Home > News > Helldivers 2: Board Game First Look

Helldivers 2: Board Game First Look

Author : Logan

Oct 19,2025

Last year's multiplayer sensation Helldivers 2 by Arrowhead took the gaming world by storm with its explosive alien-shooting, democracy-spreading galactic warfare. Fresh from their ambitious Elden Ring board game adaptation, Steamforged Games now brings this frenetic co-op shooter to tabletops. The Helldivers 2 board game campaign is now live on Gamefound, and we got exclusive hands-on time with a prototype while interviewing designers Jamie Perkins, Derek Funkhouser, and Nicholas Yu about their approach to translating the digital experience.

Helldivers 2: The Board Game Adaptation

17 Gameplay Images

Development began shortly after the video game's 2023 launch, successfully capturing its signature elements: intense firefights, chaotic encounters, and team coordination - while introducing inventive tabletop twists.

This cooperative skirmish game for 1-4 players (suggesting dual-character control for solo play) throws squads against waves of enemies while completing objectives. Each Helldiver class (Heavy, Sniper, Pyro, Captain) features unique perks, action cards, and a game-changing "Act of Valor" ability. Players customize loadouts with primary/secondary weapons, grenades, and three stratagems - though class cards offer suggested configurations for beginners.

Modular game boards expand during exploration, revealing objectives and Terminid hatcheries (in our prototype mission). Enemy difficulty escalates alongside a countdown timer, maintaining the video game's signature tension. While our demo featured a single objective type, the final release promises multiple mission varieties.

The base game includes two factions (Terminids and Automatons) with 10 unit types each. Though unconfirmed, the designers hinted at potential future expansions possibly introducing the Illuminate faction - a likely stretch goal given Steamforged's crowdfunding history.

The adaptation smartly focuses on tactical engagements with progressively stronger enemies rather than zombie-horde numbers. Combat employs an innovative card-based initiative system (similar to Steamforged's Elden Ring) where every four played actions triggers random events - often disrupting plans with surprise enemy spawns or environmental hazards.

Damage mechanics streamline combat: weapons roll type-specific dice, with every 5 total points dealing one wound. This "always hit" system keeps gameplay fluid while allowing for friendly fire - a hilarious yet strategic element when desperate measures require sacrificing teammates (thankfully, reinforcements exist).

The standout "Massed Fire" mechanic brilliantly translates squad coordination: allies in range can combine attacks on targets, incentivizing teamwork while reducing player downtime.

"In the digital game, teamwork is key - flanking armored enemies or exploiting weak points," Nic explained. "Massed Fire achieves this tactically without complex facing rules. When you attack, nearby allies can join your assault - explicitly rewarding coordinated play."

While permitting lone-wolf play, this system cleverly keeps all players engaged during others' turns. Enemy actions remain simpler, dealing fixed damage via wound cards (three wounds equals death), though revival mechanics vary by selected difficulty.

Notably absent is the galactic war meta-game. The designers revealed this was intentional: "Arrowhead wanted this to stand as its own experience, not just a board game clone," Jamie noted. Instead, they crafted amusing in-universe lore: "We're framing this as an in-world training simulation for rookie Helldivers." One can imagine video game Helldivers playing this very board game during downtime.

The prototype already shines with its emergent moments - from spectacular Massed Fire takedowns to catastrophic friendly fire incidents. While enemy variety impresses, I'd love to see more cannon-fodder enemies for that classic "less thinking, more shooting" chaos. The static enemy attack system could also benefit from more dynamic resolution mechanics to match the game's overall unpredictability.

At 75-80% completion (Steamforged's preferred campaign launch stage), the team retains flexibility for balancing and new ideas. Regarding recent industry concerns about tariffs, Jamie affirmed development remains unaffected, with contingency plans ready if needed.

"Our goal was preserving Helldivers' DNA across mediums," Nic emphasized. "Unexpected challenges, explosive stratagem mishaps, dwindling reinforcements - these capture that unique Helldivers feeling."

Derek added: "We maintained the core gameplay loop - chasing secondary objectives while enemies literally try to eat you. That shiny distraction factor was crucial."

Even in prototype form, the game delivers thrilling co-op moments that honor its source material while establishing its own identity. With more classes, missions, and biomes promised, one question burns: where will Super Earth deploy us next?