Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game (2020) Board Game

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game is based on the popular video game of the same name, developed by Guerrilla Games. The board game was released in 2020 by Steamforged Games Ltd. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where robotic creatures roam the land, and players take on the role of hunters trying to survive in this dangerous environment.

Game Components of Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game

4 Hunters (Nora Marksman, Carja Warrior, Banuk Survivor, Oseram Forgesmith)

4 Watchers, 4 Striders, 4 Grazers, 4 Scrappers

2 Shell-Walkers, 2 Sawtooths

Cards (action decks, equipment, resources)

Tokens (sun tokens, salvage, stamina)

Dice

Tiles and boards (double-sided for different player counts)

Rules booklet.

How To Setup Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game

To set up the game, each player chooses one of the four unique hunters and takes their character’s profile card, starting equipment cards, starting resources, and action deck of cards. Players place their starting equipment around their character card and select a quest represented by a tracking card, which details the machine to be hunted and the board layout. The tracking cards determine the enemy positions and special terrain for each encounter. Players then place their characters on the board, shuffle their action decks, and draw up to their maximum hand size of 5 cards.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Action System: Players take turns performing two actions from a list including Sneak, Sprint, Lure, Ranged, Melee, and Craft.

Enemy Activation: After each player’s turn, enemies activate based on their alert status.

Deck Building: Players level up their characters by adding new cards to their action decks and upgrading equipment.

Resource Management: Players spend resources to purchase new equipment from the Merchant deck.

Combat: Combat involves rolling attack dice based on the player’s weapon and ammo.

Game Objective

Semi-Cooperative Mode: Players work together to hunt machines, but the player with the most victory points (sun tokens) wins.

Fully Cooperative Mode: Players must survive all encounters as a team; individual glory does not matter.

Player Experience

The game offers a fun and dynamic experience, especially for fans of the video game series. However, it has mixed reviews due to its repetitive nature and lack of variety in encounters. Each game can be split into multiple sessions, and the game duration can vary, with games typically lasting around 5 hours for four players but shorter for fewer players. The miniatures and components are highly praised for their quality[4ा।

Pros

High-Quality Components: Detailed and well-made miniatures and game pieces.

Dynamic Gameplay: Combines action and strategy with a unique deck-building system.

Cooperative and Competitive Modes: Offers flexibility in gameplay style.

Faithful to the Source Material: Captures key aspects of the Horizon Zero Dawn video game.

Cons

Repetitive Encounters: The game lacks variety, with the same final boss (Sawtooth) every time.

Unbalanced Classes: Some hunter classes are more powerful than others.

Long Game Duration: Games can be quite lengthy, especially with more players.

Limited Replay Value: The game needs expansions to add more variety and challenges.

Personal Thoughts on Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game is ideal for fans of the video game series and those who enjoy skirmish-light experiences with strategic deck building. While it offers a fun and engaging gameplay mechanic, it may not appeal to players seeking high replay value without additional expansions. The game is best suited for players who enjoy cooperative or semi-cooperative gameplay and are willing to invest time in understanding the rules and mechanics. With upcoming expansions, the game has the potential to become even more diverse and challenging, making it a worthwhile addition to any board game collection.

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