectives and primary mission locations, such as Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As exploration progresses, increasingly difficult enemies spawn, and a mission timer adds urgency, keeping the gameplay frenetic and tense. The final release will feature multiple objectives, and the base game includes two of the three main enemy factions: Terminids and Automatons, each with ten unit types. While not confirmed, there's potential for the Illuminate faction to appear in future expansions.

The adaptation addresses the video game's sense of being outnumbered by focusing on fewer, but stronger enemies, encouraging tactical combat rather than sheer numbers. Turns involve players and enemies contributing action cards to a pool, which are shuffled and placed on an initiative tracker, reminiscent of Steamforged’s Elden Ring game. Combat is resolved through dice rolls, with every four action cards triggering a random event that can disrupt plans and add to the game's chaos.

On the Helldivers' side, combat relies on dice rolls, with each weapon specifying the type and number of dice. Damage is calculated based on the total roll, with every five points inflicting a wound on enemies. This streamlined approach simplifies combat, focusing on the impact of hits rather than complex modifiers. Friendly fire is a risk, especially with area attacks, but players have access to reinforcements.

A highlight of the board game is the new 'Massed Fire' mechanic, designed to replicate the cooperative firing seen in the video game. Nic explained, "In the video game, you're encouraged to work together as a team. With a heavily armored enemy, you need to flank and shoot at weak points if you don't have a support weapon. We implemented 'massed fire,' so when anyone shoots at a target, others within range can join in, incentivizing group play." This mechanic not only encourages teamwork but also reduces player downtime by allowing involvement in others' turns.

Enemy actions, however, feel somewhat static, with set damage or effects dictated by their cards, causing players to draw wound cards. Each wound has a detrimental effect, and three wounds result in character death, though players can respawn based on the chosen difficulty level.

One element missing from the board game is the galactic war feature from the video game. The designers considered including it but opted for a unique experience. Jamie shared a fun piece of lore: "We're positioning it as a training simulation. So you would get this board game as a Helldiver to learn how to be better." The hope is that this concept might even make it into the video game as an in-universe detail.

Despite the new medium, the designers have focused on maintaining the Helldivers feel. Nic noted, "We wanted to ensure that, despite different mechanics, it still feels like Helldivers. We included unexpected events, stratagems that can go awry, and a dwindling pool of reinforcements, all of which are uniquely Helldivers." Derek added, "We needed to keep the core loop of mission objectives and the thrill of chasing the shiny, while dealing with enemies trying to eat you."

Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, allowing room for community feedback and further refinement. Jamie reassured that despite recent concerns about tariffs affecting the board gaming industry, their plans remain unchanged, and they are moving forward as intended.

After playing the prototype, the systems in place, such as random events and the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, create epic moments. While the tactical focus on larger enemies is appreciated, I personally miss the thrill of mowing down smaller foes, similar to the video game experience. Additionally, enemy attacks could benefit from more dynamic outcomes to match the game's chaotic nature.

I'm excited to see what other surprises Steamforged Games has in store for Helldivers 2. The prototype has left me eager to explore new Helldiver classes, mission types, and combinations with different enemies and biomes. My friends and I are already planning our next drop.

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