I backed the kickstarter in 2023, got the game delivered in 2024 and just finally got it out to play this 2026. What a mistake in leaving it so long. I’m very sorry for leaving it so long. Worms the Board Game is so much fun!
Rules basic overview
The rules for this game perhaps appear a little more complex than they actually are. After playing through a few times the pace of the games is great and it is the swift game you expect it to be. I don’t want to do a deep dive here but the simple overview is as follows.
Players set up the map and the teams on the board. This is done at random so all players take turns to place any worms plus the starting crates, mines and drums. Then randomly determine which team you get. I love that rule, you just don’t know how this ends up for you.
On a turn there are 7 actions and then the play passes.
1. Activate a worm.
2. Heal the worm if needed.
3. Inch or jump (move 1 or jump 2).
4. Repeat 3 if you want.
5. Play a weapon card.
6. End turn.
7. Draw a drop card. (usually new weapons)
8. Pass the target token to the left for the next player to complete the steps above.
Each player starts with some basic kit, which is always useful and there is plenty of additional kit to collect. There are also the starting hazards and mines.
When you get into the mechanics of each weapon they are straight forward to follow. The instructions for each are clearly defined in the rules. Many of them end up creating a serious mess.
When the drop deck runs out a sudden death card (1 of 10) is drawn and this ramps up the pressure on the game with a view to finishing it swiftly in a classic worms style.
The victory condition is simple. Last worm standing. There are some optional victory conditions in the back which is also cool to try.
Without delving deep into the rules this really is a quick summary.
Incoming!
This has been such a joy to play and I am in awe of how well the development team have delivered a product that so closely aligns with what the video game was. It is spectacular and I was hugely sceptical of how they could pull it off. There is no getting away from that, I was worried but still wanted the game. The developers during the development kept promising that would ensure the boardgame held true to the video game and it does. How have they succeeded there?
● Teams of 4 which was always the way.
● A host of so many of the classic and beloved weapons are available for play and picking up from the weapon drops. Changing every game through the random chance.
● The wind plays a critical role in the game play as it always did.
● There are plenty of edges to send worms flying off into the deep blue waters.
● Other accessories like the ninja rope and girders factor.
● The random craziness is there as it always has been.
Hello?
The game is beautiful. From the box and cover art and different pictures of weapons on the cards to the minis themselves, it is all excellent and well delivered. I am no painter unfortunately but these would be wonderful miniatures to paint and from the art I have seen here online, they look excellent when well painted. I’m jealous of those that can.
The component quality also. Wow! Some of the finest gaming parts I have held and that is just awesome. They are going to last. Excellent cards, thick cardboard counters and the map/water tiles are very robust. I also picked up the gamemat and this really enhances our home play.
You wanted that animated essence captured from the video that brings so much humour with it, well done Mantic on delivering here.
FIRE!
This is not a serious game. It just isn’t. Those people that are fans of the video game know that worms is not serious. So anyone expecting a serious game that has good strategy, absolutely forget it, you’ll not enjoy it if you expect it. When you can blow up and kill more of your own squad with a single banana bomb gone wrong than the enemy, you just have to laugh. Even the best laid plans in this game can go badly wrong.
Why can there not be some more strategy? Well there is, but there is so much random chance and variables in worms that you just have to accept it cannot go your way every time. The wind plays a part. The dice you roll just to try and hit the target is an issue, particularly the more volatile weapons. Then the deviation of the worms should you hit them? Mines could be duff or they could go off. A barrel of explosives may blow back your way instead of the enemy. The list
goes on… There are other elements to the game than the obvious. It has vast amounts of depth of option and choice allowing for huge variety in the play.
It can all go horribly wrong in a moment or horribly right. This is the joy of the game, the elation when an attack comes off or the devastation if it all falls apart and comes undone. Enjoy the ride. It won’t just happen to you, your opposition face identical challenges along the way.
There is a huge potential for players to be ganged up on in this game and that was always the way with the video game. I regularly played with my 2 brothers and 2 regularly ganged up on one, not because it was practical or in the games best interests, purely because it was funny and the joy of winding one of them up often far outweighed the sensible play. This is exactly the case in the boardgame also. It isn’t a bad thing and actually can happen in a lot of other boardgames if it goes that way, but there is often the potential in worms for a player's squad to be out before that player has even had a turn. Some will think this is ridiculous, I would argue this is hilarious.
The game is fast though so even if you are bombed out early it won’t be long before you are setting up the game again for another round because it plays out that fast and that for me is always a cool thing.
Final Thoughts
I apologize to Mantic Games for not getting this to my table sooner. They’ve delivered an outstandingly fun game and we’ve had so much joy from it already. I feel this is a game I could talk about for hours as there is so much content within a relatively small game but I would like to feel this review really paints a picture that Worms the board game is just a lot of fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There will be many more games being played in our household, and hopefully a lot of laughter with it, probably one or two tears also but that is all a part of it.
