When it's time to step away from screens and digital devices, board games offer a fantastic way to continue indulging in your favorite gaming worlds. From immersive campaigns to quick party games, there's a board game adaptation for nearly every popular video game. We've gathered some of the top picks that let you dive into these universes without the need for technology.
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
### Fallout: The Board Game
1
$69.99 save 36%
$44.49 at Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 2-3 hours
With the buzz around Amazon’s Fallout series, now is the perfect moment to explore the Wasteland from the comfort of your kitchen table. Choose from various scenarios to set up your map, much like the open-world RPGs by Bethesda. Uncover the landscape, develop skills, battle irradiated foes, interact with factions, and undertake quests, all while vying for control over the Wasteland. This game is ideal for long, immersive sessions.
Slay the Spire
### Slay the Spire: The Board Game
9
See it at Contention Games
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 45 minutes
Arguably the most fitting video game for a board game adaptation, Slay the Spire invites players to embody one of several heroes and embark on a Roguelike deck-building journey up the Spire. Similar to the video game, players navigate through various rooms—encounters with regular and elite enemies, events, campfires, treasure, merchants, and boss battles. With the essence of Roguelikes, Slay the Spire offers endless replayability as players experiment with different characters, builds, and items.
You can read our Slay the Spire: The Board Game review for more about this game.
Bloodborne
### Bloodborne: The Board Game
1
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-4
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 60-90 minutes
In the Bloodborne board game, players become Hunters tasked with eradicating the malevolent forces within Yharnam. As a campaign game, it offers limitless replay value due to its modular map tiles. With an abundance of cards, tokens, and game pieces, this dark adventure challenges players' skills and decisions as they unravel the mystery of the relentless plague and strive to stop it. The detailed miniatures enhance immersion, making you feel as if you're truly stepping into their shoes.
Resident Evil 2
### Resident Evil 2: The Board Game
1
See it at Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
The success of the Resident Evil 2 tabletop adaptation led Steamforged Games to explore similar experiences with the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Yet, Resident Evil 2 stands out as the best entry. Players cooperate, taking control of either Leon S. Kennedy or Claire Redfield, fighting through zombie hordes to escape in various scenarios. Gather weapons, healing items, and keys as you navigate the environment, dodge the undead, and solve puzzles. You can even use iconic ink ribbons and typewriters to influence your sessions!
PAC-MAN
### Pac-Man: The Board Game
0
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-5
Age Range: 10+
Play Time: 30 minutes
From Buffalo Games, the arcade classic Pac-Man makes a triumphant return to the tabletop. Enjoyable in both cooperative and competitive modes, players controlling Pac-Man aim to navigate the maze, eat pellets, and collect fruit, while those playing the ghosts try to avoid or capture Pac-Man. The game is played on four metal tiles that form the board, requiring initial assembly but quick to set up for subsequent games. The electronic Pac-Man figure even emits the iconic “waka waka” sound!
Tetris
### Tetris Board Game
1
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-4
Age Range: 8+
Play Time: 20-30 minutes
Also from Buffalo Games, Tetris is a competitive game where players maneuver, rotate, and drop their tetriminos to score the highest. Just like the video game, the next piece is visible via a card, allowing strategic planning. Points are earned by completing lines, matching pieces to symbols on their tower, and achieving specific goals. Its quick setup and short playtime make it perfect for parties and younger players.
Dark Souls: The Board Game - Tomb of Giants
### Dark Souls The Board Game: Tomb of Giants
1
See it at Amazon
Players: 1-3
Age Range: 14+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes
Originally part of the Dark Souls board game Kickstarter campaign, the Tomb of Giants core set is a standalone adventure ideal for newcomers, named after the notorious location in the video games. Players select a class and gear, then navigate the catacombs, battling skeleton archers or resting at bonfires. With limited actions, strategic decisions are crucial. This game stays true to its source with its challenging combat and RPG elements, including a level-up system. Tomb of Giants introduces new characters and over a hundred new cards, all compatible with other Dark Souls board game products.
Cuphead: Fast-Rolling Dice Game
### Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game
3
$59.99 save 22%
$46.88 at Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age Range: 8+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Mirroring its digital counterpart, Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game is a fast-paced cooperative game where players aim to defeat bosses using dice mechanics. The setup is simple, as the boss deck structure remains constant. Players choose from four characters—Cuphead, Mugman, Ms. Chalice, or Elder Kettle—and progress through rounds consisting of five phases, setting up attacks and confronting the boss. Timed rounds demand careful dice selection! With high replay value, you can strive to beat your score and upgrade abilities for future runs. See our Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game review for more details.
The Oregon Trail
### The Oregon Trail Card Game
0
See it at Amazon
Players: 2-6
Age Range: 12+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Dying of dysentery has never been more entertaining. In this quick-to-set-up card game, players collaborate to reach Oregon without succumbing to calamity. Games are fast-paced, with Calamity cards posing constant threats. Challenging and luck-based, victory comes from playing fifty trail cards to reach the end. A notable downside is that if a player dies on the first turn—a frequent occurrence—they sit out the session until the party either wins or all perish. Nonetheless, it's a fun and faithful recreation of the source material, sure to elicit plenty of laughs.
