The critically acclaimed PlayStation live service darling, Helldivers 2, quickly became one of my most played games of 2024, racking up countless hours with a friend as we blasted Terminids, Automatons, and now Illuminate alike – and died over and over again. It is an incredibly fun game, one with an impeccable gameplay loop, a dedicated team of talented developers, and just the right balance of chaos and logic to make it effortlessly fun. However, everyone knows that already, knows how great Helldivers 2 is, and has even likely put in hundreds, if not thousands, of hours themselves.

The question on everyone’s mind is, what’s next? Of course, there are so many more updates planned, Warbonds to buy, and even a Helldivers 2 movie in the works, although that is likely not coming any time soon. What I’m interested in is the next Helldivers game, the next piece of media to consume my and my friends’ attention for hours on end, and fortunately, they’ve already announced it. Crucially, this is a very different type of Helldivers game, but one I am nevertheless incredibly excited about.

Helldivers 2 Is Getting A Tabletop Version

It Is The Next Evolution Of The Helldivers Formula

I didn’t know I wanted a Helldivers 2 board game until it was announced, and now it is all I can think of. Developed by the legendary board game creators Steamforged Games – it has adapted Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Ni No Kuni, and Horizon Zero Dawn into board games – Helldivers 2 The Board Game promises a “glorious, cooperative, explosion-filled adaptation” of the iconic co-op shooter, according to the game’s Gamefound page. Essentially, it is the video game in board game form, complete with different Helldiver types, various factions, numerous stratagems, and more.

I absolutely love playing board games and have managed to rope my initially reluctant fiancée into playing a variety of them, from Red Rising and Aeon’s End to Mycelia and Scythe. So, one can imagine my delight when it was announced that my favorite cooperative video game would be getting a board game adaptation from the literal masters of video-game-to-board game adaptations. Of course, this is a long way from being completed, as Steamforged Games is looking to crowdfund it first. However, I’m honestly happy to support it, especially as, according to the developer:

“Players can expect heroic last stands, spectacular mishaps, and the kind of cinematic action that turns every gaming session into a glorious war story.”

This is surprisingly not the first board game adaptation of a video game within the past few months, with the Cyberpunk 2077 board game hitting its $5 million goal in just minutes. I don’t doubt for a minute that the Helldivers 2 board game will have a similar level of success, especially as, while Cyberpunk 2077 is based on a pen-and-paper RPG, Helldivers 2 feels far better suited to the board game format. The chaos and drama of Helldivers 2 is exactly what I’m looking for in a good board game night, and hopefully, its board game adaptation can deliver.

A Helldivers 2 Boardgame Will Be Chaotic

It Can Be Played With Up To Four People

Helldivers 2 The Board Game can be played either solo with an AI-controlled Helldiver at your side, or with three other players. You can choose whether to play as a pre-built Helldiver – you control two at a time in solo mode – or make your own by selecting which weapon, stratagems, and abilities you have. From there, you’ll choose which of Helldiver 2’s deadly factions you’ll face, and then head out into the field, collecting medals – which both serve as your score and way of unlocking new stratagems – completing objectives, and, of course, spreading democracy.

That breakdown is just a small part of how the Helldivers 2 board game adapts the game experience so faithfully. This is a one-to-one adaptation, complete with miniatures to represent the players and enemies, which is always fun. Of course, this may make some wonder what the point is and why this is the focus and not whatever Arrowhead’s next game is. However, the point of this remarkable board game is that, for the first time in the game’s short yet storied history, I can have the Helldivers 2 experience locally, and that’s why I care so deeply about it.

Playing online can’t ever capture the elation of witnessing something truly remarkable in game and turning to your friends to see them with the same quizzical and perplexed expression plastered on your face.

All the chaotic and unbelievable moments of Helldivers 2 are phenomenal to experience, even over voice chat, but I always find there to be a somewhat disquieting feeling afterward as I look around the room to see it barren save for myself. Playing online can’t ever capture the elation of witnessing something truly remarkable in game and turning to your friends to see them with the same quizzical and perplexed expression plastered on your face. A board game adaptation of Helldivers 2 promises that experience because you have to play it together in person.

Helldivers 2 Should Have Been Local Co-Op

Couch Co-Op Would Make It A Better Experience

I have always felt from the moment Helldivers 2 was announced that it should have featured local co-op. That isn’t just because its predecessor included it – which is how I predominantly experienced it with my sibling – but because, as spectacular and mind-boggling playing online with others across the world still is to me, nothing beats playing with friends on the same couch. I grew up during the couch co-op generation, getting to experience the joy of the Wii’s plethora of split-screen games and the Xbox golden age of Gears of War, early Halos, and Portal 2.

I’m not so delusional as to not recognize that split-screen and local co-op is becoming an extinct feature, although that didn’t stop it from hurting when Halo Infinite canceled its split-screen mode. However, it isn’t quite gone yet, with Baldur’s Gate 3 featuring a local co-op mode even despite its enormous scale, and Hazelight Studios continuing to create GOTY-winning local co-op experiences like It Takes Two and the recent Split Fiction. This is why I had hoped that Arrowhead Game Studios would have tried to implement it in Helldivers 2 as well.

Arrowhead has explained that Helldivers 2’s split-screen was cut to prioritize performance, which is usually the reason, and I completely understand why. Splitting the screen and having two instances of the same game running simultaneously is hugely intensive and much harder to do with photorealistic open worlds. This is why I’m honestly satisfied with a board game adaptation, as it gives me that local co-op experience without any compromise. It even looks like it’s going to be the best way of playing Helldivers 2 solo, which is also an exciting bonus I look forward to trying out.