You may have never played a video game and thought, “Hey, you know how I could improve this? With dice, cards, a board, and a complex system of mechanics that is terribly difficult to understand and that I have to deceive between one and three people for a long period of time until I can master it.”
However, video game-based board games are not only popular nowadays, but they can also be surprisingly fun, exciting, and capture the spirit of the original, even better. And so you don’t get lost in the wasteland of pixels and dice, we’re going to review the top 10 that you can find anywhere. Get ready to put aside the controller and sit at a table for a while.
10-Doom
‘Doom’ can even be played on a printer screen, and did you think it couldn’t be turned into a board game? In this game, up to four players will control the marines and one will control the demons. Different objectives, ways to play, missions, and victories await you. And yes, indeed: it is much more fun to play as the bad guys.
9-Street Fighter II
Is it a good board game? Absolutely not. Its mechanics are simple, luck-based, and extremely boring. But… Have you taken a look at it? They are the characters from Street Fighter II in a three-dimensional city looking for a fight and winning until they face the evil M. Bison. No, it’s not exactly ‘Dune Imperium’, but it’s a little gem to have in your home.
8-Fallout Shelter
In the midst of the peak of the television series, perhaps it is time to organize your nuclear shelter by eliminating threats, gaining happiness, and making improvements little by little. Originally, this was a mobile game, but, frankly, it is better played with cards, Pip Boy figurines, and tokens. And besides, the artwork is, as usual with this saga, an absolute delight.
7-World of Warcraft
There are dozens of games based on the Blizzard franchise, from the classic Monopoly to versions of ‘Smallworld’ or collectible card games. But if we had to choose one, it would be, literally, ‘World of Warcraft: the board game’, in which you will have to choose whether to fight for the Horde or the Alliance, carefully choose your character and earn power and honor points for your faction. But without paying monthly fees or buying mounts at absurd prices, which, whether you like it or not, is an advantage.
6-Fallout
We have already fixed the shelter, now it’s time to go out into the Wasteland and see what’s going on. The most curious thing about Fallout is that you won’t see the complete board at first, but it will open up before you as you complete missions, defeating mutant monsters and surviving in an environment where only Nuka-Cola can save you at any given moment.
5-Skyrim
You can get ‘Skyrim‘ on twenty different consoles: Why not try something different by bringing it to your table? The game will allow you to create a unique character that will evolve throughout two very long campaigns. A cooperative game full of wonderful miniatures, dragons, mines, tombs, weapons and, of course, death. And the best part? Like the video game, you can also enjoy it alone. Just be prepared to roll dice non-stop.
4-Cyberpunk 2077: Night City Gangs
When ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ was released, it was a moment of absolute disappointment (and many bugs) for all those who were eagerly awaiting it. However, over time it has been fixed and playing it now is the experience you always wanted. The board game is another success in the franchise: you will have to organize your gang to gain power in the city, not only to defeat your opponents, but also to make changes in the game, for better or for worse. It is now available for sale in Spain, and you wouldn’t be wrong to give it a try.
3-Anno 1800
A board game so good that many people don’t even realize it’s based on a video game. In this case, players must compete to earn influence points by exploring worlds, making deals with foreign countries, and increasing their population, with tough decisions to make. True to the original, fun, and very European. So much so that it could easily have another name and still be successful.
2-Borderlands
You already know what you’re going to find in Borderlands: fun, humor, bad temper, and all kinds of explosions. In the case of this board game, you will have to face all kinds of enemies in a crazy campaign mode with simple gameplay that will take the video game’s principles to the end. If you’re a fan, you can’t miss it.
1-This war of mine
Of course the first one had to be ‘This war of mine’. If the video game is already as complicated as it is terrifying and desolate, the board game manages to double the experiences of it. You will have to see the B side of the war and try to survive by accumulating resources (if you can) in a game as difficult to win as it is satisfying to play. If it’s missing from your shelf, you’re doing something wrong.
