Your concept for a miniatures combat board game featuring elite operatives battling through a zombie-and-demon-infested tower shares similarities with various existing games, both tabletop and video games. Here are a few you might want to consider:
Tabletop Miniatures Games:
- Zombicide: Players work cooperatively to survive waves of zombies, fulfilling objectives and upgrading their characters, which aligns with your idea of fighting through an infested tower.
- Mansions of Madness: A cooperative board game where players explore a haunted mansion, facing various eldritch threats. The horror theme and tactical play could reflect elements of your game.
- Gloomhaven: A tactical dungeon crawler where players control unique characters battling through scenarios. The cooperative play and strategic positioning can inspire your gameplay design.
- Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress: This dungeon crawler combines exploration and combat in a richly thematic environment, where players take on different roles and face various enemies.
- Dead of Winter: A semi-cooperative game where players are struggling to survive in a zombie apocalypse, blending combat and resource management.
Video Games:
- Left 4 Dead / Back 4 Blood: Cooperative first-person shooter games focused on surviving against hordes of zombies. The teamwork and tactical combat can inspire the mechanics of fighting through your tower.
- Resident Evil series: Particularly games that focus on tight environments and combat against zombies and monstrous foes. The tension and atmosphere can inform your game’s theme.
- Darkest Dungeon: A challenging turn-based RPG about managing a team of heroes facing off against monsters in a gothic tower. The stress management and character progression might add depth to your game.
- Dying Light: An action survival game that involves combat against zombies, featuring parkour mechanics, which could inspire movement and exploration in your board game.
- Diablo series: An action RPG where players fight through hordes of monsters in dungeons, with a focus on character specialization and loot collection.
Key Themes and Mechanics to Consider:
- Character Specialization: Allowing players to choose unique operatives with different abilities or roles can add strategic depth.
- Cooperative Gameplay: Emphasizing teamwork to navigate challenges and defeat the undead and demonic foes.
- Scenario-Based Missions: Creating missions with different objectives and environments can enhance replayability.
- Progression System: Implementing character upgrades and item collection can give a sense of advancement.
- Atmospheric and Thematic Elements: Focusing on horror elements in the game design to maintain tension and immersion.
These comparisons could help you refine your game's mechanics, storytelling, and overall design by drawing inspiration from established titles while also ensuring your game offers a unique experience.