Do you have fond memories of Elatia as the setting for some of the classic Might and Magic games of the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the famous spin-off "Heroes of Might and Magic"? Specifically, was 1999's Heroes of Might and Magic 3 the most interesting?

If so, I have great and very specific news: the nice folks at Archon Studios have recreated the miniatures, monsters, and tactical battles that made "Heroes of Might and Magic" so popular, and the licensed "HOMM3" board They are making a game.

Is this a fad now? Will there be board games based not simply on franchises like "Company of Heroes" (open in new tab) or "Crusader Kings" (open in new tab), but on specific games that were fan favorites in historical franchises? ? Is "System Shock 2" next? "Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos"? MechWarrior 4" or "Fallout: New Vegas"?

My amusement aside, Archon Studio's game seems pretty thorough: the HOMM3 experience is very specific and not so complex that it cannot be mentally recreated on the tabletop. Each player takes on the role of a hero, exploring a 4X-style hex map, building his or her own cityscape, and amassing magic and armies to take the fight to the other factions.

The game is full of charming little art pieces that make Hero so much fun, such as little sprites and icons showing different powers. Rainbows of good luck spells, dice, clovers, and horseshoes. The fearless laugh of the stoneskin mage; old-fashioned 90s fantasy cheese abounds in this game, and I'm enjoying it soberly. Sometimes cool angel men and knights are just that. Sometimes vampires are the bad guys.

And sometimes, 23 years later, the necromancer's sandlot hood still doesn't fit. the HOMM3 board game can be found on the website (opens in a new tab) and the kickstarter will launch on November 15, 2022. Archon Studios has released several board games in the past, including a game adaptation of Wolfenstein and a series of tabletop terrain sets.