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The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Skyrim on the table, built from neoprene mats and a 95-page rulebook.
Designed by Chip Theory Games (design team led by Josh J. Carlson, with Josh Wielgus, Logan Giannini, Michael Gernes, Ryan Howard, and Salem Scott) · 2025
If you want a deep, gorgeous Elder Scrolls campaign and you've got the time, table, and shelf space, it delivers. Casual nights, this is not.
Best for: Dedicated groups and solo players who loved Too Many Bones and want a meaty Tamriel campaign
What it is
Here's the pitch. It's a cooperative campaign set in Tamriel during the Second Era, and you're building a hero across races, classes, and skills while chasing a villain named Deslandra through quests, side jobs, and fog-of-war Delves. Chip Theory Games made it, the Too Many Bones folks, so combat runs on dice and those famously chunky chips. Reviewers keep landing on one word for the production: immaculate. The mats are thick neoprene, everything has heft, and it really does feel like Skyrim showed up at your table.
The catch
Now the honest part. The rulebook is 95 pages, text-heavy and light on examples, so your first session is mostly page-flipping. Players warn combat admin piles up fast, and there's no clean way to pause mid-session, meaning a three-player game can eat 4-5 hours in one sitting. The variance gets flak too: some scenarios feel unwinnable, others a cakewalk, and late-game Delves can turn into a grind. At roughly $200 before expansions, that's a real ask of your time and your shelf.
Who it's for
So who's this for? People who already know they love big campaign crawlers and Chip Theory's whole deal, and who have a group that shows up for long sessions. Reviewers genuinely adore it once it clicks, calling it a triumph and the most Bethesda board game out there, with scores clustering around 4 to 4.5 stars. If you're an Elder Scrolls fan with the time and the table, you'll sink in happily. If you want a quick weeknight game, keep walking.
What other players say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
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