Resident Evil Board Games: Ultimate Buyer's Guide

Steamforged Games' board game adaptations of popular video game franchises, including Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, and the upcoming Elden Ring, are highly anticipated. This review focuses on their Resident Evil trilogy: Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3.

Released in 2019, 2021, and 2023 respectively, these games share similar mechanics. Up to four players navigate perilous environments – dark corridors, burning streets, and sinister labs – reliving the stories of each game. Highly detailed miniatures represent both the terrifying creatures and the heroic survivors.

Featured Games & Expansions:

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon### Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game - Malformations of G B-Files Expansion

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: - 4th Survivor Expansion

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

0See it at Amazon### Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Gameplay involves three phases: Action, Reaction, and Tension. Players have four actions per turn (move, open/close doors, search, trade, use items, attack). Enemies react, moving towards or attacking the active player, who rolls dice to evade. The Tension phase involves drawing cards with varying consequences.

Combat uses dice rolls against weapon stats and abilities. Successful attacks may kill enemies, push them back, or miss entirely. Shooting attracts enemies from adjacent rooms (if doors are open), creating tactical tension.

Each game features multiple scenarios, playable individually or as a linked campaign. Levels are built using tiles with various tokens. Inventory, health, and other information carry over between scenarios or are provided at the start of one-off games. Some crossover between games is possible, allowing for character and tile mixing.

Resident Evil: The Board Game (2023):

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon

This refined entry improves upon its predecessors. Players explore the Spencer Mansion, using characters like Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and support characters like Albert Wesker on special missions. The flexible narrative allows for varied exploration order, and the card-based map simplifies setup. A new resource, Kerosene, is used to burn zombie corpses, preventing their return as stronger Red Zombies. This is a strong standalone recommendation.

Expansions:

• Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost: Adds new scenarios, locations (Guard House, Aqua Ring), and bosses (Neptune, Plant-42).
• Resident Evil 2: The Board Game (2019): Introduces players to the Raccoon City Police Station. While fun, it lacks the refinement of later titles. The dark tiles and missing components are minor drawbacks.
• Resident Evil 2 Expansions: B-Files (doubles scenarios, adds Mr. X), Malformations of G (adds Birkin Stage Three), Survival Horror (adds characters, enemies, and a PVP mode), and 4th Survivor (adds Hunk and Tofu, new modes).
• Resident Evil 3: The Board Game (2021): Offers more open-ended exploration of Raccoon City, with a Danger Tracker reflecting the escalating threat. The paper scenario map is a minor visual drawback.
• Resident Evil 3 Expansions: The Last Escape (adds characters, monsters, and a permadeath mode), and City of Ruin (adds scenarios, locations, and a Stage 3 Nemesis).

The Resident Evil board game series offers engaging gameplay and thematic depth. While Resident Evil (2023) is the most polished, each entry provides a unique experience within the survival horror setting.