In yet another video game-to-tabletop success story, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R board game is enjoying amazing success in Gamefound, accumulating $1,763,556 since its launch, easily surpassing the now-modest original $50,000 goal. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game is currently backed by 8,576 backers, and those numbers are sure to grow as it progresses. The project still has 19 days left, so there is plenty of time to “pump those numbers up”.
The publisher, Awaken Realms, whose name will undoubtedly be recognized by board game enthusiasts, being behind the critically acclaimed board game titles Nemesis, Lords of Hellas, and Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. This time, they are bringing the dark, depressing, very irradiated, and very mutated world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to the tabletop world.
Anomalies, Mutants, and Dark Secrets Await!
Players will take on the roles of up to four stalkers, each with their own abilities and gear to take on the dangerous irradiated terrain of the Zone. And they will most certainly need it, as the game will be filled with all sorts of mutants, dangerous relics, artifacts, and dark secrets to find and explore. To make matters worse, the players will find the very terrain is against them, having to face radioactive rain and emissions. Add that to the anomalies, and you are likely to find yourself in quite the pickle. And to make matters even worse – fighting back is a pricy option – every bullet will cost you money.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game can best be described as a “zone crawler”, and will also offer a fully co-operative experience. The game is divided into three sections comparable to story arcs. Each one can take up to twelve hours to complete – a lot of time for some, but it’s well worth it. If you happen to fancy a shorter game experience – Zone Survival mode has you covered. This particular mode can be described as an exciting one-off session that is entirely unscripted – you never know what might happen. Each player can decide how to go about the dangers in the zone and how to approach them – stealthy, or guns blazing. This offers a lot of strategic thinking, decision-making, and most importantly – replayability.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game will also feature glorious miniatures, models, and art that perfectly encompasses the Zone, its inhabitants, the stalkers, and the dangerous landscape they all share. It is sure to bring a feeling of immersion and excitement for all players involved.