Skyrim board game will flesh out what happened "before the Dragonborn"

A Skyrim board game (appropriately titled 'The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim – The Adventure Game') will add prequel and side stories to the rich tapestry of Tamriel's frozen north when it launches next summer. 

Following a tease earlier this year, the full Skyrim Adventure Game was unveiled this morning along with its GameFound campaign, which has already more than doubled its crowdfunding goal. Currently scheduled to launch in summer 2022, creator Modiphius Entertainment is also eyeing Dawnguard and From the Ashes expansions for the project as well as miniature upgrade kits that will bring more monsters to the Skyrim board game.

Built with one to four players in mind, you can play as a Nord, Dunmer, Imperial, Altmer, Khajiit, or Orsimer adventurer, with expansions adding more race options, all represented by 32mm miniatures which are compatible with Modiphius' other Skyrim board game, The Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms.

You'll guide your character through familiar regions picking up quests, filling out your equipment and skill tree, exploring dungeons, and taking on bosses. While this is standard fare for the best board games, things get interesting thanks to hundreds of cards for items, followers, events, upgrades, and more. Modiphius estimates a single no-frills playthrough can take around 12 hours, but promises hundreds of hours of content to explore with each run offering new quests and encounters. 

That's partially because the Skyrim Adventure Game features two campaigns with three chapters apiece. Together, these campaigns explore 25 years of Skyrim history, including events "before the Dragonborn" from the perspective of the last surviving member of the Blades, the former protectors of Tamriel. 

In an interview with Polygon, designer Juan Echenique clarified that one campaign is set a full 25 years before the Skyrim we know, while the other picks up right before the arrival of the Dragonborn, letting you observe the Dovahkiin's actions from afar as another Tamriel citizen. You've got to wonder if they'll add the parts where the Dragonborn routinely relies on stealth archery and eating frankly absurd amounts of food instantaneously. 

Skyrim – The Adventure Game has a base price of £82 (with the first 2,011 backers getting a £14 discount) and special editions can run you up to £220. If you're on the fence about buying in, be on the lookout for a free sample coming to Tabletop Simulator sometime soon.

Eager for a trip back to Tamriel before the Skyrim board game arrives? Take a look at how the Anniversary Edition update of the regular old video game Skyrim works. And if you're interested in other tabletop co-op experiences, don't miss our guide to the best co-operative board games - it's got plenty of recommendations for adventurers like you, including RPGs such as Gloomhaven.