New Star Wars Villainous board game will include Darth Vader, Moff Gideon, and more

polygon.com:

Disney Villainous, the award-winning board game series published by Ravensburger, is finally getting the expansion that fans have been clamoring for. Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side arrives this August, and will include Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Asajj Ventress, General Grievous, and Moff Gideon as playable characters.

Polygon sat down with the Ravensburger production team to discuss the history of the franchise, and the bold step it’s taking into a galaxy far, far away.

First unveiled in 2018, Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes All flipped the script in the world of tabletop gaming by allowing players to take on the roles of infamous evildoers from classic Disney animated films. That initial title was developed by Prospero Hall (now part of Funko Games) and included Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Jafar (Aladdin), Prince John (Robin Hood), Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), and Captain Hook (Peter Pan). There was something for every kind of classic Disney animation fan — including compelling, card-based gameplay and a hefty dose of screw-your-neighbor-style competition. The Villainousseries is now developed in-house and published internationally by Ravensburger.

The franchise has grown to become a staple of the modern big-box retail gaming catalog, occupying prominent placement at Walmart and Target as well as appearing on the shelves at friendly local stores. The company says it has now sold nearly three million copies worldwide, and part of the secret to its success has always been its approachability.

Each of the games in the series is family friendly, although far from non-violent. (“We don’t use the ‘K’ word,” chides international marketing manager Cassidy Werner.) The