Review of Elden Ring: The Board Game

Few video games in recent memory have stirred up as much excitement as FromSoftware’s Elden Ring. With the rising trend of board games inspired by video games, it was inevitable that FromSoftware’s masterpiece would eventually find its place on the tabletop. Taking on this challenge is Steamforged Games, the developers behind other well-known video game board adaptations such as Resident Evil, Monster Hunter World, and Dark Souls. After a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign in 2022, Elden Ring: The Board Game is about to reach its eager backers, while those who didn’t back it can now preorder. Rise, Tarnished, and prepare for battle once more.

Elden Ring is designed as a campaign board game, meaning you and your fellow adventurers navigate through a variety of scenarios, powering up your characters as you progress through the story. Steamforged Games has crafted three distinct campaigns for players to dive into: Realm of the Grafted King, The Weeping Peninsula, and Stormveil Castle. The Grafted King acts as the primary “base game,” while the other two serve as standalone expansions. You can dive into these expansions individually or continue your adventure from the Grafted King, carrying over your characters and further enhancing their abilities. Each box offers different character classes: within the Grafted King box, you’ll find the Vagabond, Samurai, Astrologer, and Prophet; the Weeping Peninsula box features the Hero, Prophet, Astrologer, and Bandit; and Stormveil Castle includes the Confessor, Prisoner, Samurai, and Vagabond.

Upon opening the game, you’re greeted with a formidable presence: large boxes packed to the brim with menacing-looking monster miniatures, hundreds of cards, an array of cardboard tokens, tiles, and numerous books filled with rules, combat maps, and scenario guides. It’s easily one of the most daunting games on my shelf, even though I currently only possess one of the campaigns. I still need to acquire the other two boxes or any of the bonus boss sets. Yet, for a game of its size, Steamforged has excelled in terms of production quality, offering some of the most finely detailed miniatures I’ve seen alongside high-quality cards and robust cardboard components.

The game offers a diverse range of scenarios to keep things interesting, so you’re not stuck doing the same activities repeatedly. However, some scenario types are more exciting than others. Narrative scenarios involve reading story paragraphs, making choices, possibly performing skill checks, and drawing the corresponding card to see the outcome. These scenarios are well-composed and the skill checks are a thoughtful addition, yet I find them less engaging—as I’d rather delve into a book or play a game of Dungeons & Dragons for storytelling experiences.

Personally, I’m drawn to Exploration scenarios. They brilliantly capture the essence of discovery and the uncertainty of what lies ahead, akin to the original game. During these segments, players venture into a region of the map, revealing and placing random tiles to fulfill various quests. These tiles might contain foes, items, Sites of Grace, or other surprises. The “grow as you go” mechanic significantly enhances the sense of discovery and replayability, similar to games like Betrayal at House on the Hill or Clank! Catacombs. These scenarios offer a well-rounded mix of combat, storyline, and exploration without feeling burdensome.

Then there are the three remaining scenario types, which focus predominantly on combat: Gauntlet, Dungeon, and Boss scenarios. Gauntlets pit you against challenging encounters with hordes of enemies and unique rules. Dungeons follow a similar pattern but lead to a powerful boss at the end. Boss scenarios, where you confront the game’s biggest threats, are the ultimate test of your character builds and team coordination. With combat being a central feature, it’s fortunate that it’s executed so effectively.

The combat system utilizes grids derived from ring-bound notebooks included with the game. Some battles necessitate expanding into multi-page armies, crafting strategic battlefields where players and opponents move tactically. Attacks via spells and weapons have specified ranges, and players can earn extra benefits based on their row—such as additional damage, altered turn sequences, or improved defense. My friends and I frequently found ourselves deep in strategy discussions over positioning to withstand attacks. Alas, despite our meticulous planning, defeat was not uncommon—the enemies in this game are fiercely challenging.

The enemies feature individual cards displaying actions with symbols indicating attack placement, movement, and other mechanics. It takes a little time to familiarize oneself with these symbols, but it’s manageable. Once an enemy completes its listed actions—or passes if unable to do so—their turn concludes, which is straightforward and relatively manageable. Bosses, however, wield entire decks of actions, each positioned within the initiative sequence. Sometimes, fortune smiles, and their strikes come last; other times, they take your party by surprise. The battles are merciless, but the scalable health pools, adjusting according to player count, ensure fairness. Every boss encounter was exhilarating, full of tense moments as we waited to see if we would stagger the boss or evade a lethal blow. Despite being simply miniatures moving on a grid, the combat is rich with depth and strategy that truly shines.

Contrary to what some tabletop enthusiasts might expect, Elden Ring forgoes dice in favor of a card-driven deck-building system. Players utilize cards from a deck determined by their chosen equipment, skills, and gear. Outcomes for damage, as well as for special effects like Bleed, are dictated by a separate Attribute deck. Different cards feature icons symbolizing Strength, Dexterity, and other attributes, with attack and defense decks tipping in favor of specific symbols.

Character evolution is a fundamental aspect of campaign board games, and Elden Ring is no exception. Much like its digital counterpart, you can level up your class for fresh abilities, customize your character with different weapons, armor, accessories, and Attribute cards, and raise overall stats via Trait cards. The Rune system governs this customization process, functioning similarly to an equipment load limit. As you advance through the campaign, your total Rune count increases, permitting greater customization options. However, the tracking system leaves much to be desired—Steamforged supplies small Rune cards to track your total, but they are insufficient for every player and contribute to card clutter. A straightforward tracker akin to the one used for health would have been much more practical. For now, jotting down Runes on paper remains the clunky go-to method, though hopefully, a more effective solution will emerge within the community or from Steamforged itself.

While Elden Ring is a remarkable experience, my initial foray was frustrating—not due to the gameplay itself, but because I began with Stormveil Castle, the third campaign. Though it’s technically a standalone expansion, it assumes players have completed earlier missions, starting with modified gear, runes, and decks, making it a challenging entry point for new players. Therefore, I highly recommend starting with Realm of the Grafted King.