Last year's breakout hit in the multiplayer gaming scene, Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, captivated players with its mission to spread democracy across the stars through intense battles against aliens and robots. Now, following their successful adaptation of Elden Ring into a board game, Steamforged Games has turned their attention to the fast-paced, action-packed world of Helldivers 2. The new board game adaptation is currently available for backing on Gamefound. 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

17 ImagesDevelopment of Helldivers 2: The Board Game began shortly after the video game's launch last year, aiming to encapsulate the excitement and popularity of the original. It successfully recreates the tense firefights, chaotic surprises, and teamwork-centric gameplay, while introducing its own unique twists to the formula.

Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game, playable by one to four players. The designers suggest solo players use two characters. Each player assumes the role of a different Helldiver class, such as the Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, or Captain, each equipped with unique perks, action cards, and a one-per-game "Act of Valor" ability. Players customize their kits with primary, secondary, and support weapons, grenades, and three strategems, guided by recommended loadouts on their class cards.

Gameplay unfolds on grid-based boards that expand as players explore, revealing sub-objectives and primary mission locations, such as destroying Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As the mission progresses, increasingly difficult enemies spawn, and a round-limited mission timer maintains the game's frenetic pace.

The prototype focused on a single objective, but the full release will offer multiple options. The base game includes two of the three main factions: the Terminids and the robotic Automatons, each with ten unit types. While not confirmed, expansions might introduce the Illuminate faction, given Steamforged Games' history with stretch goals.

A key curiosity was how the board game would replicate the video game's sense of being overwhelmed. Unlike Zombicide's approach with numerous weaker enemies, Helldivers 2 opts for fewer, stronger foes for more tactical, close-up combat as missions progress.

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.

On the Helldivers' side, combat uses dice rolls, with each weapon determining the type and number of dice rolled. Damage is calculated by the total roll value, with every five points inflicting one wound on an enemy. This streamlined approach avoids complex modifiers and defense values, focusing on the impact of each hit, though friendly fire remains a risk.

A standout feature in the board game is the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, which encourages teamwork by allowing multiple Helldivers to focus fire on a single target within range, mimicking the video game's cooperative dynamics.

“In the video game, you're encouraged to work together as a team," Nic explained. "With heavily armored enemies, you need to flank and target weak points if you don't have a support weapon. Translating this to the board game without complex mechanics led us to implement 'massed fire,' where other Helldivers can join in to focus fire on a target, incentivizing group play.”

While players can explore solo, the 'Massed Fire' mechanic reduces downtime and increases engagement during other players' turns. Enemy actions, however, are simpler, with set damage or effects causing players to draw wound cards. Three wounds result in a character's death, though respawns are possible depending on the chosen difficulty level.

One notable omission from the board game is the galactic war feature from the video game, omitted to maintain a unique feel as per Arrowhead's wishes. Jamie playfully positioned the board game as a training simulation for Helldivers, hinting at a meta-narrative where Helldivers might play this game within the video game universe.

Thanks to the talents of Nic, Jamie, and Derek, the game already feels authentic to the Helldivers experience. The designers focused on preserving the core elements of Helldivers, such as unexpected events, stratagems that can backfire, and a dwindling pool of reinforcements.

“We wanted the game to feel like Helldivers, even with different mechanics,” Nic said. “Unexpected challenges, stratagems that might harm allies, and the diminishing reinforcements are all elements that define Helldivers.”

Derek added, “We aimed to maintain the core loop of mission objectives and the thrill of discovery, while constantly dealing with enemies trying to take you down.”

Currently, the core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, leaving room for community feedback and further refinement. Jamie reassured that recent tariff issues in the board gaming industry won't delay their plans, and they are moving forward as intended.

After playing the prototype, the systems in place, like random events and the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, create memorable moments. However, the tactical focus on fewer, stronger enemies, while appreciated, left me wanting more smaller enemies to mow down, akin to the video game experience. Additionally, the static nature of enemy attacks could benefit from varied outcomes determined by dice rolls, aligning more closely with the game's overall chaos.

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

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