Steamforged Games' Resident Evil board game series brings the survival horror to your tabletop. This review covers Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3, along with their expansions.
Core Gameplay: Each game (RE, RE2, RE3) shares similar mechanics. 1-4 players navigate locations, battling zombies and other creatures using detailed miniatures. Turns consist of Action, Reaction, and Tension phases, with dice rolls determining combat outcomes. The Tension phase introduces unpredictable events. Games offer multiple scenarios playable as standalone experiences or a connected campaign. Tile-based maps create varied layouts.
Resident Evil (The Board Game): The most refined entry, RE improves upon its predecessors. It features a flexible narrative, allowing for varied exploration of the Spencer Mansion. New support characters add strategic depth. The use of cards for map building streamlines setup. A notable change is the persistence of zombie corpses, requiring kerosene to burn them and prevent their reanimation as stronger Red Zombies. This is a great entry point for newcomers.
Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost (Expansion): Adds six new scenarios, two bosses (Neptune and Plant-42), and new locations like the Guard House and Aqua Ring. A strong addition for fans of the base game.
Resident Evil 2: The Board Game: The series' starting point, RE2 features the Raccoon City Police Station and Umbrella Laboratory. Players take on roles like Leon, Claire, Ada, or Robert Kendo, facing Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin. The campaign is linear, unlike later entries. While fun, it lacks the refinement of later games (darker tiles, some assembly issues).
Resident Evil 2 Expansions:
- B-Files Expansion: Doubles the scenarios, introduces new items, enemies, and the goal of escaping Mr. X.
- Malformations of G B-Files Expansion: A smaller expansion for use with B-Files, featuring a Birkin Stage Three encounter.
- Survival Horror Expansion: Adds five new characters, enhanced versions of existing characters, new enemies, and a PvP mode. Highly recommended.
- 4th Survivor Expansion: Includes Hunk and Tofu as playable characters, new modes, and a PvP race. The Tofu miniature is a highlight.
Resident Evil 3: The Board Game: Builds upon RE2's mechanics, offering a more open-ended campaign through the ruined Raccoon City. Players choose from Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai, facing Nemesis. A Danger Tracker mechanic increases difficulty as the city deteriorates. The map uses cards instead of a paper board.
Resident Evil 3 Expansions:
- The Last Escape Expansion: Adds new characters (Barry Burton, Brad Vickers, etc.), monsters (Brain Suckers, Giant Spiders), and a permadeath variant.
- City of Ruin Expansion: Features nine new scenarios in locations like the City Hospital and Dead Factory, introducing new enemies and a Stage 3 Nemesis.
Overall, Steamforged's Resident Evil board games offer engaging survival horror experiences, with each title building upon its predecessors. While RE2 shows its age slightly, RE and RE3 provide polished and thrilling gameplay. The expansions significantly enhance replayability.
