Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City Core Set Review

Ever wanted to feel the "sunlight" warming your skin in Anor Londo? Now's your chanc! We've previously covered Dark Souls: The Board Game when it first released, and since that initial release several expansions have landed. Now, Steamforged Games is releasing a brand new Core Set for the game. They sent me a copy to check out, so follow along for my review of Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City.

What Is Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City?

Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City is a cooperative dungeon-crawling board game set in the Dark Souls universe for 1 to 3 players (and if you have any previous expansions, you can play up to 4 players). With a focus on the original Dark Souls game, players take on the role of one of three characters based on classic Dark Souls character classes -- the Pyromancer, the Warrior, and the Herald -- on a quest to defeat Dragon Slayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough.

Sound fun? It really is! But more on that in moment. For now, let's talk about what's included in the box itself:

• 15 miniatures, including 3 large bosses
• 4 double-sided game tiles
• 3 character boards
• 200+ tokens
• 190+ cards
• 15 bespoke dice
• 2 health dials
• Campaign dashboard
• Rulebook

Do You Need The Original Dark Souls: The Board Game to play The Sunless City?

No, you don't need the original Dark Souls: The Board Game to play The Sunless City. This is a complete standalone game with a focus on the first Dark Souls video game (previous incarnations of the game spread out across the titles), and it contains everything 1 to 3 players need to play the game.

Also, based on community feedback, Steamforged Games has completely revamped the way it approached a campaign nature of gameplay. As I'll speak too later in this review, the game really focuses now on slowly making your way through the realm toward your inevitable goal.

How Do You Play Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City?

I'll keep this brief because there's definitely plenty to get into, but essentially you and your companions set out on a journey toward an end goal of killing Ornstein and Smough. You'll do this by playing a series of Encounters, which ramp up in difficulty as you progress through the game. If you die, which will happen (it is Dark Souls, afterall) you'll go back to your bonfire. You can also choose to go to your bonfire at any time to spend souls to level up and purchase gear for your characters, but be careful - you can only visit the bonfire so many times before you run out and lose the game!

Each Encounter card you draw sets up a scenario with specific win conditions and special rewards, and each mirror memorable moments from the video game. Halfway through, you'll face off against a Titanite Demon, which - like Ornstein and Smough - uses an AI deck of attack cards to keep you on your toes.

Every enemy in the game behaves using a pre-built "AI" system, where their card directs them toward specific targets. You'll face off against Hallowed Soldiers and Crossbowmen, Silver Knights, a Sentinel, and Mimics (along with the aforementioned bosses). It may feel like a small pool of enemies, but the various encounters keep things very interesting.

Combat is resolved with a simple yet effective dice-rolling system, where players roll dice to attack, and spend stamina to unleash more devastating attacks. When enemies attack the players, much like the game you'll either try to dodge attacks with lighter gear, or shrug off damage with heavier armor.

Does Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City Feel Like The Video Games?

Yes! Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City truly brings home that feeling that Souls lovers will be looking for with its mix of difficulty, the need to carefully plan, and its tough but fair approach. One of the ways I feel this game most embodies the tabletop game is the simple fact that, at the start of every round, enemies go first!

In almost all cooperative, dungeon-crawl games, players go first, and then enemies react. But that's not how it goes in Dark Souls, is it? In a world where a lowly Hallowed crossbow archer can pin you down on your quest for greatness, or a mimic can swallow you in a few quick chomps, having players go first would feel incongruous.

Also, if you die or choose to rest at the bonfire and level up, you have to re-play the scenarios you've already defeated! Sure, you'll have more power, better gear, etc., but you still have to go through those early moments - just like in the video game. And also like in the video game, one of the rewards you can earn from completing various scenarios is a Shortcut, which will allow you to re-start your post-bonfire journey from that spot going forward.

Add to that the truly punishing nature of the boss fights (and the fact that, once you learn their movesets, they become a bit more manageable), and you've got an experience that really nicely translates the Dark Souls video game onto the tabletop.

What Are My Final Thoughts On Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City?

I think Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City is really and truly a triumph of design - especially when you consider how well it mimics the feel of the video game. This is a tight, taut, challenging game that rewards careful play while also rewarding pushing your luck.

If you're a fan of the Dark Souls genre of games and also a tabletop gaming fan, you'll really love this approachable box. If you're new to tabletop gaming or new to the Dark Souls franchise, there will be a learning curve here (either in the ruleset which isn't complex but also isn't simple, or in the mythos of this inscrutable world), but it's absolutely worth checking out and diving into.

The copy of Dark Souls: The Board Game - The Sunless City used in the creation of this review was provided by Steamforged Games. All photos courtesy of the author.