Mass Effect: The Board Game Review

Mass Effect is one of my favorite games to play on console, and I think I’ve enjoyed them all in one way or another. Mass Effect isn’t an overly complicated video game, but I wouldn’t classify it as a light experience either. There are tech trees to think about, specials to mull over, and so much more.

When I was told about Mass Effect, it was pitched as a very approachable, short campaign experience. What I was greeted with when I opened the box, however, was a bit different than that. This game looked complicated, and the massive rule book wasn’t helping to calm the anxieties I was starting to have. Then I settled into my first game and quickly realized one thing – they were 100% right calling this an approachable, easily finishable, campaign experience.

The component quality here is quite good. The glossy thick board book is great, and has most of the information you’ll need for each session printed right on the maps. The included character sheets are durable as well, and have a glossy finish for using the included dry erase marker to mark various things on the board. The game also comes with a ton of custom dice that will be thrown each round to determine actions, and miniatures for the various heroes. All of the enemies in the base game are cardboard tiles (whether regular enemies, or slightly larger elite enemies), but there are additional miniatures packs you can purchase if you so choose.

After picking a team of characters you want to use – this includes using Shephard and additional characters like fan favourite Wrex – each player will take their corresponding player sheet, miniature, and the things you need to set up your experience.

In Mass Effect, you will play through a maximum of 5 “levels” during a single campaign: that includes three main missions and two side missions focused on the game’s characters (outside of Shephard). The game encourages replayability since you only see a fraction of the missions in one playthrough. Thankfully, it’s short enough that going through the campaign again and again doesn’t feel all that taxing. And ultimately, you are trying to get the best score possible by the end of your campaign.

Whoever is running point for the round will toss the dice, and then choose three to use on their player board, whether to move, fight, etc. Then the dice will be passed around the table with each player having the option to save one of the dice already rolled, and then re-rolling the rest.

There is a good amount of cooperation and discussion at this point as players decide which die they might want to save for their turn from the previous player’s roll. I enjoyed this aspect of the game, as we had real discussions about certain dice. For example, if there is a special die that allows players to use special abilities, it might be worth leaving that die for the next player to save if they can use it in a more proactive way. I loved that strategic thinking session we had before each round began – it felt like a group hanging around the mission portal deciding what to do and how to do it.

After turns, there will be enemy movement and attacks that will need to be dealt with, and escalation cards will keep the game moving and act as the timer for that mission. Take too long and you might fail. It’s a simple system overall and one that makes Mass Effect VERY approachable, even for non-gamers.

And that’s a key point to remember here. Yes, this game will have some appeal for long time board game fans, but it’s been produced mainly to appease one group of people – die hard Mass Effect fans. And whether you play a ton of video games and board games, or never touch board games but love Mass Effect, this needs to be accessible. And thank goodness it is, despite what it looks like when unboxed.

One thing that might become problematic for some is that regardless of how many people are playing the game, you need to use 4 characters. That means if you want to tackle Mass Effect: The Board Game on your own, you’ll still be controlling 4 different characters, all with different stats, abilities, and tracks. That can be a bit much, so it’s worth noting here.

Controlling two, as I did in my two player game, is very easy. Despite having to learn two sets of skills and playstyles, the game is so intuitive that it just works. And taking your time to read over your character sheet before making critical decisions is part of the fun, and something I would do whether I was controlling a single character or multiple.

One way I thought this game would get complicated was leveling up and gaining experience. Like the rest of the experience, this is streamlined. Instead of worrying about levels and carrying experience from one game to the next, each mission caps you at earning three experiences, and once you do, instead of gaining levels as you would in the video game, you instead get to unlock a brand new ability on your player board. It’s a great way to be rewarded for the deeds you do in the game, without becoming so convoluted and stressful to push players away.

Another thing I believe this game does well is give you a good balance of characters. While they all act out their turns in the same way – draft dice, place dice, perform actions – they all specialize and are good at specific things, which gives them a unique feel.

This adds to the strategizing that will happen turn-to-turn as you decide how to best use your various characters. Who should flush out enemies? Who should hold back? Who’s best suited to get from A to B. All of these decisions will at least be partially influenced by which character you are controlling, and by who might have the best dice options available to them (as they are throwing more dice). It’s great strategy, it’s great fun, and it works in the Mass Effect theme pretty well.

There are a few things to consider before purchasing this game. First and foremost, I’m not sure the challenge is there. The game can be tough if you just attempt three straight game missions and not do the two loyalty missions, but even then there is a fair amount of repetition in what you are doing mission to mission, and you eventually learn how to best handle those situations.

Sure, bad dice rolls can cause a bit of havoc, but that isn’t as likely to happen as you think, and the negative impact isn’t as bad as you would think either. It’s not a super easy, family friendly experience, but it’s not overly difficult either. Great for brand new board game players, perhaps less so for those looking for a real challenge.

Overall, I’m pretty impressed with this game and what it offers. I love the Mass Effect universe, and it plays into this game very well. The variety of characters makes playing each feel like a slightly different experience, and with a ton of missions to play, there is a lot of bang for your buck here.