by JameElden Ring has proved to be an absolute sensation. It is a contender for a number of gaming awards and the fascinating fantasy game has become one of the most widely-played games in the world over the last year.
Fantasy games always tend to be the start of some seriously interesting spinoffs. If you take a look at the online casino promotions currently out there, a lot of them will lead you to slot games with themes that include fantasy, war, strategy and mythology. Aspects of all of these are built into Elden Ring and have contributed significantly to its success. Slot developers tend to know just what it is that really gets gamers excited.
Even people who don’t necessarily play the game may get a lot out of following the storyline and watching along with Twitch streamers and walkthroughs.
Now, there is going to be a board game too. Board games in the fantasy genre are still incredibly popular and Elden Ring’s captivating story has proved to be the ideal candidate for taking a computer game and turning it into a board game. In this guide, we explore a little about how the board game might work and what little news we have about when it might be on its way.
What is Elden Ring – and why is it so popular?
Elden Ring was finally released in 2022 after some buzz and speculation. The game was made by Bandai Namco and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. The game didn’t mess around with exclusives and was released on a variety of platforms, including new-generation consoles and PC, back in February.
The game has a customizable character, something that has proved to be incredibly popular in many previous games that are in the fantasy genre, and it has a lot of different, interesting open world elements to keep people interested. In the computer or console gameplay, there are elements of crafting, magic and riding, and of course, plenty of combat.
In terms of the game’s actual premise, players immerse themselves in “the Lands Between”, which is a place with demigods and a former ruler, Queen Marika. She was the keeper of the Elden Ring, which is a force that provided order to the universe. Demigods in the game all possess shards of the ring, which come from the Shattering, an event in history.
The player character in the game is one of a group of exiles who gets to return after the Shattering, and their goal is to repair the ring and become the true lord of this empire.
The game is incredibly well made and in less than a year of release has sold over 16 million copies around the world. One of the things that will have undeniably helped this is the fact that George R.R. Martin was involved so heavily in the development of the game, putting his storytelling and world-building skills to good use in helping the developers create something that resonated with audiences. His incredible skills as a fantasy writer shine through.
Time for the board game
Now, thanks to Steamforged, a Kickstarter campaign has appeared in a preview format, with just a few details released about how the board game might look. The company Steamforged is one of the very best when it comes to taking existing games and concepts and turning them into board games that can be played with dice, cards and the like.
Their details provided about the project are bound to whet the appetite of those who already love Elden Ring, even though we don’t know anything about when the game might release.
“Experience the video game’s characteristically challenging fights recreated through intelligent, dice-free combat, where you’ll need to strategize and adapt your plans in each encounter – whether that be a lowly Godrick Soldier or the Grafted King himself.”
The full press release from the brand has just a few little hints about the game and how it might play:
“Like the video game, the ELDEN RING™ board game will immerse players in the forsaken Lands Between. In a vast, sprawling world of decaying grandeur that unfolds through their exploration, 1-4 ‘Tarnished’ players will embark on a huge and varied adventure, visiting iconic locations and crossing paths with familiar enemies and characters.”
“The video game’s characteristically challenging fights will be recreated by intelligent dice-free combat, requiring players to strategize and adapt their plans during each encounter.”
So, we know that the game will allow from one to four people to play at any one time, and that there will not be any dice involved in the combat. This means there is less likely to be a big element of chance and you can put your skills into action to strategize and beat out your opponents.
As of now, the Kickstarter page is pretty blank, with very little information available. Luckily, people who are interested can choose to follow along and get email updates on the game. More information will gradually appear on the page here, as more and more backers become interested. Already, there are over 16,000 followers on the page, so you can see how much interest this has already generated, and the fact that as soon as the Kickstarter goes live, the orders will start to flow.
It’s a good idea to sign up for alerts, as you really don’t want to miss out on the best tiers of the campaign.
Summary
Elden Ring is a true sensation and people have wasted no time in latching on and creating strategy guides and merch, and now there will be a board game with the official backing of the makers of the game.
Elden Ring is actually a very new franchise and it has shown already that it has the potential to be absolutely huge. Sequels, board games and more spinoffs are bound to turn this game into one of the biggest of the decade, as it already has such a loyal base of followers and active players.
