Helldivers 2 Board Game: First Impressions

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

Helldivers 2: The Board Game

17 ImagesStarting development shortly after the video game's launch last year, Helldivers 2: The Board Game successfully encapsulates the elements that have made the video game so thrilling. It replicates the intense firefights, unexpected challenges, and cooperative gameplay, while adding unique twists to enhance the experience.

Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game where one to four players (with a recommendation for solo players to control two characters) team up to achieve their mission while fending off waves of enemies and navigating various events. Each player assumes the role of a different Helldiver class, equipped with a unique perk, action cards, and a one-use-per-game "Act of Valor" ability. The demo showcased classes like the Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, and Captain. Players can customize their loadouts with primary, secondary, and support weapons, grenades, and three strategems, with suggested setups on their class cards for beginners.

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 mission progresses, tougher enemies spawn, and a mission timer adds urgency, keeping the game tense and fast-paced.

While the prototype focused on destroying Terminid hatcheries, the final game will offer multiple objectives. Jamie mentioned that the base game will feature two of the three main factions—the Terminids and the robotic Automatons—each with 10 unit types. Although not confirmed, there's potential for the Illuminate faction to appear in a future expansion, given Steamforged's history with stretch goals.

A key curiosity about this adaptation was how it would simulate the video game's feeling of being overwhelmed by enemies. Unlike games like Zombicide, which use sheer numbers, Helldivers opts for fewer but stronger enemies, promoting a more tactical, close-quarters combat experience.

Turns involve players and enemies adding action cards to a pool, which are shuffled and placed on an initiative tracker, similar to Steamforged’s Elden Ring game. Combat relies on dice rolls, with an innovative twist: every four action cards played triggers a random event, often disrupting plans and adding excitement.

On the Helldivers' side, combat uses dice rolls based on weapon stats, with damage calculated from the total roll value. Every five points inflicts a wound on an enemy, simplifying the combat system and ensuring hits, though friendly fire remains a risk.

A highlight of the board game is the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, which replicates the cooperative shooting experience from the video game. Nic explained, "In the video game, you're encouraged to work together as a team. If you have a heavily armored enemy, you need to flank and shoot at the weak points if you don't have a support weapon. We implemented 'massed fire' in the board game, allowing players within range to focus fire on the same target, incentivizing teamwork."

The designers emphasize that players can choose to go solo, but the 'Massed Fire' mechanic reduces downtime and encourages group play. Enemies, however, have more straightforward mechanics, dealing set damage or effects, with players drawing wound cards that can lead to detrimental effects. If a player accumulates three wounds, their character dies, but they can respawn based on the chosen difficulty level.

One notable omission from the video game to the board game is the galactic war element. The designers considered it but opted to focus on making the board game a unique experience. Jamie shared a lore tidbit: "We're positioning it as a training simulation. So, you'd get this board game as a Helldiver to learn how to be better."

Despite the new medium, the designers aimed to retain the essence of Helldivers. Nic highlighted, "We wanted to ensure it felt like Helldivers, even with different mechanics. We included unexpected events, stratagems that could misfire and harm friends, and a dwindling pool of reinforcements." Derek added, "We kept the core loop of Helldivers with mission objectives and the thrill of uncovering new challenges while battling enemies."

Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, leaving room for community feedback and potential adjustments. Regarding recent concerns about tariffs affecting the board gaming industry, Jamie assured that these issues won't delay their plans, and the studio is prepared to adapt if necessary.

After playing the prototype, the implemented systems, such as random events and the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, create memorable moments. However, while the tactical focus with larger enemies is appreciated, a part of me misses the sheer number of smaller enemies to clear out. The enemy attack mechanics also feel somewhat static compared to the rest of the game, and adding varied outcomes through dice rolls 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 Helldiver classes, mission types, and combinations with different enemies and biomes. My friends and I are already asking: Where are we dropping next?