Steamforged Games has brought several popular video game franchises to the tabletop, 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 board game trilogy: Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3.

Released in 2019, 2021, and 2023 respectively, these games share similar mechanics. 1-4 players navigate perilous environments (dark corridors, burning streets, 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 involves three phases per turn: Action, Reaction, and Tension. Players have four actions: move, open/close doors, search, trade, use items, or attack. Enemies react, moving towards or attacking the active player. The Tension phase involves drawing cards that can introduce positive, negative, or significant negative events.

Combat uses dice rolls compared against weapon stats and abilities. Successful attacks may kill enemies, push them back, or miss entirely. Successful ranged attacks may trigger enemy movement in adjacent rooms. This system adds to the survival horror atmosphere.

Each game features multiple scenarios playable individually or as a connected campaign. Levels are built using tiles with tokens representing doors, items, and other elements. Player inventory, health, and other information carry over between scenarios. One-off games provide starting gear and information.

Crossover between games is possible, although some adjustments may be needed. Characters can be mixed and matched, and scenario tiles can be used across games despite thematic inconsistencies.

Resident Evil: The Board Game

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon

This refined entry improves upon its predecessors, introducing 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 sent on missions. The flexible narrative allows for varied exploration order. The use of cards instead of paper improves setup speed. The game features a new resource, Kerosene, to burn zombie corpses and prevent their return as stronger Red Zombies. This is a recommended starting point for newcomers.

Expansions:

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost Expansion

### Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost

0See it at Amazon

Adds six scenarios, two new bosses (Neptune and Plant-42), and new locations.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

Introduces players to the Raccoon City Police Station. Players assume the roles of Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, or Robert Kendo, facing Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin across eight scenarios. While a fun game, it lacks the refinements of later entries.

Resident Evil 2 Expansions:

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Doubles the number of scenarios and adds new items, enemies, and the goal of escaping Mr. X.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game - Malformations of G B-Files Expansion

### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game - Malformations of G B-Files Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Adds a confrontation with Birkin Stage Three.

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Adds five playable characters, advanced versions of existing characters, new enemies, and a PvP mode.

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: - 4th Survivor Expansion

### Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: - 4th Survivor Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Adds Hunk and Tofu as playable characters, new modes, and an extreme PvP mode.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

Players explore the ruins of Raccoon City as Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai, facing Nemesis. The game features a non-linear campaign and a Danger Tracker mechanic that increases difficulty. The map is presented on less high-quality paper compared to other components. This is a good starting point if you prefer a more open-ended campaign.

Resident Evil 3 Expansions:

Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

### Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Adds new playable characters, enemies, rules, and a permadeath variant.

Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion

### Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Adds nine new scenarios, new locations, enemies, bosses, and weapons.