Home News Helldivers 2 Board Game: Exclusive Hands-On Preview

Helldivers 2 Board Game: Exclusive Hands-On Preview

Author : Mia Update : Apr 10,2025

Last year's standout in the multiplayer gaming world was Arrowhead's Helldivers 2, which captivated players with its mission to spread democracy across the stars through intense battles against aliens and robots. Now, following the successful release of their Elden Ring board game adaptation, Steamforged Games is bringing the fast-paced, frenetic action of Helldivers 2 to the tabletop. You can now back the board game on Gamefound. IGN had the opportunity to play a prototype and discuss it with the game's 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. It successfully captures the essence of what made the video game so thrilling, including tense firefights, chaotic surprises, and a focus on teamwork, while introducing unique tweaks to enhance the tabletop experience.

Helldivers 2 remains a cooperative, objective-based skirmish game where one to four players (with solo players recommended to control two characters) collaborate to achieve their mission while fending off 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 "Act of Valor" ability usable once per game. Players equip themselves with a kit including primary, secondary, and support weapons, grenades, and three strategems, with recommended loadouts provided on their class cards, though experienced players can customize their gear.

Gameplay unfolds on grid-based boards that expand as players explore, revealing sub-objectives and primary mission locations, such as Terminid hatcheries in the prototype. As the mission progresses, increasingly difficult enemies spawn, and a mission timer adds urgency, keeping the gameplay tense and fast-paced.

The prototype focused on destroying Terminid hatcheries, but the final release will offer multiple objectives. The base game includes two main factions, Terminids and Automatons, each with 10 unit types. While not confirmed, there's potential for the Illuminate faction to be added via an expansion, given Steamforged's history with stretch goals.

A key aspect of the adaptation is how it handles the feeling of being overwhelmed and outnumbered. Unlike games like Zombicide, which rely on sheer numbers, Helldivers 2 opts for fewer but stronger enemies, creating a more tactical and intense combat experience.

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 resolved through dice rolls, with every four action cards triggering a random event that can disrupt plans, adding to the game's unpredictability and excitement.

Combat for Helldivers is straightforward, with each weapon determining the type and number of dice rolled. Damage is calculated based on the total roll, with every five points inflicting a wound on an enemy. This system simplifies combat, focusing on the impact of attacks rather than complex modifiers.

A standout feature of the board game is the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, designed to replicate the cooperative shooting experience from the video game. Nic explained, "In the video game, 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 focus fire with you, incentivizing teamwork."

Players can choose to explore solo, but the 'Massed Fire' mechanic reduces downtime and encourages group play. Enemies, however, have more static effects, dealing set damage or effects, with players drawing wound cards that impose penalties. If a player accumulates three wounds, their character dies but can respawn based on the chosen difficulty level, fully restocked with ammo and resources.

One element not included in the board game is the galactic war from the video game. The designers aimed to create a unique experience, positioning the board game as a training simulation for Helldivers, as Jamie noted, "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."

Despite the new medium, the designers are committed to maintaining the essence of Helldivers. Nic emphasized, "We wanted to make sure that even though it had different mechanics, it felt like Helldivers – with unexpected things to deal with from turn to turn, stratagems that could go awry, and a dwindling pool of reinforcements."

Derek added, "We knew we needed to keep the core loop of what Helldivers is with the mission objectives and the thrill of chasing the shiny, with points of interest and sub-objectives to uncover while dealing with enemies trying to eat you."

Currently, the game's core mechanics are about 75-80% finalized, allowing for community feedback and potential adjustments. Jamie reassured that recent tariff concerns in the board gaming industry won't impact their plans, and they are moving forward as intended.

After playing the prototype, the systems in place, such as random events and the 'Massed Fire' mechanic, create memorable moments. However, while the tactical focus with stronger enemies is appreciated, there's a desire for more smaller enemies to clear out, mirroring the video game's experience. Additionally, enemy attacks could benefit from more variability to match the game's overall chaos.

Excitement builds for what Steamforged Games has in store for Helldivers 2. The prototype has sparked anticipation for new classes, game types, and combinations with different enemies and biomes. The question on everyone's mind is, "Where are we dropping next?"