Over the last decade, it’s hard to think of a game that’s captured as much attention as FromSoftware’s Elden Ring. Nowadays, it’s almost expected to see video games getting transformed into board games, so it was only a matter of time before this giant joined the ranks on the tabletop scene. Enter Steamforged Games, the brains behind board game versions of beloved titles like Resident Evil, Monster Hunter World, and Dark Souls. They took on the monumental task of bringing Elden Ring to life in board game form. After their phenomenal crowdfunding campaign in 2022, Elden Ring: The Board Game (we’ll just call it Elden Ring here) is almost ready to land in backers’ hands and is open for preorder to anyone itching to dive in. Get ready, adventurers; your next challenge awaits.
Elden Ring is designed as a campaign board game, letting you and your fellow adventurers journey through a variety of scenarios, leveling up, and evolving your characters as you go. Steamforged has crafted three campaigns for you to embark on: The Realm of the Grafted King, The Weeping Peninsula, and Stormveil Castle. The Grafted King serves as the main set, while the other two are standalone expansions. You can jump into the expansions on their own or continue your saga from the Grafted King, transferring your characters and growing them further. Each set offers different character classes: the Grafted King includes Vagabond, Samurai, Astrologer, and Prophet; Weeping Peninsula showcases Hero, Prophet, Astrologer, and Bandit; while Stormveil Castle brings Confessor, Prisoner, Samurai, and Vagabond to the table.
Unpacking this game feels like a quest in itself, with its massive boxes filled with detailed monster miniatures, tons of cards, cardboard tokens, tiles, and manuals on rules, combat maps, and scenario guides. Just owning one of these campaigns can be overwhelming, especially without the expansions or additional boss sets. But Steamforged truly excelled with Elden Ring’s production quality—bringing some of the most intricate miniatures I’ve seen, along with premium feeling cards and robust cardboard elements.
The scenarios offer a refreshing variety, ensuring the gameplay doesn’t become monotonous. However, they don’t all hit the mark perfectly. The narrative scenarios, which entail reading story passages, making decisions, and conducting skill checks, are well-crafted but didn’t quite win me over. For those moments, I’d prefer delving into a novel or enjoying a session of Dungeons & Dragons.
On the other hand, Exploration scenarios truly capture the essence of what makes Elden Ring special: embracing the unknown and uncovering new landscapes. Here, players explore map regions, turning and placing random tiles, tackling quests, and encountering enemies, valuables, and surprises. I love the tile-based map-building mechanic—it’s reminiscent of classics like Betrayal at House on the Hill or Clank! Catacombs, enhancing replay value and discovery through randomized tiles. These scenarios balance combat, narrative, and exploration seamlessly, avoiding any overwhelming elements.
As for combat, the game features three focused types: Gauntlet, Dungeon, and Boss scenarios. Gauntlets put you up against challenging enemy groups with special twists. Dungeons act similarly, but culminate in a formidable boss battle. The Boss scenarios are the pinnacle of challenge, requiring sharp teamwork and strategy to conquer. The game’s focus on combat pays off, with dynamic and engaging battles.
Combat unfolds on grids made from the game’s unique ring-bound notebooks, sometimes needing multiple pages for larger encounters. Players must think strategically about positioning, as aspects like row placement affect damage, turn order, or defense capabilities. Many times, my friends and I debated moves extensively, only to face defeat anyway—these adversaries are no walk in the park.
Enemies operate via cards detailing their actions with symbols indicating attack types, movement, and mechanics, which take a little time to master. Bosses take it up a notch with their own decks dictating initiative. They can catch you off guard, pouncing before you can act. It’s challenging but feels balanced thanks to scalable health based on player numbers, making every encounter thrilling.
A unique aspect of Elden Ring is its absence of dice. Instead, it’s a card-based deck-building journey. Choices are made using cards relating to equipment and skills, while damage, defense, and special effects are governed by an Attribute deck. Different cards emphasize various stats like Strength and Dexterity, demanding strategic deck management.
Character evolution is crucial in campaign board games, and Elden Ring follows suit. Borrowing from its video game roots, players can advance character classes, swap out weapons, don new armor, employ accessories, tweak Attribute cards, and boost stats using Trait cards. All of this is governed by a Rune system, which represents an equipment limit that expands through the campaign, unlocking greater customization. However, Runes are tracked with cards, which feels cumbersome—a simple health-style tracker would be a welcome addition.
Despite the game’s merits, my first dive was a bit tricky—not because of the game’s mechanics but due to starting with the Stormveil Castle campaign. While it can stand alone, it assumes you’ve tackled previous quests and comes with everything pre-adjusted, making for a challenging beginning for newcomers. So, I highly recommend starting your adventure with the Realm of the Grafted King.
Where to snag your copy of this epic experience? Check out other board games inspired by video games for even more tabletop adventures.
