S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game
Information
Developer(s)	Awaken Realms
Designer(s)	Paweł Samborski
Release date(s)	ENG Wave 1 - September 11, 2024 ENG Wave 2 - June 24, 2025 LANG Wave 1 - October 9, 2025 LANG Wave 2 - TBA

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game is a board game set in the universe of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., designed by Paweł Samborski and published by Awaken Realms. The game was successfully crowdfunded on Gamefound in 2023, and released in multiple waves starting in September 2024. The board game was co-produced with GSC Game World in tandem with the development of Heart of Chornobyl.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game is a cooperative story-driven dungeon crawler game, referred to as a "zone" crawler by the publisher. The players assume the roles of stalkers within a group, and can play through campaign Missions or one-off engagements in Zone Survival mode. Each Mission uses a modular map built from numbered tiles, and the players complete objectives, eliminate enemies, or search for loot and artifacts.

The game was released with multiple expansions, that add new characters, Missions, equipment, and miniatures that replace the cardboard standees.

History

Awaken Realms announced S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game on February 28th, 2023, during the Awaken Realms NEXT 2023 livestream as a licensed adaptation of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. The crowdfunding campaign was announced on Gamefound on March 16th, 2023, followed by a pre-campaign period during which the project amassed over 20,000 followers. On June 13th, 2023, the crowdfunding campaign began and reached its $50,000 funding goal in 3 minutes and 34 seconds. After three weeks, the campaign was closed with $3,768,306.39 in funding from 15,146 backers, becoming one of the platform's most successful campaigns. After the campaign was reopened for late pledges on October 26th, 2023, the total amount raised was $6,201,443 from 19,119 backers.

Gameplay

The board game offers a fully cooperative experience for 1-4 players, with an adaptation of the survival and shooter mechanics found within the original video game series. The players go on Missions, where they fight enemies, collect loot, and complete objectives on a map built from tiles, while also managing their personal inventories and stash. The game can be played as an ongoing Campaign with Story Missions played in consecutive order, or as one-shot scenarios in Zone Survival. Core Box includes both the main game and Zone Survival.

Core Box Content	Number
Paper
Rule Book	44 Pages
Mission Guide + Scriptbook	27 + 5 Pages
Gameplay Example	8 Pages
Coupons	40
Zone Map with stickers	4 sets
Standard cards
Weapon cards	27
Anomaly cards	11
High Attention (Red) Enemy Activation cards	12
Low Attention (Yellow) Enemy Activation cards	10
Contact cards	16
Control cards	3
Lost Territories cards	21
Small cards
Item cards	38
Artifact cards	26
Attachment cards	33
Armor cards	26
Enemy Wound cards	20
Oversized cards
Stalker cards	12
Random Event cards	18
Help cards	5
Enemy cards	17
Tokens
Unknown tokens	24
Loot tokens	31
Enemy Team tokens	4
Artifact tokens	5
Enemy standees	54
Anomaly standees	20
Lead Stalker token	1
Pin Down tokens	10
Exposed tokens	10
Focus tokens	4
Bolt tokens	16
No Visibility tokens	4
Attention tokens	4
Turn tokens	8
Improved/Advanced Container tokens	4
Critical Injury tokens	8
Pseudogiant carcass token	1
Dog Companion token	1
Enemy -HP tokens	9
Trap tokens	2
Entrance tokens	2
Models
Stalker models	4
Dog Companion model	1
Plastic
Stalker dice	6
Equipment dice	6
Anomaly die	1
Pistol Magazines	10
Rifle Magazines	10
Shotgun Magazines	10
Universal/Ammo markers	36
Stalker HP markers	4
Anomaly overlays	13
Color rings	4
Small + big standee bases	24
Plastic pins	6 sets
Others
PDA - Player boards	4
Geiger counters	4
Solo Stalker Turn overlays	2
Map tiles	15
Lost Territory tiles	3
Mission boxes	6
Campaign binder	1
Binder cardholder	1
Binder dividers	2
Stash envelope	1
Enemy facing stickers	1 sheet

