DOOM has come to your tabletop in the form of two board games now on Kickstarter; a classic retro remaster and a glimpse of the Dark Ages.
DOOM came crashing back onto the scene almost a decade ago, now, with a perfect first person shooter. And since then, it’s had its ups and downs—personally I liked DOOM (2016) more than DOOM Eternal, but I know that puts me in the minority. But there’s a whole lot to love about the classic FPS franchise that has been everywhere from your home computer to your electric toothbrush. Case in point, the new DOOM: The Dark Ages has been a satisfying bite into the more medieval (but still gun-filled) time before DOOM (2016).
And now, both DOOM: The Dark Ages and classic DOOM come to your tabletop. Though this time, weirdly enough, it’s not being emulated on a new and surprising electronic gadget. Instead it takes the form of two new tabletop board games that launched on Kickstarter today.
DOOM: Arena Board Game and DOOM: The Dark Ages Arena Board Game – Kickstarting Now
That’s right. One big Kickstarter, two great DOOM board games. Starting with DOOM: Arena Board Game. This board game is based on the classic 1993 DOOM, and is a “fast-paced PvP miniatures board game”. Which means that one person takes on the role of the Doom Guy while the others (up to three for a total of four players) take on the hordes of hell.
As you might imagine, this means there’s a lot of asymmetry at play here. But that’s what you would expect. You can only get through so many cyberdemons and cacodemons before you run out of ammo and get mobbed, after all.
And that looks to be exactly the feeling the board game wants to capture:
“DOOM: Arena Board Game will be available in two editions, each a tribute to a different era.
For those who have been fighting hell since the beginning, the DOOM (1993) Arena Board Game resurrects the 1993 original, capturing the iconic pixelated aesthetic as the first game. Play as the legendary Doom Guy or command an army of iconic demons, from Imps and Lost Souls to the savage Barons of Hell and the colossal Spider Mastermind.
AdvertisementWield all the power of hell… or make them cover before one man. DOOM: The Dark Ages Arena BOard Game is based on the acclaimed new chapter in the saga. This version boasts a grimdark, medieval-fantasy look, putting you in control either of the mighty Doom Slayer or the ravenous legions of hell, including Imps, Mancubi, and even the gargantuan Titans.”
Okay But How Does It Play
Now, I will say, a big draw of the Kickstarter are the DOOM miniatures. They are gorgeous. You get classic video game enemies turned into minis, including the cacodemon, the floating skulls best known as Lost Souls, even the cyberdemon. Or if you go for the Dark Ages version, you’ll get the massive titans, including the Armored Titan, Cyclops Titan, and Atlan.
But what good are minis if you don’t know how the game is played? It’s not like anyone has ever backed a Kickstarter solely for the miniatures before, right? So let’s take a look at how the game plays. The designers (or at least someone in the Modiphius Kickstarter team) describes it as “heavy metal chess.” But what does that actually mean?
In game terms, it means fast-paced combat that comes down to miniatures ripping and tearing through each other. The game is played over three rounds, during which your side attempts to deal the most damage. As you deal damage, you generate “Tempo” which you can spend to use more powerful abilities.
But you’ll have to be careful, because your enemies are either numberless, or they are the main guy from DOOM. So you’ll want to make use of the environments which can change, based on the arena boards you assemble. The goal is for every turn to be a decision between offense and defense. Will your big swing leave you vulnerable?
At the end of each of the game’s rounds, you’ll have an assortment of Arenal Points which you can use to unlock either new weapons or more deadly demons. After three rounds, whoever has spilled the most blood wins. And then you can do it all, all over again.
As you might imagine, there are a ton of stretch goals, including alternate sculpts, bonus miniatures, and plenty of Kickstarter exclusive add-ons that give you even more accessories and tools to play the game with. The Kickstarter runs through November 21st, with shipping/fulfillment expected by October 2026. So you still have plenty of time to back and find all the add-ons you could possibly want.
Now to see if I can get DOOM to run in this article!
Don’t Miss:
Read more at this site