Citizens of Super Earth, we have good news for these troubled times: For those of you unable to participate in the hyperviolent struggle for democracy in Helldivers 2, a new diversion will soon become available for at-home play. Helldivers 2: The Board Game is currently in development from Steamforged Games. The 1-4 player strategy game opens a crowdfunding campaign on April 8, with plenty of detailed plastic miniatures to go around.
I honestly can’t think of a better studio to work on this franchise. Steamforged is best known for interpreting video games for the tabletop, including high-earning campaigns for board games based on Dark Souls, Resident Evil, and Monster Hunter. However, the company also has a bit of a track record of putting its foot in it, most notably requiring a reprint for its ill-fated Dungeons & Dragons setting. But its most recent offering, a board game based on Elden Ring, received a ringing endorsement in our recent review, so I’m fairly eager to see what’s in store with this one.
The designers here are Nicholas Yu (Dungeons & Dragons: Onslaught) and Derek Funkhouser (The Walking Dead: Something to Fear). We don’t have a lot of information, unfortunately, outside this brief description from Thursday’s news release:
HELLDIVERS 2: The Board Game will match the fast-paced, tactical, tongue-in-cheek energy of the video game, plunging 1-4 players into an intergalactic struggle to protect Super Earth and rid the galaxy of alien threats in the name of liberty and democracy. Armed with deadly weapons (pistols, machine guns, flamethrowers), powerful stratagems (turrets, airstrikes, etc.), and coordinated tactics, players will work in squads to chellomplete [sic] high-risk missions, navigate hostile battlefields, call in reinforcements, and overcome enemy swarms.
Just as in the video games, players will need to contend with evolving threats and objectives, as well as watch out for explosions and friendly fire. Every decision can mean the difference between glorious victory or total annihilation in service of Super Earth.
Gamefound, the Poland-based crowdfunding platform competing with Kickstarter for the lucrative tabletop sector, is a high-quality partner for this project. The campaign kicks off April 8, when we’ll also learn how much the base game is expected to cost.