Square Enix has unveiled a new tabletop board game based on Final Fantasy VII called Ascend The Shinra Tower.
The board game, which is slated for a release in January 2027, takes inspiration from the original Final Fantasy VII, using cute chibi-style versions of protagonist Cloud and the gang, rather than the more realistic depictions seen in the 2020 FFVII Remake.
Square Enix has teamed up with the Tokyo-based Arclight, Inc, to develop the game, describing it as a “cooperative balance board game based on the characters and lore from the popular video game Final Fantasy VII”. Characters like Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith will be included, as well as some of their enemies from the Final Fantasy series.
The board game’s artwork, featured on the package and on the game’s wooden components, has been fully approved and created under the supervision of Tetsuya Nomura, the original character designer and story concept creator of Final Fantasy VII.
The game will see a team of friends working together to ascend the unstable Shinra Tower as they stack “Floor Tiles” atop “Wall Tiles” of varying heights to climb higher, level by level. As the Shinra Tower continues to rise, it will gradually begin to tilt, becoming increasingly unstable and leaving players (and their characters) in danger of falling.
Therefore, players will need to maintain balance by working together and discussing their next moves as the Shinra Tower becomes increasingly precarious, making teamwork the key to success.
Reaching the top of Shinra Tower
Much like in the Final Fantasy video games, enemies will attempt to stop Cloud and his Avalanche allies from reaching the top of the tower, but they can be defeated, allowing players to continue.
If players can guide Cloud to the eighth floor without Shinra Tower collapsing, they’ll win the game. However, the moody mercenary will have one final challenge at the top of the Tower in the form of his arch-nemesis Sephiroth.
Shinra Tower is, of course, a location from Final Fantasy VII, and the HQ of the nefarious Shinra Corporation, which serves as one of the main antagonistic forces in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Square Enix’s cohesive fictional universe for the Final Fantasy VII IP. The location features heavily in both the original game and FFVII Remake.
Fans of Final Fantasy VII can also rest assured that there will be no climbing stairs in this trip to Shinra Tower. If you know, you know.