Emergent Games’ Fireteam Zero is a cooperative board game for up to 4 players based on the series of books by author Mike Langlois. Co-Designed by Langlois and award-winning game designer Christian Peterson, and with a horde of miniatures modeled by 3D artist Chris Deavellar, Fireteam Zero is a beautiful and fun game you can bring to your gaming group with confidence.
Each player takes the role of an elite soldier chosen for their skills to battle evil. Your team is then sent on a series of secret missions to root out the supernatural forces in the area and put a stop to them! Gameplay revolves around a series of phases per turn that gives the player hard choices of either clearing out the attacking monster forces or working towards one of the objectives needed to complete your mission. It’s these choices that make Fireteam Zero so challenging and fun. The onslaught is relentless and constantly challenges your confidence of whether you can survive another round. You will truly depend on the advice and strategy of your teammates as you try to balance defense and combat with the completion of mission objectives.
The combat system is simple but robust giving each player a myriad of choices on how to tackle the situation on their turn. The game also has a unique mechanic where the cards you use to perform actions also represent your character’s health making choices as to what to do even more difficult. You’ll agonize over which cards to play and then cheer when you make the perfect roll and save your buddy from an attacking creature.
The thing that really makes this game stand apart from other cooperative games I’ve played that are similar is the atmosphere. The artwork on the cards, the detailed board tiles, and especially the hoard of miniatures the game comes with are all beautifully done and really help to engage the players into the game’s theme and sense of dread. The creature design is detailed and clever and you’ll find yourself picking up each miniature to get a good look at the horrors you’re facing. To really hammer it home, the game designers even include a CD with a foreboding soundtrack and fully voiced briefings for each of the game’s missions.
The game is currently gearing up for a second printing with a brand new Kickstarter Campaign. If you’re looking for an easy to learn but detailed and engaging board game experience to play with your group of friends, check out Emergent Games’ Fireteam Zero. You won’t be disappointed.
Chris Deavellar’s Portfolio: https://chris_devo.artstation.com/
Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/701653685/fireteam-zero-second-printing/description