Zone Survival Content	Number
Paper
Zone Survival Rules & Scripts	23 Pages
Zone Survival Map Book	11 Pages
Standard cards
Special cards	10
Character cards	10
Setup cards	55
Event cards	70
Small cards
Unique Loot cards	20
Oversized cards
ZS Help card	1
Tokens
Pipe tile	1
Sewage tile	1
Bus tile	1
Excavator tile	1
Truck tile	1
Cave tile	1
Scrapyard tile	1
Thicket tile	1
Concrete Room tile	1
Flooded Room tile	1
Cluttered Room tile	1
Exit Tunnel token	1
Silo token	1
Sniper Fire token	1
Spawn Point tokens	2
Device token	1
Installation token	1
Monolith token	1
Helper token	1
Trader token	1
Stranger token	1
Exit token	1
Chest tokens	4
Sandbags tokens	3
Dead Body token	1
Busy token	1
Cloud token	1
This Room token	1
Safe token	1
Secret Stuff token	1
Heavy Machine Gun token	1
Low Attention token	1
High Attention token	1
Manhole tokens	4
Off tokens	7
On tokens	7
Trap tokens	4
Plastic Explosive token	1
Hole tokens	9
Unique Loot token	1
Dark Entrance token	1
Barrel tokens	4
Spiked Trap token	1
Mine tokens	3
Rubble tokens	6
Tight Passage tokens	5
Decoder token	1
Fire tokens	6
Map Radiation tokens	6
Viewfinder token	1
Target token	1
Locked Door token	1
Armored Gate token	1
Key token	1
Escape token	1
Help token	1
This Enemy token	1

Core Gameplay

The game takes place on a map built from multiple numbered tiles divided into rectangular spaces. Map cards are placed on top of the tiles, which add unique interactions or instant events when stepped on. Anomalies are represented by transparent overlays covering multiple spaces, and an additional rule card is placed to denote the anomaly type and effects. Collectable loot is marked with Loot Tokens. Enemies are represented by standees, while the players have miniature models.

Player's PDA (Image by IGN)

Each player assumes the role of a single Stalker with a unique character card, abilities, health points and dice pool size. Character stats are tracked on a PDA board, where the player organizes their equipment and items. Additionally, a separate Geiger counter shows the accumulated radiation dose. Limited storage space forces players to carefully plan what they bring into each Mission, balancing weapons, armor, medical supplies, and other equipment.

A game round is divided into three phases: the Event Phase, the Players Phase, and the Enemies & Zone Phase.

The Event Phase marks the passage of time during a Mission. An event card is drawn, read aloud, and its rules applied to the game. A card can add an environmental effect such as radioactive rain or an Emission, while others call for more enemies or give players beneficial effects. Event cards are sorted into Mission Events and Random Events. Mission Events are found in Campaign Missions.

During the Players Phase, each stalker receives two turns with two actions each, tracked by sliding turn tokens on their PDA. During a turn, a player may perform standard actions such as moving, attacking, looting, reloading, using items, or interacting with map cards. Certain actions are counted as free actions and do not require to slide the turn token.

After all players have taken their turns, the Enemies & Zone Phase begins. Enemies activate by drawing from an Enemy Activation deck, which determines how the enemy moves and attacks. They move towards Attention Tokens that are placed on the map whenever players make noise or are spotted, then they react to the nearest target within line of sight. Afterwards, radiation damage and end of round effects are resolved, then the next round begins and the next event card is drawn.

Equipment management is a major part of gameplay. Weapons and armor have unique stats and properties that dictate their use and utility, and may be fitted with attachments that grant additional bonuses or abilities. Items include consumables like food and medicine, as well as grenades. Bolts are represented by tokens stored in the player's pocket; they may be used to make anomaly fields easier to cross, or to distract enemies by creating noise. Three types of magazines - pistol, rifle, and shotgun - are used to reload weapons.

