One of last year's standout hits in the multiplayer gaming world was Arrowhead’s *Helldivers 2*, which captured players' imaginations with its mission to spread democracy across the stars through intense battles against aliens and robots. Building on the success of their recent adaptation of *Elden Ring* into a board game, Steamforged Games is now bringing the fast-paced, frenetic 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 game with designers Jamie Perkins, Derek Funkhouser, and Nicholas Yu.
Helldivers 2: The Board Game
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Developed shortly after the video game's launch early last year, Helldivers 2: The Board Game successfully encapsulates the elements that have made the video game a hit. It replicates the intense firefights, unexpected challenges, and cooperative gameplay, while introducing unique tweaks to enhance the experience.
Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game, designed for one to four players (with a recommendation for solo players to control two characters). Players assume the roles of different Helldiver classes, each with a unique perk, a set of action cards, and a one-per-game "Act of Valor" ability. The demo featured the Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, and Captain classes. Players equip themselves with a kit including primary, secondary, and support weapons, a grenade, and three strategems, with a suggested loadout on their class card, but experienced players can customize their gear before each game.
Gameplay unfolds on grid-based boards that expand as players explore, revealing sub-objectives and primary mission locations, such as Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As players progress, increasingly difficult enemies spawn, and a mission timer adds urgency, keeping the game tense and fast-paced.
The prototype focused on destroying a set number of Terminid hatcheries, but the final release will offer multiple objectives. The game includes two of the three main factions from the video game—the Terminids and the robotic Automatons—each with 10 unit types. While not confirmed, expansions might introduce the Illuminate faction, given Steamforged Games' history with stretch goals.
A key aspect of the adaptation was how it would replicate the feeling of being overwhelmed by enemies. Helldivers 2 opts for a more tactical approach with fewer but stronger enemies, similar to Nemesis, rather than the sheer numbers approach seen in Zombicide.
Turns involve players and enemies adding action cards to a pool, which are shuffled and placed onto an initiative tracker (similar to Steamforged's Elden Ring game). Combat relies on dice rolls, with every fourth action card triggering a random event that can disrupt plans, such as spawning additional enemies.
For the Helldivers, combat uses dice rolls based on the weapon's type and number of dice, with damage calculated from the total roll. Every five points inflicts one wound on an enemy. This straightforward damage system avoids the complexity of modifiers and defense values, ensuring players always hit, though friendly fire is a risk.
A new feature the designers are particularly proud of is the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, which replicates the video game's team-based shooting experience. Nicholas Yu explained, "In the video game, you're encouraged to work together as a team. You have a heavily armored enemy, you need to flank and shoot at the weak points. But there wasn't a good way to do that in a board game without adding complex facing and armor mechanics. So we implemented 'massed fire,' where if anyone shoots at a target within range of another Helldiver's primary or secondary weapon, they can also fire, incentivizing group play."
The designers allow for solo exploration, but the 'Massed Fire' mechanic reduces downtime and increases player engagement during others' turns.
Enemies have simpler mechanics, dealing set damage or effects that cause players to draw wound cards. Three wounds result in character death, but players can respawn with a full loadout based on the chosen difficulty.
One aspect missing from the board game is the galactic war from the video game. The designers considered including it but chose to make the board game a unique experience. Jamie Perkins shared a fun piece of lore, positioning the board game as a training simulation for Helldivers, which adds a playful twist to the experience.
Despite the new medium, the designers have focused on maintaining the essence of Helldivers. Nicholas Yu emphasized, "We wanted to make sure that even though the mechanics are different, it feels like Helldivers—with unexpected events, stratagems that can backfire, and a dwindling pool of reinforcements."
Derek Funkhouser added, "We knew we needed to keep the core loop of Helldivers with mission objectives and the thrill of discovering new points of interest and sub-objectives, all while fending off enemies."
Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, leaving room for community feedback and potential adjustments. Jamie Perkins addressed recent concerns about tariffs in the board gaming industry, stating that these issues won't slow down their plans for Helldivers 2.
After playing the prototype, I found the systems in place to be engaging, with the random events and 'Massed Fire' mechanic creating memorable moments. However, while I appreciate the tactical focus, I wish there were more smaller enemies to clear out, reflecting my preference for the video game's style. Additionally, the enemy attack mechanics feel somewhat static compared to the rest of the game, and introducing variable outcomes could enhance this aspect.
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 classes, game types, and mix them with different enemies and biomes. My friends and I are already planning our next drop.
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