The micro-machines in Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion make this board game a treat

There’s little doubt at this point that Steamforged Games has its head screwed on the right way when it comes to licensed board games. They’ve managed to build a name for themselves with their own titles (like the friendly Epic Encounters and Animal Adventures), but with the likes of Elden Ring, Resident Evil, and now Runescape on their list of collaborators, it’s clear that the company is becoming the group to turn to when a popular franchise is looking to step into the tabletop world.

This is proven in perhaps its most palpable example yet, a return to the Horizon series in Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion (now on Kickstarter), a brand new adventure that has been developed in collaboration with the team at Guerrilla Games to build an all-new narrative set in the ongoing canon of the games. Bold, yes - but in letting GamesRadar+ get their hands on the game before its release, SFG has made the case that boldness suits their appetite nicely.

Mighty minis

The immediate draw of a box like Seeds of Rebellion is, of course, the miniatures - which is in some cases a huge understatement, as the mightiest of machines that comes in the package stands at a huge 120mm, which when compared to its human characters at 20mm, equates to a beast roughly three stories tall. They’re a thing of absolute majesty, and it’s easy to believe Steamforged’s claims that these miniatures are the most detailed they’ve ever created. Even if you were looking to the box purely for beasts to paint, Seeds of Rebellion is already making a strong case.

As for the game itself, it’s clear that the streamlining the team has followed over the years has reached a head. The simple construction of its campaign books and separate decks of cards for players to draw has made setup a breeze (something that's always a relief in a time when the best board games can be unwieldy), and with the mechanics making way for some seriously fast-paced gameplay when everyone is acquainted, it doesn't outstay its welcome.

Players operate on a stealth system that reflects that of the video game, and they can make two actions per turn that could see them lay traps, sneak around baddies, or launch out of tall grass in hopes of turning Corruptors into scrap. The key of each section of gameplay, though, is to crush the big monster of the area, which, with its minion backup, can tear players to shreds in the space of a single failed roll. There is a huge risk that garners tension with every step, but that only gives players and their original characters more reason to put their heads together and tear down machines hand-in-hand.

You don’t all have to sing Kumbaya, though, as one of Steamforged’s team told GamesRadar+. There are ways to use your turn to send baddies towards your allies while you harvest scrap from smaller monsters, giving you a better chance to bolster yourself at the cost of trust. The RPG experience implied by an all-new narrative set six months before the events of Forbidden West clearly doesn’t end at its lore, as your character can be a right bastard if that’s the call you want to make.

Faithful adaptation

The quality of gameplay isn’t something to be shocked about, though, given that the SFG team worked on the Horizon Zero Dawn board game too, and even though gameplay has slightly changed, that doesn’t mean the party is over. The team has planned a new compatibility pack that brings the gameplay of Seeds of Rebellion backwards to help forge the two games into a singular experience if you’re up for a truly monstrous campaign. How this will work remains to be seen, but the thought alone is a nice touch, and it means that SFG has joined Dark Horse in the upper echelon of companies to turn to if you’re still hungry for more once the credits have rolled on the Horizon games.

It’s with atmosphere that the team has also made a name for itself, reflecting the dinginess of The Lands Between (which we took on in our Elden Ring board game preview last year) and the quietly terrifying corners of the Spencer Mansion in their Resident Evil: The Board Game adaptation, and they haven’t skimped this time around either. The tactical hunt combat of Horizon has been incredibly well reflected on the table, and it looks as though we could be onto the most respectful and faithful adaptation of the world of the games outside of their home format that money can buy.

The price of the core box is yet to be confirmed, and with expansions planned and a base experience that is claimed to be three times as long as SFG’s Zero Dawn core foray, there’s little doubt it’ll be something of an investment - but there’s no denying what sits in front of us. Seeds of Rebellion is perhaps the Horizon tabletop experience, and if you’re willing to make the sacrifice among your friends to bring the Forbidden West to your living room, you could be in for one of the best tabletop experiences that Steamforged Games has produced to date. Get your bows at the ready, because you’re going to need them.

Assets are in development and subject to licensor approval. Follow Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion’s Kickstarter here.