Combat is a central element of the game, and is resolved differently depending on whether a player or an enemy initiates it. It is dictated by line of sight and weapon range rules. Whenever a player initiates combat, they may choose a fire mode listed on their weapon card, then roll dice accordingly. The result is checked against the enemy card, and an appropriate wound is applied - light, heavy, or directly removing health points. Wounds are drawn from a deck and apply negative effects. Meanwhile, if an enemy initiates combat, they reduce the player's health by a set amount, which could be reduced by a number of dice thrown according to the player's armor or abilities. Enemies may also use special abilities listed on their cards.

The players may collect new equipment by picking up Loot Tokens and taking a random card from the listed deck or a bolt or a weapon magazine. Additionally, the players may navigate anomaly fields and search for artifacts. Artifact type depends on anomaly type.

Players receive radiation exposure when navigating radioactive spaces on the map, or from equipped artifacts. The radiation dose is logged on the player's Geiger counter. At the end of the round, an indicated number of dice is rolled, and the resulting number of health points are removed. Radiation exposure may be limited by better armor and artifact container.

Missions end when the players complete all objectives, run out of time, or if a stalker dies. The outcome determines the rewards, Campaign progress, and which new areas of the Zone are unlocked for future exploration.

Campaign

The Campaign mode is the main way to play the board game. It features persistent progression, exploration, and storytelling. The gameplay is divided into Zone Exploration, Mission, and Cleanup phases. All material relevant to the Campaign are stored in a dedicated Campaign Binder, and designated Mission boxes. The Campaign also uses a Zone Map with marked locations.

Campaign Zone Map

During the Zone Exploration phase, the players may interact with their contacts, explore various locations, and prepare for their next Mission. Zone locations may have new contacts, stashes, or lead to Missions. Visiting locations triggers events that are described in the Script Book. Some events have multiple choices, and may give different rewards. Contacts offer services such as trading or joining the players on their next Mission as a companion. The players must carefully manage their expenses while preparing for the Mission. They can store their equipment and money inside the Campaign Binder's plastic envelope, the Stash.

Missions are set up according to the Mission Guide Book. Each Mission has its own box with unique Mission Events, cards, and tokens. Three Missions build a Story. Some Missions have multiple objectives, choices, and outcomes, which influence rewards and effects on further Missions within a Story. A successful Mission usually updates the Zone Map with stickers that indicate a new location or achievement. Finally, each Mission is followed by a Cleanup phase that consists of removing game pieces from the table.

Available Missions:

• A1 "Rescuing Dalik" - Infiltrate a bandits' camp to find a missing stalker.
• A2 "The Fray and the Fridge" - Get inside an abandoned warehouse and prove your mettle against a pseudogiant.
• A3 "Whispers in the Ruins" - Travel to the forlorn city of Prypiat to meet your contact.
• B1 "The Forsaken Lab" - Explore the dark corridors of an underground facility in search of a unique artifact.
• B2 "Spatial Force" - Lose yourself in the middle of the Great Swamp.
• B3 "A Penny for Your Thoughts" - Scavenge missing documentation from a compound overrun by various mutants.

Zone Survival

Zone Survival offers randomized one-shot scenarios that are separate from the Campaign. After a Mission is finished, the game completely resets. It follows a different rulebook, which dictates how a Mission is set up and which additional rules apply. There is a separate card deck with setup, event, character and special cards, as well as unique loot. There are additional tokens for map features. After setup, the Zone Survival game plays the same as a regular Campaign game.

There are 10 scenarios and 10 maps to choose from, giving 100 possible combinations. Randomly drawn setup cards introduce new rules, such as additional objectives, unique objects, boosts for enemies and allies. Enemies and anomalies are randomized. Fate Triggers with special effects are added which are activated via dice roll at the end of each round. Some cards activate one of over 200 unique effects listed in the Zone Survival Script Book.

Available scenarios:

1. Elimination - Eliminate all mutant enemies on the map.
2. Recon In Force - Eliminate all mutant enemies spawned from Unknown Enemy tokens.
3. Boss Hunt - Eliminate a powerful Boss enemy and escape.
4. Manhunt - Eliminate all human enemies on the map.
5. Scouting - Collect all loot tokens and escape.
6. Gather Supplies - Collect loot with a total value over a set number.
7. Secret Mission - Collect Secret Stuff and escape.
8. Escape - Start with only a Leather jacket and escape.
9. Frontal Assault - Defend an installation from waves of enemies.
10. Surrounded - Defend an installation from waves of enemies. Equipment budget is doubled.

