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The Last of Us: Escape the Dark expertly takes the chilling intensity of the video game from the screen to the tabletop in a way few adaptations have ever managed. It’s an exceptionally well-designed experience and a true must-buy for fans of the PlayStation series.
When you take a popular video game away from its original medium, you risk losing the moment-to-moment engagement that makes it shine in the first place. How could moving pieces around on a board possibly come close to physically pulling a trigger and saving Ellie from a Clicker mere inches away?
It’s a herculean task, but one the tabletop aficionados at Themeborne have absolutely nailed. Escape the Dark does the near-impossible, matching the heart-pounding action of a Last of Us combat sequence, flawlessly balancing every scenario, all while mirroring the game’s dire tone.
The best thing about it? Regardless of your tabletop experience, it’s simple enough for anyone to understand, yet offers up an impressive amount of depth in its mechanics along with a ton of replayability in the base package. Fans of the series should go out of their way to get their hands on this brilliant tabletop game.
The Last of Us: Escape the Dark screenshots & details
- Price: $74.95 USD | £69.99 GBP | $142 AUD
- Developer: Themeborne
- Players: 1-5
- Time to play: 45-90 minutes
Thrill and Agony
The premise of Escape the Dark is simple enough. Loosely taking place during the events of the first game, your group of survivors begins in a Quarantine Zone. Things quickly turn south, much like they do in the game, and before long, you’re on the road. Your goal is to make it all the way to Jackson, a safe haven in this brutally cold dystopia, though the road isn’t easy.
Along the way, you’ll make decisions about which direction to travel, what to do at specific locations, and a great deal more, all while managing your inventory and ensuring your squad is ready for anything that lies ahead. You’re racing against the clock here, with every action taking a set amount of time, and a limited number of days available in which to reach Jackson.
And the kicker, if even a single member of your group dies, the game ends for everyone. There are no do-overs, no get-out-of-jail-free cards, if anyone goes down, that’s it. It’s punishing but in the perfect way as to keep you on your toes at all times. Every little decision matters and every single action has consequences you need to weigh up before following through.
Want to explore the Suburbs and see what loot is available? Go right ahead, just be prepared for a possible fight against anything from snipers to Stalkers. Want to take it easy at a campsite and heal up a little? Sure thing, just be mindful that it’ll take a day away from your allotment and may even raise the threat level in the area, meaning more enemies will be present the next time you venture out.
Dexerto / ThemeborneThere are six playable characters to choose from, each with their own traits and unique quirks to overcome.
It’s all these factors deftly layered atop one another that lend to an utterly engrossing tabletop experience, one where you’re fully engaged as few games can ever hope to achieve.
Take my very first group playthrough as a prime example. You couldn’t script the situation we ended up in. My three fellow group members were in good health, had a solid amount of gear, and were ready to press on. For my character (Joel), however, I needed to explore alone in order to unlock a special ability for the rest of the game. I took this opportunity, only for it to end in disaster.
A simple 1v1 encounter went awry as my health slowly dwindled one turn after another, culminating in one final dice roll. Land on the right symbol and all would’ve been just fine, we could’ve continued on with our journey as we neared the final areas. Fail to do so and that’s game over, not just for poor old Joel, but for the entire group, despite their best efforts. Naturally, even with the odds in my favor, my roll was a total dud and we all yelled out in pure agony as the game came to an end.
During our second playthrough, let’s just say things went a lot smoother so I could avoid embarrassment again. We made it all the way Jackson with special abilities across the board and all the upgraded loot you could ever hope for. Yet one last boss stood in our way, and it was a doozy. Getting the board set for this final challenge was daunting to say the least.
After a lengthy battle, rolling dozens of dice to determine the fate of our survivors, we finally eeked out a win and the room erupted in cheer. We were all elated as a wave of relief washed over us. Escape the Dark has the power to wholly captivate everyone playing, keeping you engaged from start to finish and making you want to restart the experience all over as soon as it’s done.
Dexerto / ThemeborneIt may look daunting, but Escape the Dark is simple enough for even tabletop newcomers to wrap their heads around.
Highly accessible & highly replayable
One factor that helps Escape the Dark stand out from the competition in the market is just how much detail has been factored into its design at every level. For starters, the game has a clever way of balancing scenarios depending on your group size. Not only are the threats you face somewhat different but even the rewards you’re able to claim after the fact can be completely altered based on how many players are sat around the table.
Furthermore, its inventive card-based storytelling makes room for an infinite number of scenarios. Each location on the board comes with a number of unique chapter cards. Before starting, you have to shuffle these location-based decks to randomize what happens when you get there in the game. This alone spices up every playthrough, but then there are reward decks to shuffle, a bunch of randomized loot to acquire (with multiple tiers and upgrades as well), not to mention resources that can be used to craft game-changing items like melee weapons and health kits.
Though the best part of it all is just how simple it is to follow. Despite how many complex systems are in play, and how convoluted it may all seem at first glance, Escape the Dark is genuinely one of the most accessible tabletop games I’ve ever played. After a few chapters and a few combat scenarios with the rulebook open, you’ll come to grips with how it all functions and know exactly how to progress, making it a perfect grab for your next game night, regardless of how experienced you may be.
A premium feel for a premium game
The Last of Us is one of PlayStation’s most valuable IPs today. The games alone have been a resounding hit both critically and commercially, but the HBO adaptation helped elevate the series to a new level, drawing in millions of viewers and breaking records while nabbing a raft of awards in the process.
Naturally, any product associated with the franchise has to be of a high quality, and Escape the Dark does not let it down in that regard. From the packaging down to the finer details on character sheets, it all feels deeply considered and wonderfully executed.
The board itself has a premium feel while the black and white artwork on every chapter card and piece of equipment is simply fantastic. No stone was left unturned reaching the high bar Naughty Dog established all those years ago.
While it certainly isn’t the cheapest tabletop game on the market, rest assured you’re getting your money’s worth with this one.
Dexerto Review Score: 5/5 – Great
Escape the Dark is going in the rotation for board game night moving forward and I can’t see it leaving anytime soon given the immense replayability at hand. Even when not playing, I can’t help but think about certain situations, how they could’ve been played better, or how we could have avoided them altogether.
It’s an excellent tabletop game that more than does justice to the Last of Us franchise. If you’re an existing fan of the series, do yourself a favor and make time to check this one out.
For more information on how we score video games, check out our scoring guidelines here.
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