Steamforged Games has adapted several popular video game franchises into board games, including Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, and the upcoming Elden Ring adaptation. This article 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—recreating the storylines of the respective video games. Each game includes highly detailed miniatures representing both the terrifying creatures and the heroic survivors.
Featured Games & Expansions:
### Resident Evil: The Board Game
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### Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost
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### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game
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### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion
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### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game - Malformations of G B-Files Expansion
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### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion
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### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: - 4th Survivor Expansion
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### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game
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### Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion
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### Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion
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Gameplay involves three phases per turn: Action, Reaction, and Tension. Players have four actions to move, interact with doors, search for items, trade, use items, or attack. Enemies react during the Reaction Phase, potentially attacking or moving towards the active player. The Tension Phase involves drawing cards that introduce various levels of challenges.
Combat uses dice rolls compared against weapon stats and abilities. Successful attacks can kill, push back, or miss entirely. Shooting can attract nearby enemies, adding a strategic layer to combat decisions.
Each game features multiple scenarios playable as standalone experiences or a connected campaign. Levels are built using tiles, and player progress, inventory, and health carry over between scenarios. One-off games provide pre-set starting equipment.
Crossover between games is possible, allowing players to mix characters and tiles (though thematic consistency might be affected).
Resident Evil: The Board Game
### Resident Evil: The Board Game
1See it at Amazon
This refined entry improves upon its predecessors. Players explore the Spencer Mansion and surrounding areas as Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, or Barry Burton. New support characters (Albert Wesker, Enrico Marini, Richard Aiken, and Brad Vickers) can be sent on missions. The flexible narrative allows for varied exploration order. The use of cards for location building streamlines setup. The game introduces Kerosene for burning zombie corpses, preventing their reanimation as Red Zombies. This is a recommended entry point for newcomers.
Expansions & Other Games (Summary): Details on expansions for Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3 are included in the original text and are too extensive to fully reproduce here. They generally add new scenarios, characters, enemies, items, and gameplay modes.
