Resident Evil: The Board Game Series Buying Guide

Steamforged Games' impressive board game library boasts adaptations of numerous popular video game franchises, 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 – reliving the narratives of the respective video games. Highly detailed miniatures represent both the terrifying creatures and the heroic survivors.

Featured Games:

### 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, allowing movement, door manipulation, item acquisition, trading, item use, or combat. Enemies react, moving towards or attacking the active player, who rolls dice to evade. The Tension phase involves drawing cards that introduce various levels of challenge. The game mechanics are easily grasped, allowing players to quickly focus on survival strategies.

Combat involves dice rolling, comparing results to weapon stats and abilities. Outcomes range from pushing enemies to killing them or missing entirely. Even basic zombies prove challenging, and successful shots can trigger enemy movement in adjacent rooms. This system encourages strategic decision-making, enhancing the survival horror theme.

Each game features multiple scenarios playable individually or as a linked campaign. Levels are built using tiles with tokens representing doors, items, and other elements. Player inventory, health, and other data carry over between scenarios in campaign mode, while one-off games provide pre-set starting conditions. The system accommodates both playstyles effectively.

The series allows for crossover between games. Characters can be mixed and matched across titles, and scenario tiles are interchangeable, despite potential thematic inconsistencies. This flexibility is not explicitly stated in the rules but works seamlessly.

Resident Evil: The Board Game

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at AmazonMSRP: $114.99 USDPlayers: 1-4 (best with 2)Play Time: 60-90 minutes (per scenario)Ages: 14+See it at AmazonThis latest installment refines previous mechanics and introduces new elements. Players (Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, Barry Burton) explore the Spencer Mansion, aided by support characters (Albert Wesker, Enrico Marini, Richard Aiken, Brad Vickers) who undertake risky missions. The narrative is flexible, allowing varied exploration order. The game uses cards to represent locations, streamlining setup compared to previous games. The game is highly recommended as a standalone purchase. A key difference is that slain standard zombies remain on the board, requiring kerosene to burn the corpses and prevent their reanimation as more dangerous Red Zombies.

Resident Evil Board Game Expansions:

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost Expansion

### Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost

0See it at AmazonMSRP: $69.99See it at AmazonThis expansion adds six scenarios, two bosses (Neptune and Plant-42), and new locations (Guard House, Aqua Ring).

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

0See it at AmazonMSRP: $114.99 USD (Steamforge website price)Player: 1-4 (Best with 2)Play Time: 60-90 minutes (per scenario)Ages: 14+See it at AmazonThis inaugural title features Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, and Robert Kendo facing Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin across eight scenarios. While enjoyable, it lacks the refinements of later games, including a linear campaign and less visually clear tiles.

Resident Evil 2 Board Game Expansions:

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

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

0See it at AmazonMSRP: $54.99USDSee it at AmazonDoubles the number of scenarios, adding 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 AmazonMSRP: $32.99See it at AmazonA small expansion for use with the B-Files expansion, introducing a Birkin Stage Three encounter.

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

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

0See it at AmazonMSRP: $54.99See it at AmazonAdds five playable characters, enhanced 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 AmazonMSRP: $32.99See it at AmazonIncludes Hunk and Tofu as playable characters, adding new escape and PvP modes.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0See it at AmazonMSRP: $114.99 USD (Steamforge’s website)Players: 1-4 (Best with 2)Play Time: 60-90 minutes (per scenario)Ages: 14+See it at AmazonThis installment builds upon RE2's mechanics while offering a more open-ended campaign structure. Players choose from Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai, each with unique skills. The game introduces a Danger Tracker reflecting the city's deterioration, impacting gameplay difficulty. The Narrative deck adds replayability. The game's map, however, uses less durable card stock compared to other components.

Resident Evil 3 Board Game Expansions:

Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

### Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

0See it at AmazonMSRP: $44.99See it at AmazonAdds new playable characters (Barry Burton, Brad Vickers, Tyrell Patrick, Marvin Branagh, Dario Rosso, Murphy Seeker), enhanced versions of base characters, new enemies (Brain Suckers, Giant Spiders, crows), 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 AmazonMSRP: $69.99See it at AmazonFeatures nine new scenarios set in new locations (City Hospital, City Park, Dead Factory), introducing new enemies and a Stage 3 Nemesis encounter.