Mere hours ago, game publishing titan Ravensburger has announced a collaboration with “Minecraft”’s developer Mojang, which will bring the popular PC game to the tabletop once again with two brand new board games – “Minecraft: Portal Dash” and “Minecraft: Heroes of the Village”. Both titles will aim to mimic the feel of the PC version of “Minecraft” using a unique set of mechanics and challenges.
Try to Survive the Nether in “Minecraft: Portal Dash”
The first game to come out will be “Minecraft: Portal Dash”, which will take players straight to the Nether – one of the most popular and dangerous regions in “Minecraft”. In this cooperative adventure game, players will have to work together to escape the Nether within a certain time window. They will have to battle dangerous piglins and fiery enemies through rugged landscapes full of magma and lava.
Much like in the PC game, players will also have to equip powerful gear, mine rare resources only found in the Nether (like the dreaded cobblestone), and collect portal stones, which are needed to get back through the Nether portal. They need to hurry, though, as the portal will eventually close shut, and in order to escape the hellish Nether, the players need to defeat the portal’s powerful guardians and boss. Players lose if they are late in their escape, if any player’s life total drops to 0, or if they run out of portal stones.
Overall, “Minecraft: Portal Dash” offers a more hardcore experience, and intense combat and is more suitable for “Minecraft” veterans. The game can support 1-4 players and has a playing time of 30-60 minutes per game. The player count suggests a solo mode, but that is yet to be confirmed. “Minecraft: Portal Dash” will be released in November 2022 at a retail price of $39.99.
Become the Hero of Your Village in “Minecraft: Heroes of the Village”
The second game – “Minecraft: Heroes of the Village” will allow for a more relaxing cooperative experience. It will be set in the “outside world”, with players taking the roles of neighboring villagers. Note that “relaxing” doesn’t mean “safe” – Illagers will be attempting to spoil your fun. Players will have to band together and collect resources, which can be used to build defensive structures to fight off the Illager raids. In addition to the structures, players can befriend and recruit various animal companions – such as pandas, horses, and bears – which will grant them special abilities.
As a more relaxing and less challenging game, “Minecraft: Heroes of the Village” is suitable for 2-4 players and will have a play time of 20–25 minutes. The game will first become available at Target stores in the US in November 2022, with a wider world release set for January 2023. A single copy of “Minecraft: Heroes of the Village” will cost $24.99.