Demon Slayer: Sweep the Board was initially released for the Switch in April, and it is finally available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
While we didn’t get to try out the Switch version, we did get to play the game on the PS5. From the looks of it, the PS5 version should be pretty much the same game as the original Switch version, meaning those who already have this on the Switch likely won’t need to get it again (except if they want to play with friends on another platform).
As for those who have not yet tried the game, based on our time with Sweep the Board, this game should deliver some fun times for fans of the Demon Slayer anime, at least if they play with friends in person.
Party Board Game with Some Twists
Sweep the Board is a party board game, so its core gameplay should be familiar to anyone who has played games like Mario Party. Here, four players play as one of twelve Kimetsu no Yaiba characters. These include the main trio of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, alongside the nine Hashira.
On the board, players take turns rolling dice, and where they land will determine what happens at the end of their turn. Some spaces will reward players with Slayer Coins or useful items while other space will take away Slayer Coins from them. These Slayer Coins can be used to purchase items (like double dice or an item that swaps two players’ positions) in shops around the map, and they can also be used as currency for transportation options that move players to specific points in the board.
These Slayer Coins can also be earned at the end of every round. That’s because after the four players have made their turn, a random mini-game is played in the Skill Training session, with the top player getting the most number of coins. Note that this only happens during the Daytime phase.
While having more Slayer Coins can help a player reach the top spot to win the game, the more important thing to gather are Rank Points as these points have the most value towards a player’s ranking.
The Rank Points can only be gathered during the game’s Nighttime phase. To activate the Nighttime phase, one player must reach a certain point in the map marked by the Kasugai Crow. The first player to reach this spot will get 20 Rank Points, and it will also shift the game to Nighttime.
At Night, the goal is to find (and potentially defeat) an Upper Rank demon. The demon’s location is set at a certain spot in the map, and much like the Kasugai Crow’s location, the first player to reach this spot will get extra Rank Points.
When the Upper Rank demon’s spot is reached, there’s a chance that players will get into a fight against the Demon featuring a QTE mini-game. The player who racks up the most points in the fight will get the most Rank Points, though everyone will get some.
There’s also a catch-up mechanic for players in last place as Nezuko appears to help them by adding extra dice rolls and giving useful items. This means the player in last place always has a chance for a comeback as the game progresses.
Demon Slayer: Sweep the Board’s system is quite engaging and adds some interesting twists to the party board game formula. Though the mechanics feel “too nice.”
Sure, there are some items in the game like the position-swapping item that can lead to some funny moments while playing, but because there’s no way to steal points from players, things don’t get as chaotic and heated as something like Mario Party. After all, in Mario Party, stealing someone’s stars can lead to some incredibly funny moments (that is, if your friendship can survive these times).
That’s not to say that this is a boring game though. In fact, I found it to be quite engaging, even as someone who’s more of a casual Demon Slayer fan.
Perhaps the biggest appeal of the game for me is the design of the boards. Sure, they are stylized depictions of the anime’s locations, though they do look nice. For instance, the Entertainment District arc map reminded me of the funny and action-packed moments of the anime’s second season.
There’s also the fact that many of the characters in the anime appear here, complete with their original anime voice actors which should be a treat for fans of the show.
Given this appeal of the game, Sweep the Board should be a nice experience for Demon Slayer fans. Its style should also make up for some of the gameplay’s shortcomings, especially if played with fellow Kimetsu no Yaiba fans in a party. While there is an online mode, games like these are best played in person.
A Variety of Simple Mini-Games
Including the Upper Rank Demon fights, Sweep the Board has 35 mini-games that feature a variety of scenarios, though most of them are fairly simple. For instance, there’s a jump rope mini-game where players simply need to jump at the right time. There’s also a fishing mini-game which also has fairly simple mechanics.
Given how simple they are, these mini-games being fun depend mostly on who you’re playing with. If you’re alone playing against CPU opponents, these can get quite boring. On the flip side, even if they’re fairly simple mechanically, the competitive factor of playing with friends should make playing these more engaging.
On another positive note, many of these mini-games feature the same appeal as the boards in that they are set in many notable locations from the anime that fans should be familiar with, not to mention that some of them also feature notable characters. Take for instance the jump rope mini-game which sees Sakonji Urokodaki along with characters from the Swordsmith Village in the background. Not all mini-games are like this, but there are plenty of references that fans may appreciate.
Aside from the main game mode, Sweep the Board lets players select and play mini-games that are unlocked by playing the standard board game mode. This is a nice option to have, but for the most part, these mini-games are better experienced as part of the main board game.
Speaking of unlocks, there’s also an in-game currency that lets players unlock prizes like stamps and frames that can be used in-game. These can give players some extra incentive to play more matches.
Final Verdict – 7/10
Sweep the Board adds some twists to the party board game formula such as the Day and Night cycle, though its system is set up so that the game doesn’t feel as competitive (or chaotic) as other games in the genre. This, coupled with the fact that the mini-games are fairly simplistic makes this an okay party game. Of course, there are some positives here. The main appeal for us is that the boards and the characters should delight fans of the anime. Plus, even if the mini-games are simple, they do still feel engaging when played with friends.
So, our final verdict is that Demon Slayer: Sweep the Board can offer fun times for fans, though it likely won’t appeal to those who are either unfamiliar with the anime or are more casual fans. As such, this game is only really recommended for big Demon Slayer fans, especially for those who also have other fans that they can play with in person.
[This review was made via a PS5 game code provided by the publisher]