Blood Bowl

By Christian Donlan Published 28 May, 2008

Elf and fitness.

Games Workshop's headquarters in Nottingham is a pleasantly schizophrenic building, thrones and wall-mounted torches competing for space with tile carpets and coffee machines. Stone-cladding on the inside adds that delicate hint of theme pub, while presumably serving as another layer of protection for when the notoriously gun-crazed locals open up on the dice rollers with their automatic weaponry. The building also doubles as the venue for the annual Blood Bowl championship, and this year, Games Workshop has used the competition as an opportunity to reveal the PC version of that venerable tabletop sports game.

A brash mix of American Football and impromptu goblin violence, Blood Bowl blends touchdowns with bone-smashing tackles and spell attacks. I actually played the original game for about five minutes back around 1990, until it became apparent that the brain-mangling and vein-rupturing so vividly depicted on the cover of the box translated into a lot of dice-rolling and distance-measuring on the board. Twelve at the time, I remember feeling dimly cheated, as if I'd somehow ended up in a funds management seminar after being promised a trip to see the gory inner-workings of a local sausage factory, culminating in an overview of the matter-smeared tank the workers kick the offal into.

Although other, more perceptive types have found Blood Bowl both elegant and exciting as a boardgame, that lingering contradiction between the action-packed subject and the turn-based pacing becomes even more important as the licence shifts to consoles and PC. Can the game deliver the lengthy dice-rolling battles original fans want, while also seeming arcadey and toothsome enough to satisfy new players lured in by the promise of violence?

The solution turns out to be a choice of two game modes: the original turn-based play, or a more streamlined real-time version. Both retain the same dice rolls and rule structure of the original game, but real-time shoves all that out of sight, and brings match durations down to about five minutes.

'Blood Bowl' Screenshot 2

Cyanide is ruling out PS3 or Wii versions, which is a shame. You rarely see a Mii with its head caved in.

In the turn-based game, characters are selected with the left mouse button, and then moved about the grid with the right, which can also assign various contextual actions, such as clicking a team-mate to pass, or an enemy to tackle. Every action in Blood Bowl relies on a dice roll, and if you lose - failing to dodge a lunge or fluffing an attack - it's the end of your turn. This is where tactics come in, as seasoned players know the best order to use to get the least risky moves out of the way early on.

Sitting down with the game, it's immediately pretty obvious that the developer, Cyanide, knows what it's doing. The French outfit acquired the licence in an undisclosed out-of-court settlement after Games Workshop felt their original fantasy football title Chaos League wasn't quite as original as it could have been. Everybody's friends now, though, and it's easy to see why: Blood Bowl is coming together nicely. It's not the most lavish-looking game you'll ever see, but the animation brings the various races to life with real swagger, and the environments, ranging from a village green to a Chaos-themed stadium with lava for grid lines, are full of charm.

The real breakthrough, though, is the way that the simplified control system, using just the mouse buttons (mapped to face buttons in the 360 version), opens the game up, making it speedy and intuitive. The results are a mutation of Madden and Advance Wars, with hair and make-up by My Chemical Romance, but there's also a deep RPG system thrown in that sees your roster of sixteen players earning experience over the seasons, levelling skills, and eventually retiring through old age or - more likely - getting killed mid-game. The rolling roster system may seem brutal to those who get unduly attached to their procedurally-generated team-mates, but it should stop the game from becoming unbalanced, and there's an option to take a living snapshot of a favourite team in a golden era to export for exhibition matches.

With turn-based Blood Bowl already looking surprisingly accessible, real-time mode speeds things up even further, turning the game into one of frantic time-management. Even though everything's now happening at once, your team still depend on you to tell them what to do, play by play: you can assign basic behaviours (attack, defend, or stay neutral) but these merely control positioning on the board, and the game requires an exhaustive eye for detail. As a result, matches have a choppy, fire-fighting strain to them. A little of the turn-based pacing remains, however: moves have a refresh period between them, to stop things degenerating into a Click Festival sponsored by RSI Incorporated, and although the grid is no longer visible, the jerky, Tetris-like movement of the players leaves you in no doubt that it's still there. (There's no firm word yet on how all this will translate to the 360, where many an RTS has already keel-hauled itself, but Cyanide is currently thinking of dispensing with the mouse pointer entirely, opting for a closer camera and player selection using the triggers.)

'Blood Bowl' Screenshot 3

Star players can be hired at great expense for a single match, and can dramatically change the outcome. A bit like Delia.

As expected given the game's tabletop background, a huge portion of Blood Bowl is concerned with managing the team off-pitch and tweaking house rules. Cyanide has created an overabundance of customisation options, covering armour, team logos, and the look of characters, as well as variations in the minutiae of the rule-set itself. Teams can woo sponsors, bribe referees, dope their players to receive boosts, or even instigate random drug tests on enemies.

