The open-world role-playing game “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” has been delighting players for almost 13 years and still has a lively community. Asmodee released an analog version for the gaming table at the beginning of the year. After a few hours of playing, we can now reveal whether our space on the rather large table was sufficient and how well the open world with its numerous quests and stories was implemented.
There are now countless board game adaptations of well-known video game IPs. “Fallout”, “Bloodborne” and “The Witcher” are just a few names that board game fans will have heard of somewhere. Interestingly, the focus is always on adventures with numerous quests, a solid story and battles like those you know from the games. This is exactly where “The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim: The Adventure Game” comes in – and we were amazed when the package from Asmodee arrived. The box is huge and quite heavy. Unpacked and set up, the game board towers over our 75 cm wide table a little, and the rest of the game material also takes up space. Curious to see whether the size translates into an open world feeling, we are looking forward to the introductory mission and of course all the other quests. However, we first have to read through the rulebook. At 50 pages, it is pretty epic, but it never seems really complex. Fans of “Skyrim” will already recognize many elements here.
Into the epic game world
The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim: The Adventure Game (board game)
The cardboard version of “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” offers the prequel to the video game. The players are the last surviving members of the legendary Blades – a group of warriors dedicated to protecting the realm of Tamriel. Members of our squad are being murdered and time is running out. So we are thrust into an initial exploration that spans the entire size of the realm. This is the first of two campaigns, with each campaign offering a short story arc divided into several chapters. The second campaign follows on from the first, and the results affect future missions. The gameplay is actually quite enticing. We grab a basic character, such as a devious Khajit or a fearsome Nord, equip ourselves with starting gear and explore Skyrim. We can swap characters between chapters of the campaign, as the game is really adaptable in this direction. We find it pleasant that “Skyrim” does not offer a huge campaign that keeps us tied to the game for weeks, but gives us the opportunity to play other games in between and then return to “Skyrim” for one or another quest.
Side quests galore
This means that the plot is not super exciting, but, as in the video game, we mainly focus on the side quests. World events, encounters in the city and exploring the wilderness tempt us with optional jobs. We head to these places by moving from point to point on the board game. Fortunately, the turns run almost simultaneously, so there is hardly any downtime. Together we discuss what goals we are pursuing and which (side) missions make the most sense. Occasionally we have to complete dice tests and fight an enemy, but we are usually offered personal quests. These side missions are usually travel tasks such as “Travel to Morthal and deliver a message to my cousin”. We usually have several quests with different options, which creates the connection between the board game and the video game.
