"Resident Evil: Board Game Series - Buying Guide"

In the Steamforged Games library, you'll discover adaptations of some of the video game world's biggest franchises, including Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, Sea of Thieves, Gears of War, and the highly anticipated Elden Ring. However, today, we're focusing on the Resident Evil series, which includes Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3.

Starting with Resident Evil 2 in 2019, followed by Resident Evil 3 in 2021, and culminating with Resident Evil in 2023, these games share similar mechanics, creating a cohesive gaming experience. In each title, players can take on the role of iconic characters, navigating through dark corridors, burning streets, and sinister laboratories. These games come with highly detailed plastic miniatures, representing both the terrifying creatures and the brave survivor heroes.

Resident Evil: The Board Game

Resident Evil: The Board Game

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MSRP: $114.99 USD
Players: 1-4 (best with 2)
Play Time: 60-90 minutes (per scenario)
Ages: 14+
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The latest and most refined of the trilogy, Resident Evil takes the best ideas from its predecessors and introduces new mechanics, resulting in a fun and tense gaming experience. Players can choose to be Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, or Barry Burton as they explore the mysterious Spencer Mansion and its grounds. A new feature is the addition of support characters like Albert Wesker, Enrico Marini, Richard Aiken, and Brad Vickers, who can undertake missions to gather supplies, adding an extra layer of strategy and risk.

This game improves upon the previous entries with a flexible narrative flow, allowing players to explore the mansion in various orders, unlocked by different items and puzzles. The mansion and other locations are now built using cards, which enhances setup speed compared to earlier games. If you're looking to dive into just one game from the series, Resident Evil stands out as the top choice.

A notable addition is the introduction of Kerosene, a resource used to burn zombie corpses to prevent them from reanimating as more dangerous Red Zombies. This adds a strategic element to managing the undead threat.

Resident Evil Board Game Expansions

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost Expansion

Resident Evil: The Bleak Outpost

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MSRP: $69.99
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The Bleak Outpost expansion adds six new scenarios and two new bosses, Neptune and Plant-42, taking players to new locations such as the Guard House and Aqua Ring. This is an excellent addition for fans of the base Resident Evil game, offering both mini-campaign and standalone play options.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

0 See it at Amazon

MSRP: $114.99 USD (Steamforge website price)
Players: 1-4 (Best with 2)
Play Time: 60-90 minutes (per scenario)
Ages: 14+
See it at Amazon

Resident Evil 2 introduced players to the zombie-infested corridors of the Racoon City police station and the horrors of the Umbrella Corporation. Players can take on the roles of Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, or Robert Kendo as they face Lickers, Zombie Dogs, and Birkin across eight scenarios, from the S.T.A.R.S Office to their escape from the Umbrella Laboratory.

While Resident Evil 2 may be chronologically second, it's recommended to start with this game as it lacks some refinements found in later titles. Its linear scenario approach and some quality-of-life issues, such as dark tiles and missing parts, can detract from the experience. However, it remains a fun game to play with friends, especially with scenarios that require strategic planning.

Resident Evil 2 Board Game Expansions

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: B-Files Expansion

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MSRP: $54.99 USD
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The B-Files expansion doubles the number of scenarios, introduces new items, enemies, and the goal of escaping from Mr. X, adding depth to the Resident Evil 2 experience.

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

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

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MSRP: $32.99
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Designed to complement the B-Files expansion, Malformations lets players confront Birkin Stage Three before escaping, adding another layer of challenge.

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

Resident Evil 2 The Board Game: Survival Horror Expansion

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MSRP: $54.99
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The Survival Horror expansion is highly recommended, adding five new playable characters, advanced versions of base game characters, new enemies, and a PVP gameplay mode, offering a fresh twist to the cooperative play.

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

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

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MSRP: $32.99
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This expansion adds Hunk and Tofu as playable characters, along with new modes like fighting through hordes and an Extreme Battle PVP mode. The inclusion of the Tofu miniature alone makes it a must-have.

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

Resident Evil 3: The Board Game

0 See it at Amazon

MSRP: $114.99 USD (Steamforge’s website)
Players: 1-4 (Best with 2)
Play Time: 60-90 minutes (per scenario)
Ages: 14+
See it at Amazon

Resident Evil 3 builds on its predecessor's mechanics, introducing a non-linear scenario approach that allows players to explore the ruins of Raccoon City in various ways. Players can choose to be Jill, Carlos, Mikhail, or Nikolai, each with unique skills to survive the Nemesis's pursuit.

The game introduces a Danger Tracker, reflecting the city's deteriorating condition, and a Narrative deck to keep each playthrough unique. The choice of whether to search for more resources or press on adds to the survival horror atmosphere.

The only drawback is the scenario map, which feels like a step down in quality compared to other components. If you're interested in a more open-ended campaign and want to skip Resident Evil 2, this is a great starting point.

Resident Evil 3 Board Game Expansions

Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

Resident Evil 3: The Last Escape Expansion

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MSRP: $44.99
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The Last Escape expansion adds new playable characters, advanced versions of the base game's cast, and new monsters like Brain Suckers, Giant Spiders, and crows. It also introduces new rules, cards, and a permadeath variant, adding more challenge to the game.

Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion

Resident Evil 3 The Board Game: City of Ruin Expansion

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MSRP: $69.99
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City of Ruin offers nine new scenarios, taking players to locations such as the City Hospital, City Park, and Dead Factory. New enemies and bosses, including Stage 3 Nemesis, await, along with new weapons and items to aid in your survival.

Each player's turn in these games consists of three phases – the Action Phase, where players can move, open/close doors, search for items, trade, use items, or attack; the Reaction Phase, where enemies move towards or attack the active player, requiring a die roll to avoid danger; and the Tension Phase, where drawing from the Tension deck can lead to nothing, something bad, or something really bad happening. By the end of the first full cycle, players should have a good grasp of the game mechanics and can focus on surviving the zombie apocalypse.

Combat is resolved by rolling dice and comparing the results with the equipped weapon's stats and abilities. Outcomes can range from pushing enemies to adjacent squares, killing them, or missing entirely. Firing a weapon also alerts enemies in nearby rooms, adding a strategic element to combat decisions.

As campaign board games, each title contains multiple scenarios that can be played individually or as part of a larger narrative, with elements carrying over between sessions. Players can also mix and match characters and tiles across different games, enhancing replayability and allowing for creative scenarios.