The ever-popular Minecraft is coming to tabletops once again in the form of two exciting new board games that are set to launch later this year. Video games often serve as a good inspiration for physical board games, with titles like Fallout, Portal, and XCOM appearing in board game format successfully over the years.
Minecraft is another massively successful video game that lends itself well to tangible real-world board games, as well as other toys and merchandise. Mojang’s blocky crafting and survival title has already spawned a line of LEGO sets, and one fan even created a custom Minecraft Monopoly board that looks real enough to buy. Plenty of real Minecraft tabletop games have also been released, such as Minecraft-themed playing cards, magnetic Minecraft puzzle games, and 2019’s Minecraft Builders & Biomes board game.
Earlier today, acclaimed board game publisher Ravensburger (the company behind Builders & Biomes) announced two upcoming Minecraft tabletop games that are being made in cooperation with Mojang. The first is Minecraft: Portal Dash, which has players work together to escape Minecraft’s sinister Nether dimension. To do this, players must cross perilous lava-filled landscapes and fight off endless hordes of fiery enemies. Additionally, Minecraft: Portal Dash players will have to uncover equipment and mine important Minecraft resources like cobblestone before they can be taken by the piglins. Minecraft: Portal Dash will be released in November 2022 and will cost $39.99 at retail. It is also recommended for players ages 10 and above, and a full game will take approximately 60 minutes to play.
New Minecraft Board Games Are Coming This Fall
The second Minecraft board game announced today is Minecraft: Heroes of the Village, which is instead aimed at younger players ages seven and up. Heroes of the Village tasks players with protecting their Minecraft village from raiding Illagers by banding together to collect resources and fend off the mobs that will try to slow them down. Once gathered, resources can be used to build structures to help defeat the Illagers, and players can seek the help of various Minecraft animal companions, like bears, that can grant special abilities. Minecraft: Heroes of the Village will be available at Target stores in November 2022, with a wider release set for January 2023. It will cost $24.99, and an average game should take about 20-25 minutes to complete.
Both Minecraft: Portal Dash and Minecraft: Heroes of the Village allow players to simulate the action of battling a horde of monsters as they would in a real game of Minecraft. Heroes of the Village has the added bonus of being accessible for younger players who might not yet be ready for the more intense action of Portal Dash, or even the combat in the base game. With the addition of the Warden, Minecraft's scariest and most dangerous mob, the game is tougher than ever.
These new Minecraft board games look to capture the feel and style of the iconic sandbox game, and will hopefully be a welcome addition to the collection of any dedicated fan. As the video and board game industries continue to mingle, fans can hope for even more excellent adaptations to join the growing catalog of Minecraft tabletop titles.