Horizon Forbidden West Strike is an in-game board game that riffs on Gwent

(Image credit: Sony)

Horizon Forbidden West Strike has been quietly revealed.

Some of Horizon Forbidden West's special editions include Strike pieces, linking to an FAQ which explains Strike as a "board game played by inhabitants of the world of Horizon." According to the FAQ, Strike is played with wooden and metal pieces fashioned in the shape of machines, and Aloy can challenge "many different NPCs" to a match as she explores the world.

Yes, it sounds a lot like Horizon Forbidden West is going to have its own robo-dino equivalent to The Witcher 3's Gwent, right down to challenging people to a game even when you probably have much more important things to be doing. But how will it actually play, beyond being a minigame of its own?

Well, the fact that certain editions of Horizon Forbidden West come with an in-game Apex Clawstrider Machine piece tells us a couple things: first, Strike will be played with collectible pieces, and second, those pieces may have rarity levels, as indicated by the Apex in Apex Clawstrider. You'll likely be able to find or create more pieces in Aloy's travels and assemble the best ones into a powerful team of miniature robo-dinos.

In a hunter gatherer world where communities make most of their goods by hand, it's funny to picture somebody carving their own Strike piece and simply pronouncing that "this is the most rare and powerful one now." But if your handiwork is up to snuff (and you keep your spear handy) who's going to tell you otherwise?

If you want to upgrade your copy of Horizon Forbidden West to new-gen, you'll need to pick up certain editions of the game. As for real-world tabletop inspiration, take a look at our guide to the best board games.