Fans of Final Fantasy VII have something new to look forward to on their shelves next year. Square Enix has announced Ascend the Shinra Tower: Final Fantasy VII Board Game, a cooperative balance board game co-developed with Tokyo-based Arclight, Inc. that’s scheduled to release in January 2027. Preorders are available now at the Square Enix Store.
The premise is Jenga-adjacent. Players work together to stack Floor Tiles atop Wall Tiles of varying heights, building the Shinra Tower upward level by level. As the tower rises, it begins to tilt and grow unstable, forcing the group to coordinate through teamwork and discussion to keep it standing. Foes appear along the way to block Cloud’s ascent, and the goal is to help him reach the 8th floor. If the tower is still standing at that point, players face off against Sephiroth in the final challenge.
All of the artwork on the packaging and wooden components has been supervised by Tetsuya Nomura, the original character designer and story concept creator of Final Fantasy VII. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and the enemies they face appear on the wooden pieces in a storybook-style art direction that’s a fresh reimagining of the cast for this release.
As someone who considers Final Fantasy VII Rebirth the best game I’ve ever played, I’m intrigued by pretty much any new Final Fantasy VII release. The storybook art is an interesting creative choice, and the cooperative Jenga-like mechanic sounds like it could be a fun party experience for fans.
