Divinity Original Sin: The Board Game review – An effortless inspiration

❘ Published: 2024-05-09T16:32:06

Larian Studios

Deriving from its popular video game counterpart, the Divinity Original Sin board game brings something brand new to the board game scene, crafting an interesting mix between TTRPGs and the traditional tabletop adventure – but does it work?

Turning popular video games into board games is nothing new. The likes of Sea of Thieves, Fallout, Bloodborne, and even Stardew Valley have been turned into some extremely successful tabletop adventures. Now, Divinity Original Sin has had the same treatment after an extensive period as a Kickstarter project.

So, with the recent success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian has set a high bar for its dip into board games – but does it hold out in comparison to its video game inspiration or does it crumble under the weight of its extensive subject matter?

Key Details

Price: $150 / £150
Release date: Out now
Developers: Larian Studios

Effortless and expansive enjoyment

The Divinity Original Sin board game feels much like a TTRPG thanks to its length, detail, and collaborative nature. It’s not often that we see a fantastic collaborative adventure that keeps you on your toes and feels both innovative and varied throughout – yet this game manages it just fine.

Using a variety of high-quality minis, an effortless rulebook, and what is easily the most creative board I’ve ever seen, the Divinity Original Sin game manages to encapsulate over 66 hours worth of content from its video game counterpart and so much more.

Pairing delightfully with creativity is the game’s effortless nature. Rather than embodying limitations, the expansive rulebook feels almost freeing, simply explaining how the game and its abilities work and allowing the player to make choices, create broken builds, or invent deadly combinations throughout the experience.

This is greatly enhanced by the Divine Atlas, which serves as the game board. Its multi-page design perfectly encapsulates the open-world nature of this game’s counterpart and allows the group the chance to explore tons of unique locations, all fitted out with their own stories, D&D style descriptions, and unforgettable artwork.

A game to sink into – time and time again

The Divine Atlas is 50 pages long with as many locations for players to explore, meaning the adventure can take quite a while. In fact, the game is advertised as taking over 20 hours to complete, and that’s only exploring up to 16 locations.

While that can feel extremely overwhelming, the nature and design of this experience complement its length perfectly, allowing the group to sink into the adventure over multiple sessions instead of getting it all done in one go.

Due to the impressive length, the game can be compared to the likes of D&D and other TTRPGS, which allow the group to engross themselves into an adventure or arc for various sessions – only this adventure doesn’t require any preparation or a DM.

Despite playing for 20 hours, one playthrough will likely not even touch the full extent of the game’s locations, making it extremely replayable, especially given the multiple characters and abilities to try out.

The Verdict – 5/5

Thanks to the variety, encouraged collaboration, and inspired replayability, the Divinity Original Sin board game manages to combine all the best parts of a video game, a TTRPG, and a fantastic experience, creating an adventure I won’t easily forget.

While it can feel a little lengthy and isn’t great for a quick board game night, Larian has expertly designed a replayable and inviting board game that feels almost as addictive, collaborative, and memorable as any fantastic TTRPG. So long as you can give it the full dedication and attention it deserves, Divinity Original Sin The Board Game can craft an unforgettable experience that’ll be hard not to fall in love with.

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