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Modiphius cofounder Chris Birch talks Skyrim board game and design

We sat down with Modiphius' cofounder to learn more about the company's Skyrim board game.

Donovan Erskine

April 5, 2023 1:30 PM

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Skyrim’s popularity has transcended the Elder Scrolls franchise itself. In the many years since its release, the game has gotten many iterations and adaptations, including a new board game. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game is a board game based on the 2011 Bethesda RPG. We caught up with developer Modiphius to learn more about bringing the iconic video game to the tabletop.

Shacknews’ Greg Burke spoke with Chris Birch, cofounder of Modiphius games to talk about Skyrim – The Adventure Game and board games in general. During the chat, Birch talked about adapting video game elements for tabletop in a way that still feels fulfilling. For example, managing inventory space is a key mechanic in Skyrim, but the team at Modiphius felt that it “would not be fun” to have too many cards in your hand to represent gear in an inventory.

This is also present in the game’s approach to potion-brewing and armor upgrading. Instead of having a card for every single plant and ore featured in the video game source material, Modiphius consolidated that amount into a smaller number that felt less cumbersome for players, but still captured that Skyrim feel.

Chris Birch also walked us through a digital version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game on Tabletop Simulator, which we also recorded for your viewing pleasure. For more insightful interviews with developers and publishers, subscribe to the Shacknews and GamerHubTV YouTube channels.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_