Last year's breakout hit in the multiplayer gaming world was Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, a game that aimed to spread democracy across the cosmos through high-octane combat against aliens and robots. Building on this success, Steamforged Games, fresh from their impressive Elden Ring board game adaptation, is now bringing the fast-paced and frenetic action of Helldivers 2 to the tabletop. This exciting board game is now available for backing on Gamefound. IGN had the privilege of playing a prototype and discussing it with the game's designers, Jamie Perkins, Derek Funkhouser, and Nicholas Yu, who shared insights into this thrilling tabletop adaptation.
Helldivers 2: The Board Game
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Developed shortly after the video game's launch last year, Helldivers 2: The Board Game successfully captures the essence of its digital counterpart. It recreates the tense firefights, chaotic surprises, and teamwork-centric experience that made the video game so popular, while introducing its own unique tweaks.
Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game where one to four players (with the designers suggesting solo players manage two characters) collaborate to complete objectives while battling waves of enemies and unexpected events. Each player assumes the role of a different Helldiver class, such as Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, or Captain, each with a unique perk, a set of action cards, and a powerful one-per-game "Act of Valor" ability. Players equip themselves with a kit comprising primary, secondary, and support weapons, a grenade, and three strategems they can deploy, with recommended loadouts provided but customizable once players are more experienced.
Gameplay unfolds on grid-based boards that expand as you explore, revealing sub-objectives and primary mission locations, like the Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As you progress, increasingly difficult enemies spawn, and a mission timer adds urgency, keeping the gameplay intense and frenetic.
The prototype featured a single objective of destroying Terminid hatcheries, but the final game will offer multiple mission options. The base game includes two of the three main factions—the Terminids and the robotic Automatons—each with 10 unit types. While not confirmed, the possibility of an expansion featuring the Illuminate faction, a common practice in Steamforged's campaigns, is tantalizing.
A key curiosity in adapting this video game to a board game was how it would handle the feeling of being overwhelmed and outnumbered. Helldivers opts for fewer but stronger enemies, fostering a tactical, close-quarters combat experience that intensifies as missions progress.
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 is based on dice rolls, with a unique twist: every fourth action card triggers a random event, often throwing a wrench in your plans by spawning additional enemies or causing other disruptions.
Combat for Helldivers is streamlined, with weapons determining the type and number of dice rolled, and damage calculated by the total value. Every five points inflict a wound on enemies, simplifying combat mechanics while maintaining excitement. Friendly fire is a risk, especially with area attacks, adding a strategic element to gameplay.
A standout feature of the board game is the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, designed to replicate the video game’s team-based shooting. 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 target weak points. We implemented 'massed fire' so when anyone shoots at a target, if it's within range of another Helldiver's weapons, they can also focus fire, incentivizing group play.” This mechanic reduces player downtime and encourages collaborative play.
Enemy actions are straightforward, with set damage or effects causing players to draw wound cards. Each wound inflicts a negative effect, and three wounds result in a character's death, though players can respawn based on chosen difficulty levels, fully replenished.
One aspect of the video game not included in the board game is the galactic war, a decision influenced by Arrowhead's desire for a unique tabletop experience. Jamie shared a fun piece of lore, positioning the board game as a training simulation for Helldivers, adding a delightful layer to the game's narrative.
Despite the new medium, the designers aim to retain the core feel of Helldivers. Nic emphasized, “We wanted to ensure that despite different mechanics, it still felt like Helldivers, with unexpected events and stratagems that could go awry, adding to the game's chaos.” Derek added, “We focused on keeping the core loop of mission objectives and the thrill of exploring and uncovering points of interest while dealing with enemies.”
Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, allowing for adjustments based on community feedback and potential new ideas. Despite concerns about recent tariffs affecting the board gaming industry, Jamie confirmed that Steamforged Games plans to proceed without delay, with a team ready to handle any necessary adjustments.
My experience with the prototype was highly enjoyable, with the random events and Massed Fire mechanic creating epic moments. While I appreciate the tactical focus with larger, more challenging enemies, I also enjoy the video game's more chaotic, enemy-swarming style. Additionally, I hope for more dynamic enemy attacks, possibly through dice-rolled outcomes, to match the game's overall chaos.
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 of enemies and biomes. My friends and I are already planning our next drop.
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