Blasphemous The Board Game: Prototype Review.
Background
Welcome to Cvstodia, a land where evil and sin still reign, and danger lurks around every corner. In this dark, gothic world inhabited by monsters and cursed souls, a story of penance, guilt, and hope unfolds. Blasphemous, a video game that has captivated players for years, tells the tale of the One Who Came, a warrior known as the “Penitent One,” who faces endless temptations and terrifying enemies in his battle against the past, in the name of salvation and restoring order in a land torn apart by sin.
In the Blasphemous board game, players will step into the shoes of the Penitent One, facing not only external threats but also their own fears, temptations, and desires. Whether they succeed in restoring balance and justice to a land where faith is both a gift and a curse will depend solely on their choices.
Art Style and Atmosphere
Blasphemous: The Board Game transports players to the dark, gothic world of Cvstodia, where religious motifs and brutal rituals intertwine in an unsettling tale. The board game preserves the distinctive art style of the original video game, capturing an atmosphere full of suffering, penance, and hope.
Visually, the board game draws inspiration from Spanish religious iconography and architecture, giving it a unique and dark ambience. Details such as gothic cathedrals, horrifying monsters, and mystical artefacts are faithfully recreated, allowing players to feel as though they’re in the heart of Cvstodia. All elements of the game, from the main board and player boards to characters, enemies, and even quests, are faithfully transferred from the digital version to the tabletop. If you’ve played Blasphemous the video game, you’ll have no trouble finding your way around the board. For us, graphic design is one of the most important aspects of the game, right alongside the mechanics. It is what makes the game more or less immersive, and the table presence of Blasphemous is truly remarkable. Beyond the dark, beautiful visuals, we’ll also find captivating miniatures—faithful replicas of the monsters and characters from the video game. Ludus Magnus Studio has already proven to be masters at designing stunning miniatures, and here they maintain their high standard.
Semi-Coop Adventure with Scenarios
Blasphemous: The Board Game is an adventure game where each player assumes the role of the Penitent One. Players will develop their character through combat, acquiring items, relics, solving quests, and random events recorded in the books. The game is semi-cooperative, meaning players can help each other, but may also choose to refuse assistance, which carries consequences. However, in the end, only one player can win. At least, in the scenario we played—yes, the game will consist of different scenarios called “pilgrimages.” Each scenario has unique rules, a primary antagonist (Nemesis), unique event cards, and mechanics. This doesn’t mean that once you’ve completed a scenario, there’s no point in returning to it. The scenario we played simply set the framework for the game; what happens next depends entirely on the players.
Board
The main element of the game is the board, featuring numerous locations connected by pathways. Each location has a unique action that benefits the hero—healing, purchasing new items with the currency “tears,” adding fervor, or providing additional resources. But that’s not all—enemies, quest items, and even the main antagonist, the Nemesis, will appear across the locations. Just like in the video game, moving between locations is no easy task. If you choose to pass through a location with an enemy, expect a backstab. If you engage in battle and lose, you’ll get a direct hit. The game also features a built-in timer, and if it runs out, everyone loses. At least, in the scenario we played.
Character Development
Character development in the game occurs through acquiring new items and abilities: prayers, beads, and special powers. Each of these cards provides bonuses and effects—sometimes enhancing dice rolls, sometimes offering abilities usable before or after combat, providing resistances or strengthening abilities. It’s also crucial to note that heroes have a limited number of uses for each of these. Creating synergies between acquired items is key.
Combat
Combat in the game is resolved using dice, which can be modified. Each player starts with three basic dice—a copper, silver, and gold die. Each die face can be removed and replaced with a better, stronger one. We’ve seen dice-building games before, but here it’s executed in an incredibly convenient and thoughtful way. You simply need to lift a die face to detach it from the structure and attach a different one. During combat, a player uses all of their dice unless an effect says otherwise, and compares their result to the combination of symbols needed to defeat a particular enemy. For example, one enemy requires at least two results of a minimum value of 1 and at least two agility symbols (depicted by a running shoe icon). If you fail to roll the required result, you can re-roll the dice if you have the skills to do so; if not, you lose. The enemy counters, and your turn is wasted. Combat is very simple and intuitive. Interestingly, you can ask another player on the same or an adjacent tile for help. They can agree or refuse, and depending on their decision, there will be a reward or penalty.
Skill Tests
The game also features skill tests. Each hero has three stats they can test, using a 10-sided die (d10). A roll equal to or lower than the stat value is a success, while anything higher is a failure. Tests can also be modified by additional skills or penalties.
Round Structure
During a hero’s activation, they can take the following actions in order: move, use the location effect if desired, and then perform one of the mandatory actions: move, fight, or explore. The final action is to perform the quest action, but only if there’s a quest item at the location and no enemies present. We’ve already covered movement and combat; the remaining action is exploration.
Exploration
Each scenario (pilgrimage) comes with its own event books assigned to specific locations. When a player chooses to explore, they roll a 100-sided die (d100). Another player checks the corresponding entry in the book and resolves the event. Sometimes it’s a test, sometimes a penalty, and sometimes a reward. What’s important is that players gain destiny points through various events. During exploration, accumulated destiny points are added to the roll result in an attempt to reach 100 or more. As you might expect, the event tied to a 100 result is the most crucial—during the demo we played, it granted a unique personal quest for the player.
Sunset Phase
After the hero activation, we move to the sunset phase, which activates the enemies. From what we’ve experienced, each sunset phase is unique and specific to each scenario. This is a fantastic mechanic that makes each scenario significantly different. In the demo scenario, the sunset phase focused on moving the Nemesis across the board and starting the countdown that would end the game.
Confrontation
The final key element to discuss is the confrontation with the Nemesis. This battle takes place on a separate arena, where players position their heroes tactically against the Nemesis, gaining bonuses and suffering penalties if they remain in dangerous areas. After defeating the Nemesis, players receive a “defeated” card, which could be a victory condition for the scenario. The Nemesis battle differs significantly from the regular combat. While the dice-rolling mechanics are the same, there’s an additional challenging test, movement on a separate board, and potential bonuses and penalties tied to the terrain. Of course, winning the battle with the Nemesis requires meeting very high thresholds by rolling the right results.
Verdict
As fans of the video game, we were hyped for the board game adaptation from the very moment we heard it was in development. The demo we had a chance to experience not only met but also exceeded our expectations. Amazing, faithful adaptations to the table, stunning visuals and minis, engaging gameplay, massive replayability, and a lot of innovation reflected by the dice upgrades and boss battles make Blaspehmous The Board Game a title we can’t wait to see in its final version.
– David & Greg
Hype & Hopes: 9.0/10
