Doom Arena Board Game Hands-On Preview: Rip and Tear on the Tabletop

It's hard to ideate what first-person shooters would beryllium similar today, if they were to beryllium astatine all, without the archetypal DOOM, released backmost connected December 10, 1993, for MS-DOS. A lone ace soldier, the legendary Doom Guy, fending disconnected the hordes of demons from hellhole is 1 of the defining images of PC gaming, and the bid continues to daze and amaze fans to this time with each caller gory entry. Now, Modiphius Entertainment is bringing DOOM to the tabletop with the upcoming Doom Arena Board Game, present connected Kickstarter, and I had a accidental to get immoderate clip with a prototype to spot conscionable however good I could rip and teardrop successful my eating room.

While Doom Arena isn't the archetypal cardboard adaptation of the series, this latest rendition is simply a bloodbath contention betwixt 1 subordinate controlling Doom Guy and the different controlling the demons. Taking spot successful – you guessed it, an arena – the 2 players maneuver their integrative forces astir the hexagon grid-based warzone, competing to spot who tin crockery retired the astir pain.

Each constituent of harm done to an hostile earns you blood, which serves arsenic a triumph point. The victor is whoever comes retired up successful 2 retired of the 3 rounds by earning the astir blood, with each circular consisting of six turns each for some sides. Between rounds, some Doom Guy and the Demons tin upgrade their arsenals. Doom Guy gets caller weapons and armor, portion the Demons swap retired weaker enemies for hartier ones similar Pinky, Cacodemons, oregon the mighty Cyberdemon.

Doom Arena is 1 of those games that fits large arsenic a filler betwixt immoderate heavier ones during a crippled day, oregon erstwhile you conscionable privation to person immoderate amusive portion sipping a acold 1 and munching connected immoderate snacks. The gameplay is simply a slick dice-chucker wherever the strategy takes a backmost spot to moving successful guns blazing and seeing however overmuch symptom you unleash, which is precise reminiscent of its root material. The lone existent "strategy" I recovered myself reasoning astir is what upgrades I was going to walk my resources connected betwixt rounds.

I admit the simpler ruleset down Doom Arena, due to the fact that you tin explicate the rules to friends beauteous rapidly and beryllium rolling dice soon after. That being said, I wouldn't kick if determination were a smidgen much extent to beryllium found. To beryllium fair, the prototype I had entree to and a work-in-progress ruleset included lone two-player crippled modes, whereas the last crippled volition beryllium playable with 2-4 players, truthful it's imaginable the further extent I americium hoping for volition beryllium recovered successful the last rules and different crippled modes. On the taxable of crippled modes, I volition accidental that having authoritative rules for starting with much upgrades is smart, and makes for a ton of chaotic fun, and I could spot immoderate large matches hap by adopting a pick/counter-pick approach.

The mentation of Doom Arena that I played featured miniatures showcasing the classical looks of Doom Guy and demons that players of the archetypal crippled from the '90s volition recognize. But those who jumped connected the chainsaw wagon successful much caller decades volition person a mentation for them, too. Modiphius is producing a mechanically identical mentation that alternatively has arenas, models, and weapons pulled from the astir caller Doom: The Dark Ages, with Doom Guy replaced by the menacing Doom Slayer and demons including the Mancubus, Imps, Imp Stalkers, Hell and Battle Knights, Pinky Rider, Arachnotron, and Soldiers. And for folks who whitethorn beryllium lacking successful retention space, Modiphius volition besides connection a mentation that replaces the integrative miniatures with acrylic standees, shrinking the container size and lowering the cost.

When I archetypal heard the announcement that Modiphius was designing a caller Doom committee game, my caput instantly went to images of playing arsenic Doom Guy, exploring corridors, uncovering keys to unlock doors, that yet would pb to a combat with a large scary demon. Something much akin to accidental a Betrayal astatine House connected the Hill, Cthulu: Death May Die, oregon Zombicide. I inactive would emotion a Doom crippled similar that, but I can't contradict that Doom Arena captures the tone of these games splendidly.

This is simply a bid astir sidesplitting arsenic galore things arsenic accelerated arsenic possible, and Arena delivers connected that premise successful an breathtaking and digestible package. Even playing dice with this WIP physique led to tense moments wherever I had to clasp my enactment arsenic I rolled my dice, oregon elephantine sighs of alleviation arsenic my demons avoided being brutally dismembered by a chainsaw. I eagerly look guardant to seeing what benignant of further elements oregon add-ons volition beryllium disposable to play astir with and what benignant of different crippled modes volition vessel successful the last merchandise that usage 3 and 4 players. With the Doom Arena Board Game, Modphius looks to present a container that fans of some the video games and committee games successful wide tin enjoy, and I americium counting down the days until I tin rev up my chainsaw again and instrumentality it to immoderate demons again.

Doom the Arena Board Game’s run runs until November 21, 2025 with an expected transportation day of October 2026.

Scott White is simply a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and usher coverage. Follow him connected X/Twitter oregon Bluesky.