A World of Warcraft Small World board game is reportedly in development. This announcement seems to have mostly flown under the radar, and that probably has a lot to do with the subtle presentation of this work-in-progress title at Blizzcon 2019.
Images of this upcoming tabletop game were shared by Joe Wood on the Board Game Spotlight Facebook page. Aside from some artwork of familiar characters, some game pieces fitting the Small World style and a tiny game board were visible within a glass case.
Also included with the presentation was an image of a sign that had some basic details about this upcoming tabletop game:
World of Warcraft board game coming soon!
Blizzard has teamed up with Asmodee, one of the leading international board game publishers, to introduce a board game based on World of Warcraft.
The upcoming Small World board game captures the world of Azeroth including gameplay filled with orcs, elves, and more.
- Available in Spring 2020 -
The sign had the asmodee and Blizzard Gear logos at the bottom, the latter of which suggests that this upcoming product will be available for purchase at the Blizzard Gear store.
What Will the World of Warcraft Small World Board Game Be Like?
No real rules or mechanics were laid out for the World of Warcraft Small World board game, but we can infer what they might be like based on the rules for the base game [PDF] which has been out for some time.
Simply put, Small World is all about controlling territory. You'll deploy two "race tokens" (representing a fantasy race) onto a region plus one additional token for obstacles in the way like fortresses, mountains, and the like. The race will then expand its territory into new regions, potentially fighting for territory with other players.
Interestingly, you don't play just a single race. Your first race will eventually enter a Tolkien-esque "decline" and eventually be supplanted with a new one, representing the shifting sands of time and changes in the world. Considering the dozens of races in World of Warcraft, it's certainly a mechanic that could be used well provided that it's done right!
You'll be able to get this upcoming WoW board game in the Spring of 2020. In the meantime, you can pick up a physical copy of Small World on Amazon at the price of $34.89 or your regional equivalent, or you grab Small World 2 for $9.99 via the Humble Store.
Disclosure: Amazon and Humble Bundle work with TechRaptor for affiliate partnership, and TechRaptor earns a small commission off purchases made from some links in this article.
What do you think of the World of Warcraft Small World board game? Do you think the WoW universe is a good fit for this ruleset? Let us know in the comments below!
