Quick Guide to Monster Hunter World: The Board Game
Hey, hunters! In case you missed it, the exclusive pre-order for the latest Monster Hunter World: The Board Game expansions is closing on June 28th — including the elusive elder dragon, Kirin, the Picking Bones monster box, and two pre-order exclusives (holographic cards and a neoprene arena).
To help those thinking of diving into the game, we thought we’d gather all our past content into one handy post. Just in case you fancy familiarising yourself with the hundreds of teeth, claws, and scales that’ll be chasing you through the game.
These posts were released as and when new content dropped, but for the sake of this post, we’ve switched up the order so we can group the entries into three categories: Gameplay, Hunters, and Monsters.
We’ve also added on some bonus content at the end, like our playthrough video, mini showcase, and behind-the-scenes sneak peek.
About the Game
In this cooperative arena combat board game for 1-4 players set in an open world, it’s not you who dictates the flow of battle, but the monster you hunt — and every monster is wildly different.
Pick your hunter based on their unique weapon and playstyle. Select which iconic monster you’ll be hunting across the wilds. Track the beast in a choose-your-own-adventure quest, avoiding pitfalls and gathering bonus resources. Then plunge into adrenaline-fuelled combat where teamwork, positioning, and stamina are key, targeting the loot you need for the weapons you want — without getting crushed!
The more monsters you slay, the better the weapons you can craft, the bigger the monsters you can hunt!
For more details on gameplay, check out the BoardGameGeek page.
Gameplay Overview
Let’s start with the gameplay.
The posts below will give you the best overview of how to play Monster Hunter World: The Board Game. We’d still recommend reading the rulebook, of course, but if you’re new to Monster Hunter World, these entries will give you a quick onboarding.
It’s worth noting these posts were written during the Kickstarter, so there may be some minor changes—for example, we upgraded the card design in the final game—but the core details are the same.
- How Hunters Work
- Upgrading Your Hunter
- Combining the Core Sets
- Gathering Phase
- How Monsters Work
- Arena Quests
Hunters
Next, let's meet the hunters!
The hunter you play with will make a big difference to your experience. Each hunter is defined by their weapon type, determining their unique playstyle and available crafting options. If you’re playing in campaign mode, the hunter you choose can even determine which monsters you’ll hunt, because you’ll need certain loot, to craft certain weapons, to take certain monsters on.
Which hunter will you be going with?
- Great Sword Hunter
- Bow Hunter
- Dual Blades Hunter
- Sword & Shield Hunter
- Insect Glaive Hunter
- Charge Blade Hunter
- Switch Axe Hunter
- Heavy Bowgun Hunter
- Long Sword Hunter
- Hammer Hunter
- Gunlance Hunter
- Light Bowgun Hunter
- Lance Hunter
- Hunting Horn Hunter
Monsters
What would Monster Hunter World be without the monsters? Let's look at some of the nasties you’ll go toe-to-toe with in the game.
- Great Jagras
- Tobi-Kadachi
- Anjanath
- Rathalos
- Barroth
- Pukei-Pukei
- Jyuratodus
- Diablos
- Kulu-Ya-Ku
- Picking Bones - Tzitzi-Ya-Ku, Great Girros & Radobaan (Coming Soon)
Elder Dragons
- Kushala Daora
- Teostra
- Nergigante
- Kirin (Coming Soon)
Credit to austenweitzel
Kirin and the Picking Bones expansion will add even MORE monsters to this lineup, so keep an eye out for the hunters journals coming with them.
Bonus Content
Lastly, here’s some of our favourite bonus content:
- Watch a Playthrough Video! SFG v. Rathalos
- Behind-the-Scenes: Creating the Game
- Monster Hunter World Monster "Mini" Showcase
- Kirin is Finally Storming the Tabletop
- New Playthrough Video! SFG v. Kirin
If you’ve got gameplay or content questions or just want to hang out with us and your fellow hunters, make sure you join the Discord and Facebook group.
The exclusive pre-order for Kirin and Picking Bones ends June 28th. So, if you feel like taking on these mega monsters, pre-order your copies now.
