Turning Helldivers 2 Into a Board Game. How Will It Work?
If you’ve played Helldivers 2, you are already familiar with the chaos, like teammates calling in airstrikes at the worst possible time, bugs and bots surrounding you, and overwhelming firepower bringing democracy. Now, let’s picture all of that in the form of a board game.
That’s exactly what’s happening. Helldivers 2 is coming to board game night from Steamforged Games, a business that specializes in transforming video games into tabletop experiences like Dark Souls, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Elden Ring. And to be honest, it’s too reasonable.
In this strategy game for one to four players, you and your team must blast aliens to parts, go on risky missions, and, of course, avoid being killed by your own teammates. Classic Helldivers elements such as airstrikes, turrets, and strategies will be included in the game, along with constantly shifting enemies and objectives.
Sure, friendly fire is a thing because what would Helldivers be without the occasional unintentional betrayal? The pricing and the content will all be revealed on April 8, when it launches on GameFound, a platform similar to Kickstarter, which is only for board games.
The question arises: The action in Helldivers 2 moves quickly and in real time. How would you convert that into a board game with turns? Will Steamforged make an effort to include elements that replicate the video game’s unpredictable and chaotic decision-making?
Or will it tend to be more strategic and unwilling? What would it feel like if your friend “accidentally” conducted an airstrike on your squad in turn-based form? Did you see it coming? Therefore, will it hurt less or even worse because you foresaw it and were helpless to stop it?
However, even though we still need to learn more, Helldivers makes a lot of sense as a board game. The challenge and the collaboration are all there. The only question that remains is whether Steamforged will succeed or not.
