Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game is an Horizon Zero Dawn-themed board game.
Overview[]
The board game is said to be "the next Horizon Zero Dawn game." While it is not story-heavy, it will be canon-compliant. It is played cooperatively, where players go on hunts together while competing to get the highest score. A game is estimated to take 1.5-2 hours to complete. Players pick a class with a unique deck of skills at the start, then replace worse cards for better ones as their character gets stronger, before trying to take down a final giant machine.[1]
Development[]
Work began on the game c. 2016. It was developed in conjunction with Guerrilla Games and Sony. Guerilla provided Steamforge with 3D models to use for reference in creating the game's figurines. It was announced at Gen Con 2018.
A Kickstarter campaign was launched on September 8, 2018. The Campaign was fully funded on September 28, 2018, by 9,838 backers raising £1,393,260. Shipping for the Core Game has been confirmed for November 2020, with shipping for all expansions, including Kickstarter Exclusive Content, is anticipated for July 2021.[1] [2]
The following expansions have been announced:
- The Lawless Badlands
- The Sacred Lands
- Forge & Hammer
- Soldiers of the Sun
- The Frozen Wilds
- Thunderjaw
- Rockbreaker
- Stormbird
- Fireclaw
- Heart of the Nora
- Kickstarter Exclusive
The Heart of the Nora Expansion is exclusive to the Board Game Kickstarter, as it will feature Narrative Missions instead of the standard Hunter's Lodge content. As of August 2020, there are no retail plans for the Rockbreaker and Fireclaw Expansions.
Game Components[]
The following is the included components for each version of the game:
Core Game Box[]
Contents of the Core Game Box
The following models are included:
- 1 Banuk Survivor Hunter Model
- 1 Carja Warrior Hunter Model
- 1 Nora Marksman Hunter Model
- 1 Oseram Forgesmith Hunter Model
- 4 Watcher Machine Models
- 4 Scrapper Machine Models
- 4 Strider Machine Models
- 4 Grazer Machine Models
- 2 Shell-Walker Machine Models
- 2 Sawtooth Machine Models
The Lawless Badlands Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 42 Bandit Models
- 1 Nil Model
The Sacred Lands Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 2 Nora Hunter Models
- 4 Red-Eye Watcher Machine Models
- 2 Longleg Machine Models
- 2 Bellowback Machine Models
- 2 Stalker Machine Models
- 2 Snapmaw Machine Models
Forge & Hammer Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 2 Oseram Hunter Models
- 4 Charger Machine Models
- 4 Lancehorn Machine Models
- 4 Glinthawk Machine Models
- 2 Ravager Machine Models
Soldiers of the Sun Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 2 Carja Hunter Models
- 4 Broadhead Machine Models
- 2 Trampler Machine Models
- 1 Behemoth Machine Models
The Frozen Wilds Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 2 Banuk Hunter Models
- 2 Scorcher Machine Models
- 2 Frostclaw Machine Models
Thunderjaw Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 1 Thunderjaw Machine Model
Rockbreaker Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 1 Rockbreaker Machine Model
There are currently no retail plans for this expansion.
Stormbird Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 1 Stormbird Machine Model
Fireclaw Expansion[]
The following models are included:
- 1 Fireclaw Machine Model
There are currently no retail plans for this expansion.
Heart of the Nora Expansion[]
This expansion is exclusive to the Kickstarter.
The following models are included:
- 2 Corrupter Machine Models
- 1 Deathbringer Machine Model
Kickstarter Exclusive Content Box[]
The following models are included:
- 1 Aloy Model
- 1 Aloy on Strider Model
- 1 Varl Model
- 1 Sona Model
- 1 Erend Model
- 1 Dervahl Model
- 1 Talanah Khane Padish Model
- 1 Shadow Carja Hunter Model
- 8 Oseram Mercenary Models
- 12 Eclipse Cultist Models
Standard gameplay[]
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game is considered a semi-cooperative game, in that the players work together towards a common goal while still competing to be the most glorious hunter. The game uses the Hunters Lodge of Meridian as the framework, with all players as individuals seeking to prove themselves worthy of entering the organization through a great hunt.
The game is broken down into five Encounters, with each Encounter being broken down into three distinct Phases: the Tracking Phase, the Encounter Phase, and the Campfire Phase.[3]