Featuring a season-by-season championship mode as well as a more traditional single-player campaign, Blood Bowl will also ship with online and LAN multiplayer. Gameplay films can be recorded and exchanged, and, crucially, the ability to craft bespoke teams, player by player and stat by stat, means tabletop gamers will be able to recreate their existing teams down to the last detail. Cyanide is not currently working on any DLC, but given the licence's intricate history, there's plenty of material to choose from. Elsewhere, alongside the identical PC and 360 versions, PSP and DS titles are also in the pipeline, both featuring online multiplayer, but ditching the real-time mode.

The core audience are definitely onboard: whenever I looked up from my demo screen, I saw dozens of faces clustered round, grinning stupidly and wondering if a lucky dice roll might bring the autumn release date closer. For everyone else, a few minutes of play will reveal a game that's full of character and surprisingly quick-paced. There's genuinely nothing like it on consoles at the moment, but it may not be easy wooing those who never played the original, given the perception of inaccessibility that hangs over the licence, and the slightly home-made look of the graphics. Games Workshop has clearly spent a lot of time and effort making Blood Bowl friendly and intuitive, but it's entirely possible the company's stone-clad walls may remain too intimidating for many to penetrate.

Blood Bowl is due out on PC and Xbox 360 this autumn.

Picture of Christian.

About Christian Donlan

Chris Donlan writes about games for Eurogamer and some magazines. His heroes include Eugene Jarvis, Errol Morris, and Linus Van Pelt.

Read more articles from Christian by visiting the Christian Donlan archive page.

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Comments (60) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Benno #1 4 years ago

    dunno

  • defdaz #2 4 years ago

    Turn based games rock! They allow for much more tactical finesse than RTS games. Anyway, I used to play Blood Bowl a bit when I was a kid and it was a giggle! Looking forward to this...

  • sergeantdisco #3 4 years ago

    It has potential, sounds like it's coming along quite nicely too. GW stuff is normally good base material for games, Blood Bowl in particular.

    Definately give a demo a go if one appears.
    Edited by 1 at 28/05/08 @ 08:27

  • Dezm0nd #4 4 years ago

    Sounds like as close as we'll get to seeing another Mutant League football game.

    Come on EA, make it so.

  • Rodafowa #5 4 years ago

    Chaos League was flawed and buggy but pretty good fun, even though you had to put a fair amount of effort in to mine that fun. I'll be interested to see how this shakes out.

  • Alithian #6 4 years ago

    I'm going to use one of my smiles.

  • AphoticCosmos #7 4 years ago

    Turn based games rock! They allow for much more tactical finesse than RTS games.

    Only if you fail at real-time games could you say that. Please take a look at Sins.

  • zsinj #8 4 years ago

    I always thought Blood Bowl was the best candidate for a strict copying-of-the-rules-straight-to-computer conversion out of the GW games. Can't wait!

  • systems #9 4 years ago

    Speaking of GW board games, where the hell is Talisman? I know they've had trouble but they must have resolved that by now.

  • Kostabi #10 4 years ago

    This is a good thing to read first thing in the morning. I am now content for the rest of the day.

  • anomagnus #11 4 years ago

    looking forward to this

    as for the turn based thing KILLA, if you don't like it, don't use it in game

    the preview did stress the two different options, you know

  • Buenos_Estente #12 4 years ago

    I used to LOVE the boardgame verion of this, I also had the original PC version which i remember playing to death despite it being a bit dodgy, quite looking forward to this.

  • asphaltcowboy #13 4 years ago

    Sounds pretty good (the turn-based bit anyway). Would be nice to see this as an XBLA game rather than a full release though!

  • That_Happy_Cat #14 4 years ago

    Silly KILLA...

    It's a board game. What board games do you know where everyone just goes when they want to? Monopoly would just be 4 people kicking the shit out the banker for his money.

  • RedPanda #15 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • the_inchworm #16 4 years ago

    Bloodbowl wins

  • Bi50N Verified Head of Global Communications, THQ #17 4 years ago

    do want

  • kangarootoo #18 4 years ago

    Yay. I recall playing the first edition board version of this. 1987 is apparently came out.

    [link url=http://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Bowl
    ]http://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Bowl
    [/link]

    I recall trying to program my own version with a friend at some point. Needless to say, our coding skills were the antithesis of l33t, and the project never came to fruition (or even the bits before fruition tbh; germination perhaps?).

    If they do a good job, I shall write them into my will ("I hereby bekweeth [sic] 49 new pence" etc).

  • robg #19 4 years ago

    Excuse me, I live in Nottingham and there is no way stone cladding could stop any of my bullets for more than a few seconds. Unless you're talking about the kids' guns, who aren't allowed DU rounds until they're 16.

  • Katsumoto #20 4 years ago

    "Turn-based?
    That should be extinct by now."

