Survival Horror Meets Smart Technology

Hoxfall is one of the upcoming titles built around the Teburu System, and after playing the demo version, we came away genuinely curious about where the full campaign is heading. Combining cooperative survival horror with smart tabletop technology, Hoxfall places players inside a secret military facility beneath the Nevada desert where an experiment has gone catastrophically wrong. An alien mutagen has escaped, assimilating everything in its path, and the only objective is simple: survive long enough to escape.

Even though we only experienced a small slice of the campaign, it was enough to showcase the game’s atmosphere, mechanics, and the role technology plays in creating a seamless cooperative experience.

A Familiar Formula with Its Own Identity

At first glance, Hoxfall feels like a meeting point between games such as Zombicide and Nemesis. You’ll move through interconnected rooms, search for equipment, conserve precious ammunition, fight increasingly dangerous enemies, and make difficult decisions under constant pressure.m That comparison is easy to make, but Hoxfall doesn’t simply imitate existing games. Instead, it builds upon familiar cooperative survival mechanics while adding its own identity through its evolving campaign structure and the Teburu ecosystem.

The military base itself becomes an active participant in the experience. Every room explored, every decision taken, and every enemy encountered reinforces the feeling that the situation is rapidly spiraling out of control. Rather than feeling like isolated combat encounters connected by corridors, the scenarios tell a continuous story where the facility slowly collapses around the players.

Teburu Shows What Smart Board Gaming Can Be

The biggest surprise during our demo wasn’t actually the gameplay—it was how naturally the Teburu System blended into it. We already had positive experiences with Teburu before, but Hoxfall once again demonstrates why we believe it’s one of the most interesting technological innovations currently available in board gaming. The board automatically recognizes miniatures, tracks enemy positions, manages hidden information, triggers narrative events, controls enemy behavior, plays atmospheric music, and delivers cinematic story moments through the companion app. All of this happens almost invisibly while players simply focus on making decisions.

Importantly, the technology never overshadows the tabletop experience. You still move physical miniatures, roll physical dice, and interact with real components. Teburu simply removes much of the bookkeeping that traditionally slows down campaign-heavy dungeon crawlers. That balance is perhaps its greatest achievement. Instead of replacing the board game, it enhances it.

Constant Pressure Keeps the Tension High

Hoxfall wastes very little time before introducing danger. Resources are intentionally limited, meaning every bullet, every point of energy, and every decision carries weight. Exploring another room may provide desperately needed supplies—or awaken another horrifying creature. One element we particularly enjoyed was the escalation of threats. Smaller enemies gradually combine into larger, deadlier monsters, creating memorable moments where what initially looked manageable suddenly becomes a serious crisis.

Rather than overwhelming players through complicated rules, Hoxfall creates tension through pacing. Every new discovery feels valuable, but every delay allows the mutagen to spread further throughout the facility. The result is a game that constantly encourages teamwork and communication without forcing players into rigid optimization puzzles.

Every Survivor Brings Something Different

The playable characters immediately feel distinct. Each survivor comes equipped with unique abilities that encourage different approaches to problem-solving. Some naturally lean toward combat, while others offer stronger support or utility options.

Because resources are limited and enemies become increasingly dangerous, cooperation becomes far more important than individual heroics. Success rarely comes from one player carrying the group—it comes from combining everyone’s abilities effectively. Even during the relatively short demo, we found ourselves discussing positioning, resource management, and timing almost every turn, which is exactly what we hope for from cooperative games.

Production Quality Already Looks Promising

Although this was still a preview version, Hoxfall already leaves a strong visual impression. The miniatures are detailed and full of personality, helping distinguish both heroes and grotesque alien creatures. The board tiles successfully capture the atmosphere of a sterile military complex slowly being consumed by something deeply unnatural.

Artwork throughout the prototype supports the game’s science-fiction horror setting without becoming overly flashy. Combined with the dynamic music and event sequences provided by the Teburu app, the overall presentation creates an immersive experience that constantly reinforces the feeling of being trapped inside a living nightmare. It’s easy to imagine the final production becoming one of the stronger-looking Teburu releases.

Accessibility Without Sacrificing Theme

One aspect we appreciated was how approachable the gameplay felt. Despite the technological layer underneath, players never have to wrestle with complicated digital interfaces. Most interactions remain intuitive, allowing newcomers to quickly understand what they need to do. The app quietly handles enemy logic, scenario scripting, hidden information, and various calculations, leaving players free to focus on tactical choices instead of administration. That makes Hoxfall feel welcoming without becoming simplistic. There are still meaningful decisions every turn, but very little unnecessary overhead.

Looking Forward to the Full Campaign

Since we only experienced the demo, there are naturally several questions that remain unanswered. The biggest one concerns the campaign itself. The premise suggests an evolving narrative where the mutagen continues spreading regardless of player success, and that idea sounds extremely promising. We are curious to see how much long-term variety the campaign provides, how meaningful player choices become over multiple sessions, and how much replayability the branching structure ultimately offers.

These are not concerns as much as areas we’re genuinely looking forward to exploring once the complete game becomes available. The demo successfully established the atmosphere and core gameplay loop. Now we’re eager to discover how everything develops over the course of a full campaign.

Verdict

Based on our time with the demo, Hoxfall is shaping up to be a very promising cooperative survival horror experience. It combines familiar dungeon-crawling foundations with excellent thematic immersion, meaningful teamwork, and one of the smoothest implementations of smart tabletop technology we’ve experienced. Perhaps the greatest compliment we can give is that after only one demo session, we wanted to immediately continue the story. That’s usually a good sign for any campaign game. Of course, the final judgment will depend on how the complete campaign develops, how varied the scenarios become, and how much longevity the finished product offers. However, the foundation already feels remarkably solid.

If you’re interested in cooperative campaign games, survival horror, or simply want to experience what modern smart board gaming can look like, Hoxfall is definitely a title worth watching when it launches on Gamefound on July 21.

– David & Greg

Hype & Hopes: 9.0/10