At one time, digital video games may have been at odds with the analogue nature of tabletop games, but now the two hobbies very much live in harmony thanks to the growing number of video game board games.
Despite the major differences between the the two mediums – outside of the shared potential to drain your bank account – they are actually more similar than one might think. Not only do video games and board games both seek to provide entertainment through play, they also have the potential to transport their players to entirely new worlds – and these best video game board games showcase the highlights from both the digital and analogue worlds.
While video game board games can span a variety of tabletop experiences – from solo board games to beginner board games – many of the best video game board games stay true to the original source material, translating the feeling of playing their on-screen counterparts to the tabletop without trying to replicate the exact gameplay. Gone are the days of cheap cash-ins and lazy spin-offs – a number of modern video games board games are now among the best board games on the market, whether you’re familiar with the original video games or not!
Best video game board gamesSid Meier’s Civilization: A New DawnDoom: The Board GameFalloutResident Evil 2: The Board GameXCOM: The Board GameThis War of Mine: The Board GamePortal: The Uncooperative Cake Acquisition GameThe Witcher Adventure GameStreet Fighter Deck-building GameBetrayal at Baldur’s Gate
The growing number of adult tabletop gamers has meant that more mature video games have been adapted into board games, from first-person shooters such as Doom to dark survival horror series Resident Evil. This means that family board games can be a little less common when it comes to video game board games, often relegated to video game-themed versions of age-old classic board games like Monopoly, starring Nintendo characters such as Mario and Donkey Kong. Luckily, there are still plenty of great board games for kids out there inspired by big video games, such as Minecraft: Builders & Biomes.
Minecraft: Builders and Biomes board game playthrough – THE CUBE Watch on YouTube
Despite the sometimes disappointing lack of variety in terms of age-appropriateness and theme (something that could arguably be said for video games as a whole), video game board games certainly deliver when it comes to providing some amazing thematic experiences. With such rich source materials to draw from, is it any wonder that some of the best board games out there happen to also be video game board games? From the dark and dirty streets of Raccoon City to the epic landscapes of Nilfgaard and the hellish craters of Mars, this list of the best video game board games is packed full of incredible worlds to explore beyond the screen.
1. Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn
Live your dreams as a leader worthy of a place in the annals of history
Players: 2-4 | Play time: 60-120 minutes | Age: 14+
Sid Meier’s Civilization is possibly the most appropriate video game series to make into a board game – the long-running strategy series started in 1991 , and was originally inspired by the Civilization board game released in 1980. Things have come full-circle since, with Sid Meier’s Civilization being adapted into video game board games multiple times over the decades.
The latest iteration of Meier’s classic game on the tabletop is Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn, loosely based on the newest entry in the video game series: Civilization VI.
A follow-up to 2010’s Sid Meier’s Civilization: The Board Game, A New Dawn makes considerable improvements to the tabletop franchise by streamlining the gameplay from past entries into a far quicker and easier to learn experience that still feels suitably strategic.