    Tut. Why, exactly? WHY?! Civilisation in real time? Yeah, right? X-Com in real time? Would suck. Fallout3 is shaping up to be great but it won't be anything like the turn based combat of Fallout 1&2 - and I hasten to add they weren't turn based just because it wasn't possible in 1998 or whatever! It was a design decision, and luckily there are still a few devs who realise things dont have to be at a blistering pace to be fun.

  • RFT #21 4 years ago

    It's odd how small the blood bowl pitch is when veiwed in the context of the game.

    I re-bought the board game a couple of years ago, and can't wait to get this.

  • mikeck #22 4 years ago

    I loved the board version of this game and have been waiting ages for a decent console version of this title...woo-hoo!

  • koji_m #23 4 years ago

    lol, wth is this :D

    looks "interesting" enough though

  • ERG1008 #24 4 years ago

    Blimey I used to play this a lot as a kid.
    I think painting the figures was part of the fun as well.

  • MrChuckles #25 4 years ago

    me = geek

    me want.

    Turn based rules! (Just got back into Age Of Wonders Shadow Magic on the PC at home..doh)

  • Vermillion3000 #26 4 years ago

    Ignoring the twattish comment about turn based games for a moment...
    I can't wait to try this. The original board game was aces and after a hour or so of play you didn't need any rule books at all cos at it's heart it was really simple and fast.
    Dear game makers - please don't fuck it up, if you do I'll make you go on holiday with the twat who said that turn based games should be extinct.

  • schachmatt #27 4 years ago

    Loved the first pc Blood Bowl from the Nineties. Will wait how good they implement online multiplayer.

    It probably has a more mature online audience, too, judging from the negative and positive responses here.

  • SharpyVII #28 4 years ago

    I live minutes away from the headquarters of GW its not that bad! though i did have a chav follow me asking for beer last night!!

    Screenies are looking good so far, hope they capture the feeling of bloodbowl and general games workshoy type stuff!

  • reality_cheque #29 4 years ago

    My High Elves will crush you all! *stomps on stupid orky faces*

  • Loser #30 4 years ago

    There's a Java version of this floating about if you search the interwebs....

  • barnard666 #31 4 years ago

    my god, its an original game...awesome!

  • chicknstu #32 4 years ago

    Blood Bowl is about the only Games Workshop I'd sit down and play now. Well, that and Space Hulk.

    "my god, its an original game...awesome!"

    Expect 'gamers' to avoid it en-masse then!
    Edited by 1 at 28/05/08 @ 12:12

  • Harlequeen #33 4 years ago

    Can you still throw goblins?

  • reality_cheque #34 4 years ago

    Well I'm sure it said gobbos were in the game on the website, and as throwing the little shits was the only way for them to win I would hope so :)

  • zsinj #35 4 years ago

    Oh and -

    My prancy wood elves will out-leap you all! Muaha!

  • bitesize #36 4 years ago


    used to play 1st edition blood bowl (with the board and little cardboard characters in stands) as a nipper. spent many an hour on the 2nd edition (with the miniatures) as a geeky teenager. loved em both. high hopes for this - also excited about a DS version, which might be even better for control...

  • TheBoyChris #37 4 years ago

    There was another Blood Bowl game years ago, and we played that for hours. Definately on the buy list for me :D

  • Kill_Crazy #38 4 years ago

    LOL - I remember the original board game for this (in fact it should be in my mum's loft). Dodgy foam gaming parts FTW.

  • suicida #39 4 years ago

    Awesome, can't wait for this. Dark Elves FTW! \o/

  • darleysam #40 4 years ago

    Now just give me Battlefleet Gothic and I will be a happy man.

  • PlugMonkey #41 4 years ago

    +1 for turn based gaming.

    Honestly. Kids today. You'd make chess realtime and claim it was better.

  • Lemming81 #42 4 years ago

    it's amazing how Games Workshop could have so many video game genres sewn up with nifty original IPs. If this becomes a great niche sports hit, then I'm hoping they'll jump on the Counter-Strike/Battlfield/TF2 style bandwagon with a Necromunda game.

  • kangarootoo #43 4 years ago

    @Harlequeen

    "Can you still throw goblins?"

    Was it goblins? I thoguht it was the smaller things that I can't remember the name of. Began with a F. Maybe I'm getting confused with something else.

    /browses web
    /finds stuff

    http://everything2.com says...

    Throw Team Mate
    A player with this skill may throw a friendly player with Right Stuff. It can only be used by players with a Strength of 6 or more.

    Right Stuff
    A player with this skill can be thrown by another friendly player with the Throw Team Mate skill. The skill can only be used by players with a Strength of 2 or less.

    So there you have it :)

  • MGG #44 4 years ago

    Do you mean Snotlings?

