Maestro Media announced Big Buck Hunter: The Board Game on Thursday, October 22, 2026, a tabletop version of the Play Mechanix arcade shooter that will arrive in June 2027.
Key facts
- Name: Big Buck Hunter: The Board Game
- Publisher: Maestro Media, in collaboration with Play Mechanix
- Date: June 2027
- Price: Not announced
- Platform: Retail
- Link: Maestro Media announcement reported by ICv2
When does the Big Buck Hunter board game release?
It arrives in June 2027, according to ICv2. Maestro Media has not announced a specific day in June or a price. The original Big Buck Hunter is a series of arcade video games first released in December 2000, where players use a plastic gun controller to shoot animals on the arcade screen.
How does it play?
Players compete over three rounds of hunting, and each player takes a turn as the Hunter while the other players control the Wildlife. RePlay Magazine reports that Wildlife players shape the hunt by placing trees on the board and moving animals along branching tracks using dice, while ICv2 reports that the other players lay tiles to craft the Wildlife landscape and that special card effects add challenges in downing targets. The Hunter’s goal is to take down the best animals on the board.
| Detail | What is announced |
|---|---|
| Rounds | 3 |
| Roles | One Hunter each round, other players control the Wildlife |
| Modes | Solo and multiplayer |
| Release | June 2027 |
“We wanted to capture the core feeling of Big Buck Hunter while taking advantage of everything tabletop can do,” said Nick Petro, director of operations at Play Mechanix, in RePlay Magazine. “The physical shooting mechanic, the movement of the animals and the fact that other players control the Wildlife all work together to make every turn feel different.”
“Big Buck Hunter has always been about the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of playing alongside friends, and we wanted to bring that same energy to the tabletop,” said Javon Frazier, founder and CEO of Maestro Media, in RePlay Magazine.
Why does it matter?
It is the latest video game franchise to move to the tabletop, following adaptations covered here such as the Plants vs. Zombies board game on Kickstarter, Diablo: Unbound, heading to Gamefound in Q1 2027, and Clash Royale: The Grand Arena, which funded on Kickstarter. ICv2 also notes that Maestro Media and AMIGO have signed a North American publishing partnership agreement.
Source: ICv2, with quotes and Wildlife details from RePlay Magazine
Image: Maestro Media and Play Mechanix, via RePlay Magazine
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