Tabletop games company Wizkids is releasing a new Dungeons and Dragons themed board game, based in the game’s famous city of Baldur’s Gate. The upcoming Builders of Baldur’s Gate will see players vying for influence and control as they create new buildings in the city, all the while keeping its walls safe from monsters.
The upcoming board game is designed by Matthew Dunstan (Next Station: London, Pioneer Days). It’s available for preorder now, and according to Wizkids’ website, will be released in Q2 2025. The preorder price is $64.99.
Based on the game’s description, Builders at Baldur’s Gate is a city building board game in which you play influential families, trying to gain prestige by setting up new businesses. You’ll be laying down different cards and pieces to create a city, competing for money, victory points, and influence over this DnD city’s factions: The Flaming Fist, Thieves Guild, and Council of Four.
Interestingly, the game does have a board depicting the city – you don’t construct the landscape from scratch like Carcassonne – but it’s not currently pictured on the product page.
According to the description, while the game is competitive for the most part, mobs of DnD monsters attacking the walls will force players to form temporary alliances to protect the city. “Each family tries to take advantage of the crises, using them as stepping stones to advance their own agendas”.
Given that urban adventures are only one kind of DnD campaign, there have been a surprising number of DnD board games set within cities. Previously, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate provided a DnD-themed reskin of one of our favorite horror board games Betrayal at House on the Hill, and long before that there was the great worker placement game Lords of Waterdeep.
Love DnD? We’re counting down to the brand new season of Critical Role’s animated series – see Wargamer’s guide to the Legends of Vox Machina Season 3 release date and latest trailers.
Source: Wargamer
