Steamforged Games' board game adaptations of popular video game franchises, including Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, and the upcoming Elden Ring, are noteworthy. This review 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. 1-4 players navigate environments (dark corridors, burning streets, labs) recreating the storylines. Highly detailed miniatures represent both survivors and terrifying creatures.

Featured Games and 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: Action, Reaction, and Tension. Players have four actions per turn (move, open/close doors, search, trade, use items, attack). Enemies react, moving or attacking. The Tension phase draws cards, introducing positive, negative, or significant negative events.

Combat uses dice rolls compared to weapon stats. Successful attacks may kill, push back, or miss. Shooting attracts nearby enemies. This system emphasizes strategic decision-making.

Each game features multiple scenarios playable individually or as a campaign. Levels are built using tiles. Inventory, health, and other information carry over between scenarios. One-off games offer pre-set starting gear.

Crossover between games is possible, allowing character and tile mixing.

Resident Evil: The Board Game (Review):

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon

This refined entry improves upon predecessors. Players explore the Spencer Mansion, utilizing support characters (Wesker, Marini, Aiken, Vickers) for missions. Flexible narrative allows varied room exploration order. Scenario setup is faster due to card-based map building. Killed zombies remain, requiring kerosene to burn corpses and prevent reanimation as stronger Red Zombies. This is a recommended starting point if purchasing only one game.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game (Review):

### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

The original in the Steamforged series, featuring Leon, Claire, Ada, or Robert Kendo against Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin. Eight scenarios progress linearly. While fun, it lacks the refinements of later titles (dark tiles, missing components). Strategic planning is crucial.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game (Review):

### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

Builds upon RE2, offering non-linear exploration of Raccoon City. Players choose Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai. The Danger Tracker mechanic increases difficulty as the city deteriorates. The Narrative deck adds replayability. The map's paper quality is a minor drawback. A good alternative starting point if preferring open-ended campaigns.

(Expansions – brief summaries): Each game has expansions adding scenarios, characters, enemies, items, and gameplay modes (including PvP). Specific details are provided in the original text.