When you need a break from screens and want to satisfy your gaming cravings, board games inspired by popular video games are the perfect solution. These games offer immersive experiences that let you dive back into beloved digital worlds, whether you're in the mood for an extended campaign or a quick party game. We've rounded up some of the best video game board game adaptations to keep you entertained away from your screens.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Video Game Board Games
Fallout, Slay the Spire, Bloodborne, Resident Evil 2, Pac-Man, Tetris, Dark Souls the Board Game: Tomb of Giants, Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game, The Oregon Trail
Fallout: The Board Game
$69.99 save 36% - Now $44.49 at Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 2-3 hours
With the buzz from Amazon's Fallout series, now's the perfect time to explore the Wasteland from the comfort of your kitchen table. Choose from various scenarios to set up the map and embark on a journey reminiscent of Bethesda's open-world RPGs. Uncover the map, enhance your skills, battle irradiated enemies, interact with factions, and complete quests to gain influence over the Wasteland. This game offers deep immersion and is ideal for long-term play sessions.
Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire: The Board Game
See it at Contention Games
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 45 minutes
Slay the Spire, a video game that deserved a board game adaptation, lets players choose a hero to embark on a Roguelike deck-building adventure up the Spire. Navigate through different rooms—encounters, elites, events, campfires, treasure, merchant, and bosses—each with unique effects. The Roguelike nature ensures hours of replayability as you experiment with different characters, builds, and items. For more details, check out our Slay the Spire: The Board Game review.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne: The Board Game
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-4
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 60-90 minutes
In the Bloodborne board game, you become a Hunter fighting to eradicate the evil lurking within Yharnam. As a campaign game, it offers endless replayability with its modular map tiles. With hundreds of cards, tokens, and detailed miniatures, this game tests your skills and decision-making as you uncover and combat the plague. The highly detailed components immerse you fully into the game's dark world.
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 2: The Board Game
See it at Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Resident Evil 2's tabletop adaptation, which led to further games covering the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, is arguably the best in the series. Players cooperate as Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield, battling through zombies in various scenarios to escape. Collect weapons, healing items, and keys, navigate the environment, solve puzzles, and use iconic ink ribbons and typewriters to enhance your experience.
PAC-MAN
Pac-Man: The Board Game
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-5
Age Range: 10+
Play Time: 30 minutes
From Buffalo Games, this tabletop version of the arcade classic can be played cooperatively or competitively. As Pac-Man, navigate the maze, eat pellets, and collect fruit while the ghosts try to catch you. The game uses four metal tiles for the board, requiring some initial setup but quick for subsequent games. The electronic Pac-Man figure even makes the iconic "waka waka" sound!
Tetris
Tetris Board Game
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-4
Age Range: 8+
Play Time: 20-30 minutes
Also from Buffalo Games, this competitive game lets players rotate, maneuver, and drop tetriminos to score points. Like the video game, plan your moves with the next piece displayed on a card. Earn points by completing lines, matching pieces to symbols, and achieving specific goals. Its quick setup and playtime make it ideal for parties and younger players.
Dark Souls: The Board Game - Tomb of Giants
Dark Souls The Board Game: Tomb of Giants
See it at Amazon
Players: 1-3
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Originally part of the Dark Souls board game Kickstarter, Tomb of Giants is a standalone adventure perfect for new players. Choose your class and gear, then navigate the catacombs, facing skeleton archers and resting at bonfires. With limited actions, strategic choices are crucial. Faithful to the video game, it features punishing combat and RPG elements, including a level-up system. New characters and over a hundred new cards enhance compatibility with existing Dark Souls board games.
Cuphead: Fast-Rolling Dice Game
Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game
$59.99 save 22% - Now $46.88 at Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 8+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Like its digital version, Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game is a fast-paced cooperative experience where you use dice to defeat bosses. Setup is easy, with a fixed boss deck structure. Choose from Cuphead, Mugman, Ms. Chalice, or Elder Kettle and play through rounds with timed phases to set up attacks. The game's high replay value comes from beating your score and upgrading abilities for future runs. Check out our Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game review for more details.
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail Card Game
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-6
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Dying of dysentery becomes fun with this quick-to-play card game. Work together to reach Oregon without succumbing to various calamities. The game is challenging and luck-based, with victory achieved by playing fifty trail cards. A downside is the potential for early player elimination, but it's a humorous recreation of the classic game that's sure to entertain.
