Resident Evil: The Board Game Series Buying Guide

Steamforged Games' Resident Evil board game series brings the survival horror to your tabletop. Featuring adaptations of Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3, these games offer similar mechanics but distinct experiences. Up to four players navigate perilous environments, battling gruesome creatures with detailed miniatures.

Gameplay Overview:

Each turn consists of three phases: Action, Reaction, and Tension. Players have four actions to move, interact with objects, trade, or attack. Enemies react, moving and attacking, requiring dice rolls to evade. The Tension phase introduces unpredictable events from a dedicated deck. Combat utilizes dice rolls against weapon stats, with the risk of attracting enemies in adjacent rooms. The system emphasizes strategic decision-making and resource management.

Resident Evil: The Board Game (2023):

This latest iteration refines previous entries. Players explore the Spencer Mansion and surrounding areas as iconic characters like Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, alongside support characters like Albert Wesker. A flexible narrative allows for varied exploration orders, utilizing location cards for quicker setup. A new resource, Kerosene, is introduced to manage zombie corpses, adding strategic depth. This is a strong entry point for newcomers.

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost Expansion:

This expansion adds six scenarios, two new bosses (Neptune and Plant-42), and new locations like the Guard House and Aqua Ring, providing more challenges for seasoned players.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game (2019):

The original game in the series, players take on the roles of Leon, Claire, Ada, or Robert, facing Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin across eight scenarios within the Raccoon City Police Station and Umbrella Lab. While fun, it lacks the refinements of later titles.

Resident Evil 2 Board Game Expansions:

• B-Files Expansion: Doubles the number of scenarios, introducing new items, enemies, and the challenge of escaping Mr. X.
• Malformations of G B-Files Expansion: A smaller expansion adding a Birkin Stage Three encounter, best played with the B-Files Expansion.
• Survival Horror Expansion: Adds five new characters, advanced versions of existing characters, new enemies, and a PvP mode. Highly recommended.
• 4th Survivor Expansion: Introduces Hunk and Tofu as playable characters, adding new modes focused on escaping hordes and PvP competition.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game (2021):

This entry offers a more open-ended campaign, letting players explore Raccoon City as Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai. The Danger Tracker mechanic increases difficulty as the city deteriorates. The Narrative deck adds replayability.

Resident Evil 3 Board Game Expansions:

• The Last Escape Expansion: Introduces new characters, monsters (Brain Suckers, Giant Spiders, crows), and a permadeath mode.
• City of Ruin Expansion: Adds nine scenarios across new locations (City Hospital, City Park, Dead Factory), featuring new enemies and a Stage 3 Nemesis encounter.

The Resident Evil board game series provides a compelling blend of strategic gameplay and thematic immersion, offering a satisfying experience for fans of the franchise and board game enthusiasts alike.