Elden Ring: The Board Game is not far off its Kickstarter launch on 22nd November and so Steamforged Games have been talking more about the mechanics that you'll get to experience when diving in. The focus of their latest designer diary was on exploration.

Hero Miniature // Elden Ring: The Board Game

Get Notified Of Launch // Elden Ring: The Board Game Kickstarter

Much like with the video game, Elden Ring: The Board Game provides players with an extensive map of tiles to explore. During your turn, players will be able to uncover additional locations represented by hexagonal tiles, each with monsters, NPCs, fascinating wonders and more for you to explore.

Map Tiles // Elden Ring: The Board Game

The map that you uncover in the board game won't match the map that you're used to from the Elden Ring video game but that also means that every time you sit down to play, the Limgrave designed by Steamforged Games will be a fascinating and ever-changing puzzle. I really like the sound of this as it means that gameplay should be a fun new puzzle to solve each time you sit down to play.

Cards // Elden Ring: The Board Game

When you uncover different locations across the board, you'll then be faced with decisions to make. You'll have to battle monsters as your Tarnished are drawn into combat encounters, deal with merchants and find out what NPCs have to offer you.

NPCs could end up aiding you in battle, giving you side quests or simply offering up clues as to where you need to go next. Steamforged Games have also added the map fragment mechanic into the board game which reveals and expands different elements of the map. You'll also have Stakes Of Marika which now give you additional lives in a boss fight and the handy Sites Of Grace where you can restore your health and flasks but they still reset enemies!

Bandit // Elden Ring: The Board Game

But what about the main quest? Well, each time you play you will create a Guidance Of Grace Deck that will give you the initial quest that you need to complete. That could shift and change through the course of gameplay but, much like the Guidance Of Grace in the video game, it will give you a hint as to the direction you need to head in. I am interested to see how this changes between games and how you progress when it comes to battling bosses and moving on to new areas of Limgrave.

Fearsome Foes

As well as the toe-dip into the exploration rules, Steamforged Games also showed off some more of the renders for the miniatures coming to the board game. These Misbegotten can all go jump in a pit as they are a pain in the arse to fight!

Leonine Misbegotten // Elden Ring: The Board Game

I say that but the Leonine Misbegotten wasn't that tough of a fight compared to dealing with the other Misbegotten in Castle Morne. That was a harrowing experience.

Scaly Misbegotten // Elden Ring: The Board Game

Still, the miniatures are looking good in their digital form and hopefully, we're going to see some awesome miniatures when the game delivers post-Kickstarter. With a pedigree for creating good one-piece miniatures for their Encounters series and Dark Souls, I'd hope we're up for something special.

Misbegotten // Elden Ring: The Board Game

Winged Misbegotten // Elden Ring: The Board Game

I am a big fan of Elden Ring and so I am eager to see what Steamforged Games do with the board game. Thankfully, I'm going to get to learn a lot more about the game because OTT was invited to an event next week by Steamforged Games all about Elden Ring: The Board Game.

Get Notified Of Launch // Elden Ring: The Board Game Kickstarter

So, if you have any questions about the game, the miniatures or what plans they have for the Kickstarter campaign, let me know in the comments and I will make sure to ask the designers in person.

Could you be tempted by Elden Ring: The Board Game?