Review: The Warriors board game offers the full Warriors experience

In Walter Hill’s 1979 cult classic thriller The WarriorsA Coney Island street gang has been accused of the assassination of an uptown leader. In order to win, they must traverse New York City within a night. Every other gang is vengefully looking for them. They’re hard-pressed and on the edge of getting murdered in nearly every scene, with minimal resources and no help. They can’t even seek protection from the cops, who hate the Warriors and their fellow “boppers” in the other gangs equally. Funko Games’ co-op board game You are invited to play at the Playground This scenario is replicated and comes with the enormous stress. Players must enjoy being chased, harried and desperately in order to truly appreciate the game.

Two to four players each take on a role from the movie — Warriors gang members Swan, Snow, Cochise, Cowboy, Fox, Vermin, Rembrandt, or Mercy. Each character has their own signature ability represented by cards. Cards from any one game are added to a War deck. Each player builds their own deck and travels from Brooklyn to Bronx collecting weapons and War cards. These can then be used for gang fighting.

All the Warriors lined up a a vanity shot.

The Warriors, credited collaboratively to “the boppers at Prospero Hall,” keeps the action tight and claustrophobic. The board is limited in terms of choices and almost every option has an associated price. They’re given very little time to build up their hands between conflicts, and many of the battles will require them to permanently sacrifice cards from the game just to keep going. Each fight is a calculation: Spend resources to guarantee a win at the expense of future fights, or play conservatively and risk a loss, which will also burn the gang’s minimal resources?

Each fight in The WarriorsThis is a simple gambling game in which players must generate numbers on the dice to win. However, they can earn these dice either by playing cards or burning them permanently. The game’s unique aspect is the frequency cards are removed completely. Although those sacrifices are necessary in order to improve or salvage a bad hand, the act of giving up a card and limiting your future possibilities for the rest is nerve-wracking.

The game doesn’t require any knowledge of the Warriors film (or the 2005 beat-’em-up video game it spawned), but cult-movie fans will notice that the game’s design is closely integrated with the film. An event deck that adds extra conflict is labeled “Hey, Boppers,” referencing the radio show in the movie that spreads rumors about the Warriors’ whereabouts so other gangs can zero in on them. Each of the eight Warriors characters in the game have different abilities, which reflect the roles they play in the story. (Each one is lovingly detailed, in art that’s warmer and more attractive than the film itself.)

Cards representing the other colorful villains in New York City. The cards have been heavily spraypainted.

The backs of those cards, showing how the spraypaint treatment lines up when laid side-by-side on the table.

And players face off against the ridiculously costumed gangs that are one of the movie’s most memorable elements: the suspiciously mime-like Hi-Hats, the vaguely mechanic-ish Rogues, the all-female Lizzies, and yes, the baseball-themed Furies. Each gang is given its own miniature plastic figurine and has their own unique thematic complications. (Awwwww, take a look at that tiny little crowbar Rogue is using. These minis are on a reputation track and can move up or down depending on how the Warriors battle each gang. Players who win get a higher reputation, which gives them some combat benefits and buffers against losing by lowering their reputation.

But above all, the game reproduces the movie’s feeling of dread and hanging on the edge at all times, which may be the deciding factor in whether a given group enjoys playing it. Polygon played the game with one group The Warriors The feeling of not being able to win every fight was something they hated. When each new battle became a scrabble to hang onto their diminishing decks, they felt overwhelmed and defensive in a way they didn’t enjoy. Players who hate race-against defeat board games such as The Dead of WinterOr PandemicAvoid this game. A playtest was conducted with another group of players. The team strategically avoided fights and took hits to win the game. The challenge was exciting and they felt like losing for the majority of the game. There are many things that can affect your mileage.

The Warriors isn’t for everybody. It’s an unusual experience — a game that’s fairly simple to set up and learn, but that feels like every choice could be meaningful and dangerous. In an industry that is often disconnected from its source material due to media tie-ins, it’s a difficult task. The Warriors can at least boast a solid connection: It puts you right in the action of the movie, and it doesn’t let up until you either make it back home or die trying.

You are invited to play at the Playground Funko Games provided a copy of the book for review. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions for products bought via affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.