Cancelled Bomberman board game published as free mod on Tabletop Simulator
Mod created by fan using official assets.
A mod of Super Bomberman R: Blast Tactics, a board game based on the retro video game series, has appeared on Tabletop Simulator following the title’s cancellation.
Highlighted in a Reddit post from user TowerGuardGames - the same username used by Sean Dallas McDonald the designer of Blast Tactics, on Twitter - the mod recreates the cancelled board game in digital form. The creator of the unofficial mod goes by the Steam user name of MarcusRaven, who was commended by TowerGuardGames for translating the original design using prototype graphics and assets they had provided.
The mod for Blast Tactics enables players to experience the unreleased game through Tabletop Simulator, a video game that simulates the act of picking up and moving pieces in a digital space. Images for the mod show that the player meeples share the likeness of the iconic Bomberman character, with the game board depicting a square stage similar to those found in the video game franchise.
McDonald announced the cancellation of Super Bomberman R: Blast Tactics earlier this month, citing “unforeseen issues” behind the decision. In their tweet regarding the cancellation of Blast Tactics, McDonald referenced an earlier announcement made by Nazca Games, the company founded by Emerson Matsuuchi - the creator of Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game. Both video game board games were set to be released by IDW Games, before being subsequently cancelled for undisclosed reasons.
Super Bomberman R: Blast Tactics sees two to four players going toe-to-toe in a board game adapted from the series of classic video games, whose rights are currently held by Konami. In the game, players control one of four characters who must attempt to survive as their opponents plant explosives across the board. Whenever a bomb explodes, characters caught in its blast radius will take damage, forcing players to think carefully about where they move and place bombs.
McDonald has not yet confirmed whether they plan to attempt to release a physical version of Super Bomberman R: Blast Tactics. However, in the Reddit thread created by TowerGuardGames, the user commented that the Tabletop Simulator mod could be used “as a reference to make your own physical Bomberman board game.”
The Super Bomberman: Blast Tactics mod can be downloaded for free from the Workshop section of the Tabletop Simulator Steam store page.