Resident Evil: Board Game Collection Guide

Steamforged Games has adapted several popular video game franchises into board games, 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 locations – dark corridors, burning streets, and sinister labs – recreating the stories of the original 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 act during the Reaction phase, and the Tension phase draws cards that introduce unexpected events. Combat uses dice rolls, comparing results to weapon stats. Successful attacks might kill enemies, push them back, or miss entirely, highlighting the challenge even basic zombies pose. Gunfire attracts enemies from adjacent rooms (if doors are open), adding strategic depth.

Each game features multiple scenarios playable as standalone experiences or linked campaigns. Levels are built using tiles, and player inventory, health, and other information carry over between scenarios. One-off games provide pre-set starting gear.

Crossover between games is possible, allowing for character and tile mixing, although some adjustments might be needed for thematic consistency.

Resident Evil: The Board Game

### Resident Evil: The Board Game

1See it at Amazon

This refined entry builds on 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, offering benefits at the risk of elimination. The narrative is flexible, allowing for varied exploration order. The game uses cards to build locations dynamically, streamlining setup. The persistent threat of zombies and the need to burn corpses using Kerosene add a new layer of challenge. This is a strong standalone recommendation.

Resident Evil Board Game Expansions:

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost Expansion

### Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost

0See it at Amazon

This expansion 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

The original game in the series, Resident Evil 2 features Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, and Robert Kendo battling Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin across eight scenarios. While fun, it lacks the refinement of later entries, with darker tiles and some assembly issues.

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 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

A smaller expansion for use with the B-Files expansion, featuring 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, 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 Amazon

Includes Hunk and Tofu as playable characters, new escape modes, and an extreme PVP battle mode.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

### Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0See it at Amazon

Resident Evil 3 offers a more open-ended campaign, letting players explore Raccoon City as Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai. The city's deterioration increases the difficulty. The Danger Tracker and Narrative deck enhance replayability. The game's map, however, is less polished than other components. This is a good starting point for those preferring open-ended campaigns.

Resident Evil 3 Board Game Expansions:

Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

### Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

0See it at Amazon

Adds new characters, monsters, 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

Introduces nine new scenarios, new locations, enemies, and a Stage 3 Nemesis encounter.