Resident Evil: Board Game Series: Essential Buyer's Guide

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. 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 stories of the respective video games. 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 unfolds across three phases: Action, Reaction, and Tension. Players have four actions per turn, including movement, door manipulation, item acquisition, trading, item use, and combat. Enemies act during the Reaction Phase, potentially attacking or pursuing the active player. The Tension Phase involves drawing cards that introduce various challenges.

Combat utilizes dice rolls, comparing results against weapon stats and abilities. Successful attacks may kill enemies, push them back, or miss entirely. Successful shots may trigger enemy movement in adjacent rooms, adding a strategic layer to combat.

Each game features multiple scenarios playable as standalone experiences or a connected campaign. Scenarios are built using tiles with various tokens representing doors, items, and other elements. Player inventory, health, and other information carry over between scenarios in a campaign. Standalone scenarios provide starting gear and information.

Crossover elements exist between games, allowing for character and tile mixing, though some adjustments may be needed for optimal thematic consistency.

Resident Evil: The Board Game (2023)

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon

This refined entry incorporates improvements from previous games and introduces new mechanics. Players explore the Spencer Mansion and surrounding areas as Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, or Barry Burton. Support characters (Albert Wesker, Enrico Marini, Richard Aiken, and Brad Vickers) can be deployed on missions. The game uses cards to create the map, offering faster setup than previous titles. Killed standard zombies remain on the board, requiring kerosene to burn their corpses and prevent reanimation as stronger Red Zombies. This is recommended as a standalone entry.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game (2019)

### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

This inaugural title features Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, and Robert Kendo battling Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin across eight scenarios. While fun, it lacks the refinements of later entries, including darker tiles and some missing components. The linear campaign structure is less flexible than its successors.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game (2021)

### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

Building upon Resident Evil 2, this game offers a more open-ended campaign. Players choose from Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai, facing Nemesis in the ravaged Raccoon City. A Danger Tracker mechanic increases difficulty as the city deteriorates. The map uses cards, but the scenario board is less robust than other components. This is a good starting point for those preferring a more open campaign.

The article then details each game's expansions, including new scenarios, characters, enemies, and game modes. Images are included for each game and expansion.