Available maps:

1. Agroprom Labs
2. Wetlands Encampment
3. Overgrown Warehouse
4. Guardpost Enclave
5. Urban Precinct
6. Prypiat Outskirts
7. Meadow Village
8. The Research Site
9. Rostok Barrack Grounds
10. Red Forest Chapel

Expansions

The board game released with a large selection of expansion packs containing figurines and new content such as new Missions, maps, and items. These packs could have been bought with a larger pledge in the crowdfunding campaign, or as an additional pledge for each expansion.

Stretch Goal Box

The crowdfunding campaign included a series of stretch goals that unlocked additional content when funding milestones were reached. Some of these were collected into the Stretch Goals Box, which was shipped together with every Gamefound pledge alongside the Core Box.

Stretch Goals Box expands the game by adding four new Stalker characters, two additional three-Mission Stories, new map tiles, enemies, anomalies, artifacts, and contacts. All components are meant to be integrated into the core game either from the start of a Campaign, or during it.

New features include a Magnet Die, which can be used to replace the standard Anomaly die. It has two sides replaced with an artifact and a blank side, and offers a purposefully imbalanced roll distribution. The artifact side spawns the artifact on a space near the player, while the blank side causes a randomized event to occur, usually to the player's disadvantage.

New loot tokens allow the player to pay a price, such as getting irradiated or spending an action, to draw a randomized treasure card. These cards may contain valuable loot or a deadly trap.

New Campaign Missions are available after finishing both the A3 and B3 Campaign Missions:

• C1 "Risky Business" - Your old acquaintance promised a foolproof way of making good money. Time to collect the debt.
• C2 "Payday" - Your acquaintance should be OK. Now it is really time for him to pay up.
• C3 "Beast Hunting" - Sometimes, every stalker needs to pivot from their goals. Mutant hunt is as good a reason as any.
• D1 "A Cry for Help" - Rummage through an almost abandoned military camp.
• D2 "Missing in Action"- Time to visit the dreaded Brain Scorcher.
• D3 "The Steel Giant" - Destroy the source of the signal before it destroys you.

Box Content	Number
Standard cards
Weapon Cards	10
Anomaly Cards	4
Contact Cards	9
Treasure Cache cards	20
Small cards
Artifact cads	8
Oversized cards
Enemy cards	4
Help card	1
Paper
SG Rules & Mission Guide + Scriptbook	33 + 7 Pages
Stickers	4 sets
Tokens
Loot tokens	5
Enemy -HP tokens	13
Universal Attention token	1
Models
Stalker models	4
Others
Magnet die	1
Map tiles	9
Mission boxes	6

Duty & Freedom Factions Pack

The Duty & Freedom Factions Pack introduces two major Zone factions, Duty and Freedom. The expansion adds new Missions, map tiles, faction-specific equipment and skills, additional enemy and event cards, as well as a system for aligning with one of the two factions and experiencing the consequences of allegiance throughout the Campaign.

When playing the first new Mission, the players must choose which faction to support. This choice determines which faction-specific Contacts become available, granting access to unique equipment and skills. The Zone Exploration instructions within the Campaign Binder are updated with a new divider that adds a Duty Camp or Freedom Camp rules, depending on the chosen faction. Players draw Consequence cards, which create Ongoing effects that impose penalties, but can also provide advantages. If too many Consequences remain unresolved, the campaign fails. Faction Skills function like additional Character abilities and may be reassigned between players during Zone Exploration.

The Factions Pack equipment and skills can be added to Zone Survival.