  • kangarootoo #45 4 years ago

    Thats the buggers!

    Don't know where I got the F bit from.

  • kangarootoo #46 4 years ago

    "Honestly. Kids today. You'd make chess realtime and claim it was better."

    +1

    Its the same mentality that makes some people (Tim Henman being one recently) say "I don't like reading, its boring".

    If your books rocket jumped every few minutes would that make you more interested? WOULD IT TIM?!

  • Setaro #47 4 years ago

    Poor Tim Henman.

    Tim, nice but dim.

    And shit at tennis.

  • kangarootoo #48 4 years ago

    At the risk of digressing heavily from the subject at hand, he's not that shit really is he.

    I am shit at tennis. My girlfriend is a bit better than me, my mum is almost certainly worse. By comparison TH is pretty awesome at tennis. He just isn't the best on the entire planet (which is a pretty tall order to ask of anyone, lets be honest).

    He should still read more though. Hmmm... maybe if tennis was turned based I would kick his scrawny ass.

  • bitesize #49 4 years ago


    tennis is turn based! you can't both hit the ball at the same time...

  • kangarootoo #50 4 years ago

    Oh yeah :)

    /is dunce

  • bitesize #51 4 years ago


    they should make real-time tennis - now there's a man's game!

  • VMerken #52 4 years ago

    /goes back to playing Grand Monster Slam

  • MGG #53 4 years ago

    Whoever says books are boring is an idiot whos opinions should immediately count for nought.

    I'm sick of this "we get bored after 5 seconds" attitude to everything, this anti-intelligence where morons rule. People no longer want to be anything other than rich and famous - as Stephen Fry said, when he was young people wanted to *be* something, a sportsman, a poet, a writer, whatever; and if that then led to fame and fortune so be it.

    This lack of focus and particularly this lack of commitment and concentration is a real worry. I am currently working with teenagers over here in Asia, and while their attitude isn't perfect (but then, whos is?) I do find their attitude to be a lot lot better than the average UK kid of the same age. Books don't get classed as "boring", they are open to different game styles, they queue up to sign up to difficult options such as learning Japanese, they self-organise themselves into groups to try and create their own games in their own time, they are not afraid of hard-work.

    They also don't spend their evenings standing on street corners in hoodies stabbing each other either, but that may be a different issue!


    Books are not boring, it all depends on the book and the story; turn-based games are not boring, it just depends on your attitude as a player. 2 of my favourite games of recent years are both very similar, but one is turn based (civilisation) and one is real-time (Rise of Nations). Which do I enjoy the most? Its hard to say - I like them both for different reasons and I play them at different times when I'm in different moods. People who dismiss a game just because its turn-based and therefore "boring" is a moron, simple as.

  • TheJuriel #54 4 years ago

    Knew it already, but still, bears repeating...

    Yay, turnbased!

  • makeamazing #55 4 years ago

    Used to play this boardgame as a kid, along time ago :D

    I played the other game this company made (the rip off of blood bowl) and it was hard work as someone has already said. But hopefully they are putting in lots of features that BB had which made it lots of fun. Lets hope they do a better job compared to the remake of Speedball (what a mess!).

    And dont mock turn based, X-com is still one of my favourite games, and thats saying something considering how old it is. You've never experienced turn based until you've played that!

  • kangarootoo #56 4 years ago

    @MGG

    +1

  • reality_cheque #57 4 years ago

    It's snotlings and halflings that can be thrown (by ogres and treemen respectively).

    I lost a game of Blood Bowl last night due to my own stupid stupid mistake. NEVER attack if they can't reach your man with the ball, just in case you push one of their men into range :(
    Edited by 1 at 29/05/08 @ 10:45

  • Lemming81 #58 4 years ago

    "Its the same mentality that makes some people (Tim Henman being one recently) say "I don't like reading, its boring""

    I'd argue that his Tennis playing is turn-based. Have you see it?

    Ithankyou.

  • Vermillion3000 #59 4 years ago

    As long as you can get a snotling to actually climb into the ball, with just his legs sticking out so he can run up the pitch, I will buy this..

    My first team will be called Henman's Heroes in honour of the best thread diversion I've read in yonks! Well done EG!

  • jarodcollard #60 2 years ago

    In 3rd Ed (and I think 4th & 5th) BB the Troll and Ogre star players could throw Goblins, while the Treemen threw Halflings. This game allows Trolls to throw goblins (in a goblin or orc team). There is no halfling team :(

    Theoretically you can give other ST2 players "Right Stuff" but from memory the combinations of what teams you have ST2 players and having the right big guys didn't gel - except in modified games with rules that allowed you to have non-star player big guys who could get the skills neccessary.

    From memory Snotlings were only used in 1st and 2nd Ed BB.

    CAN'T WAIT!!! (Had a fun Goblin team for ages)