One of last year's standout successes in the multiplayer gaming arena was Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, which captivated players with its mission to spread democracy across the stars through intense battles against aliens and robots. Following their acclaimed adaptation of Elden Ring into a board game, Steamforged Games is now transforming the fast-paced, frenetic experience of Helldivers 2 into a tabletop format. This board game is currently available for backing on Gamefound. IGN had the opportunity to play a prototype and engage with designers Jamie Perkins, Derek Funkhouser, and Nicholas Yu to discuss this exciting new tabletop version.
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 encapsulates much of what has made the digital version so popular and thrilling. It recreates the intense firefights, chaotic surprises, and teamwork-focused gameplay while introducing unique tweaks to the formula.
Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game where one to four players (with a recommendation for solo players to use two characters) work together to achieve their selected objective while fending off waves of enemies and unexpected events. Each player assumes the role of a distinct Helldiver class, equipped with a unique perk, a set of action cards for their turn, and a one-per-game "Act of Valor" ability. The demo showcased the Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, and Captain classes. Players customize their kits with primary, secondary, and support weapons, a grenade, and three strategems, with recommended loadouts provided on their class cards, though experienced players can choose their own before starting.
Gameplay unfolds on grid-based boards that expand as you explore, requiring players to add new sections that reveal sub-objectives and primary mission locations, such as Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As you progress, tougher enemies spawn, and the mission timer adds urgency, keeping games tense and fast-paced.
The prototype focused on a single objective—destroying a set number of Terminid hatcheries—but the full release will feature multiple options. Jamie explained that the base game will include two of the three main factions, the Terminids and the robotic Automatons, each with 10 unit types. While not confirmed, given Steamforged Games' history with stretch goals, an expansion featuring the Illuminate faction seems likely.
A key curiosity was how the board game would replicate the video game's sense of being overwhelmed by enemies. Unlike Zombicide, which overwhelms with sheer numbers, Helldivers opts for fewer but more challenging enemies, fostering a more tactical close-quarters combat experience.
Turns involve players and enemies contributing 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, and every fourth action card triggers a random event, often disrupting plans with additional enemies or unexpected challenges.
For the Helldivers, combat is straightforward, using dice rolls based on weapon types and numbers, with damage determined by the roll's total value. Every five points inflicts a wound on an enemy. This system is simple and avoids complex modifiers or defense values, emphasizing the Helldivers' elite training.
A new feature, the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, aims to capture the video game's teamwork dynamic. Nic explained, "In the video game, obviously, you're encouraged to work together as a team. You have 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, if it's within range of another Helldiver's primary or secondary weapon, they can also fire, rewarding group play."
While players can explore solo, the 'Massed Fire' mechanic reduces downtime and encourages group involvement, enhancing the overall experience.
Enemies, however, have more straightforward mechanics, inflicting set damage or effects that cause players to draw wound cards. Three wounds result in a character's death, but players can respawn based on chosen difficulty settings, replenishing their ammo and resources.
One aspect not making the transition from video game to tabletop is the galactic war. Although considered, it was omitted to ensure the board game felt unique and not just a direct simulation of the source material.
Jamie shared an intriguing piece of lore: "We're positioning it effectively as a training simulation. So you would get this board game as a Helldiver to learn how to be a better Helldiver." This adds a fun, thematic layer to the experience.
Thanks to the talents of Nic, Jamie, and Derek, the game feels authentically Helldivers-esque. Nic emphasized, "We wanted to make sure that even though we had different mechanics, it felt like Helldivers – unexpected events, stratagems that could go awry and impact your friends, and a dwindling pool of reinforcements." Derek added, "We knew we needed to keep the core loop of what Helldivers is with mission objectives and the thrill of exploring and uncovering points of interest while battling enemies."
Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, allowing room for community feedback and adjustments. Jamie reassured that recent tariff concerns won't affect their plans, and the studio is prepared to navigate any necessary changes.
From my experience with the prototype, the systems in place are engaging, with random events and the 'Massed Fire' mechanic creating memorable moments. While I appreciate the tactical focus with larger, tougher enemies, I personally miss the sheer volume of smaller foes to mow down, a preference I share with the video game. I also wish for more depth in enemy attack mechanics, perhaps introducing variable outcomes based on dice rolls to match the game's overall chaos.
I'm excited to see what other surprises Steamforged Games has in store for Helldivers 2. What I've played so far has me eager to try new classes, explore different game types, and mix them with various enemies and biomes. My friends and I are already planning our next drop.
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