New Campaign Missions can be added at any point in the Campaign. However, due to their difficulty, it's recommended that the players complete at least one previous Mission:

• DF1 "Rock and a Hard Place"
• DF2 "Kept in the Dark"
• DF3 "Final Countdown"

Box Content	Number
Paper
Rules & Mission Guide + Scriptbook	26 + 5 Pages
Campaign Stickers	4 sets
Standard cards
Weapon cards	19
Consequence cards	22
Contact cards	6
Small cards
Armor cards	18
Attachment cards	11
Item cards	2
Tokens
Skill tokens	32
Enemy -HP tokens	11
Enemy Team tokens	2
Models
Duty Trooper models	3
Duty Exoskeleton model	1
Freedom Fighter models	3
Freedom Exoskeleton model	1
Other
Map Tiles	4
Mission Boxes	3
Campaign Binder Dividers	2

Personal Stories

Personal Stories is a two part expansion that allows the player's Stalker Card to be improved by completing achievements. Experienced Stalker Cards offer better abilities. Each character has their own personal story. The expansion is packaged in two boxes containing content for both the Core Box and the Stretch Goals Box.

Box Content Part I	Number
Attachment cards	13
Environment cards	13
Item cards	13
Turn tokens	13
Achievement Sheets	13
Barricade Tokens	3
Personal Stories Rules & Memories	32 pages

Box Content Part II	Number
Attachment cards	4
Environment cards	4
Item cards	4
Turn tokens	4
Experienced Stalker Cards	17
Achievement Sheets	4
Premonition Tokens	3
Personal Stories Part 2 Rules & Memories	16 pages

Zone Companions

Zone Companions add three new animal companions to the game: Porkchop the flesh, Edgar the crow, and Cheddar the rat. Each has its own model, Contact Cards, and Companion Tokens. They may be recruited for missions according to the main game's rules.

Box Content	Number
High quality plastic models	3
Contact Cards	3
Tokens	3

Zone Threats

Zone Threats Models Pack replaces the cardboard enemy standees with 54 detailed plastic figurines.

Box Content	Number
Zombies	8
Ticks	4
Bandits	8
Military Enemies	4
Exoskeleton Enemies	2
Chimera	1
Bloodsuckers	2
Rodents	6
Controllers	2
Dogs	5
Snorks	6
Poltergeist	1
Izlom	1
Pseudogiant	1
Crawls	2
Hornhead	1

Anomalies Pack

Anomalies Model Pack replaces the cardboard anomaly standees with plastic models. The models are partially made out of colored transparent plastic to portray anomaly effects.

Box Content	Number
Special	1
Gravitational I	3
Gravitational II	2
Gravitational III	3
Chemical	3
Spatial	2
Electric	3
Fire	3

Terrain Pack

The Terrain Model Pack adds models out of plastic and cardboard to give additional 3D detail to the map. They add various obstacles, walls, and windows.

Box Content	Number
Obstacle plastic model	1
Barricade plastic models	4
Fence plastic models	2
Office Stuff plastic model	1
Barrels plastic models	3
Shelf with Boxes plastic model	1
Cardboard terrain component punchboards	8
Assembly Manual	1

Monster Hunter

The Monster Hunter Character Pack adds a new Stalker character, Hulyash, an experienced mutant hunter. After killing a Mutant Enemy, he gains a Trophy token, which gives a bonus during combat, and 500 at the end of a mission.

The Monster Hunter pack was added to every Core Box that was shipped as part of the Gamefound pledge. Otherwise, the Core Box has an empty space for Hulyash's character model.

Box Content	Number
Stalker model	1
Stalker card	1
Trophy tokens	3

Reception

Reviews

Publication	Score
IGN	9/10
BoardGameGeek	8.7/10 (551 ratings)

The board game has received generally positive reviews and was praised for its design and engaging gameplay. However, many players noted frustration with its lengthy setup and cleanup, which can take over half an hour per Mission.

Trivia

• The Geiger counter looks similar to the Hilka detector.
• Professor Yezhov from Story Missions A1-A3 could be a reference to Volodymyr Yezhov, a game designer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bakhmut in 2022.
• The QR Code on the Key Card within the Stretch Goals Box Mission D1 leads to a Rickroll link.