One of the standout successes in the multiplayer gaming world last year was Arrowhead's *Helldivers 2*, a game that aimed to spread democracy across the cosmos by engaging in high-octane battles against aliens and robots. Following the successful launch of their monumental board game adaptation of *Elden Ring*, Steamforged Games is now bringing the fast-paced and frenetic experience 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 it with designers Jamie Perkins, Derek Funkhouser, and Nicholas Yu.
Helldivers 2: The Board Game
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Development of Helldivers 2: The Board Game began shortly after the video game's launch early last year. This tabletop adaptation successfully captures the essence of the video game's popularity by replicating its intense firefights, chaotic surprises, and emphasis on teamwork, while also introducing unique tweaks to enhance the experience.
Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game, playable with one to four players (with a recommendation for solo players to control two characters). Players assume the roles of different Helldiver classes, each equipped with a unique perk, a set of action cards, and a powerful one-per-game "Act of Valor" ability. The demo featured classes like Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, and Captain. Players customize their kits with primary, secondary, and support weapons, grenades, and three strategems, guided by recommended loadouts on their class cards, with the option to personalize once familiar with the game.
Gameplay unfolds on grid-based boards that expand as players explore, revealing sub-objectives and locations of primary objectives, such as Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As the game progresses, more challenging enemies spawn, and a mission timer adds urgency, maintaining the frenetic and tense atmosphere synonymous with Helldivers.
While the prototype focused on destroying Terminid hatcheries, the final game will offer multiple objectives. The base game includes two main factions: Terminids and robotic Automatons, each with 10 unit types. Although not confirmed, expansions might introduce the Illuminate faction, a known tactic of Steamforged Games through stretch goals in their campaigns.
Curiosity about how the board game would handle the video game's sense of being overwhelmed led to a tactical approach with progressively tougher enemies, rather than sheer numbers of weaker foes. This design choice aligns more with games like Nemesis than Zombicide.
Turns involve players and enemies contributing action cards to a shuffled pool, which are then placed on an initiative tracker, similar to Steamforged's Elden Ring game. Combat relies on dice rolls, with every four action cards triggering a random event that can disrupt plans, adding to the game's excitement.
On the Helldivers' side, combat is streamlined with each weapon providing specific dice rolls to determine damage. Every five points of damage inflicts a wound on an enemy, keeping combat straightforward and engaging. The game's 'Massed Fire' mechanic, a new feature, encourages teamwork by allowing multiple players to focus fire on the same enemy, reducing downtime and enhancing group dynamics.
"In the video game, you're encouraged to work together as a team," Nic explained. "You have a heavily armored enemy, you need to flank and shoot at the weak points if you don't have a support weapon. But in a board game, we couldn't use facing and armor mechanics. So, we implemented 'massed fire,' allowing players within range to focus fire together, explicitly rewarding teamwork."
While players can explore independently, the 'Massed Fire' mechanic fosters involvement during other players' turns, making the game more interactive. Enemy attacks, however, feel somewhat static, as they cause set damage or effects, leading to players drawing wound cards. Three wounds result in character death, but respawn mechanics allow players to return with full loadouts, depending on the chosen difficulty level.
One aspect missing from the tabletop version is the galactic war from the video game. The designers opted for a unique experience, positioning the board game as a training simulation for Helldivers, which adds a thematic twist.
Jamie shared an intriguing piece of lore: "We're positioning it as a training simulation. So, Helldivers would receive this board game as a tool to learn and improve their skills." This narrative adds depth to the game's universe and connects it back to the video game experience.
Despite the transition to a new medium, the designers aimed to retain the essence of Helldivers. "We wanted to ensure that even with different mechanics, it still feels like Helldivers," Nic said. "Unexpected events, stratagems that can misfire, and the dwindling pool of reinforcements all contribute to the unique Helldivers feel."
Derek emphasized maintaining the core loop: "We knew we needed to keep the mission objectives and the allure of chasing new points of interest, all while dealing with enemies trying to take you down."
Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, allowing room for community feedback and potential adjustments. Jamie reassured that despite recent concerns about tariffs affecting the board gaming industry, their plans remain on track, with a team ready to adapt if necessary.
After playing the prototype, the game's systems, including random events and the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, promise epic moments. While the focus on tactical combat with fewer, stronger enemies is appreciated, I personally longed for more smaller enemies to create the chaotic feel of the video game. Additionally, enhancing enemy attack dynamics with varied outcomes could align better with the game's overall chaos.
I'm excited to see what further surprises Steamforged Games has in store for Helldivers 2. The prototype has me eager to explore new classes, game types, and combinations with different enemies and biomes. My friends and I are already planning our next drop.
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