Risk of Rain and its sequel have been hallmarks of the rogue-like genre since they were released. Naturally, like other indie games which have spawned a dedicated audience like the Binding of Isaac and Stardew Valley, Risk of Rain also seems destined for a board game adaptation.
While, naturally, the way that a board game is played has to differ from its video game counterpart, there have been some details released about how Risk of Rain’s tabletop version will work mechanically. However, what is known about it – as well as what forms one of its biggest selling points – are the 80+ miniatures included in the box.
The kickstarter goal
The Risk of Rain games are popular, meaning that there are a lot of fans who would be in the market for this board game adaptation, but the price tag might be enough to put a lot of people off. A basic pledge costs $125, the deluxe edition is $185 and $235 for the version of the game that comes with all the expansions – an option which comes with additional miniatures. The game comfortably surpassed its Kickstarter goal despite these prices, raising over $285,000 on its first day.
The gameplay loop
Risk of Rain, the original, the sequel and the Day 2 Risk of Rain 2023 remake, all focus on a rogue-like loop of navigating randomised environments while upgrading their equipment and fighting monsters on a hostile alien world.
It’s easy to see how that would translate to a video game, but how about for the board game? The demo rulebook reveals Risk of Rain as a co-op board game focused on various stages before culminating in a battle with a final boss. WIth each of these ‘runs’ taking around an hour, there is likely a lot of variety in how players can upgrade their action cards in the game to give the game some variety.
Concerns from audiences
While the game hasn’t been released yet, with it setting its sights on a late 2026 debut, some audiences are concerned about how the game is shaping up.
Some comments on the Kickstarter page have lamented the lack of trustworthy reviews and the lack of detail in regards to the rules, leading to concerns about how well the game will appeal to fans of either the original game or board games in general.
Still, while game producers Nerdvana are somewhat new to tabletop game design, they do have one other successful Kickstarter under their belt – Borderlands: Bunkers and Badasses.
