Top Video Game Board Game Adaptations

When the urge to game persists, even after unplugging the TV and minimizing screen time, board games offer a fantastic alternative. They provide a captivating escape and continue the playful engagement. Fortunately, numerous board games draw inspiration from beloved video games, and we've compiled some of our top picks. Whether you crave an extensive campaign or a quick, party-friendly game, these board games allow you to remain immersed in familiar worlds, providing a refreshing break from technology.

TL;DR – Top 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

Price: $44.49 (36% off $69.99 at Amazon)
Players: 1-4
Age: 14+
Play Time: 2-3 hours

Following the success of Amazon's Fallout series, explore the Wasteland from your kitchen table. Choose from various scenarios dictating map setup. Like Bethesda's RPGs, players uncover the map, develop skills, battle irradiated enemies, interact with factions, and complete quests, vying for Wasteland dominance. Highly immersive and detailed, perfect for extended sessions.

Slay the Spire: The Board Game

Availability: Contention Games
Players: 1-4
Age: 12+
Play Time: 45 minutes

A deserving board game adaptation, Slay the Spire mirrors its digital counterpart. Players choose a hero and embark on a roguelike deck-building climb through the Spire. Navigate rooms with varying characteristics: encounters, elites, events, campfires, treasure, a merchant, and finally, the boss. Its roguelike nature guarantees hours of replayability with diverse characters, builds, and items.

Read our Slay the Spire: The Board Game review for more details.

Bloodborne: The Board Game

Availability: Amazon
Players: 2-4
Age: 14+
Play Time: 60-90 minutes

In Bloodborne, players become Hunters battling Yharnam's evil. As a campaign game, Bloodborne offers endless replayability with its modular map tiles. Hundreds of cards, tokens, and miniatures create an immersive, macabre adventure testing skill and decision-making as players unravel the plague's secrets.

Resident Evil 2: The Board Game

Availability: Amazon
Players: 1-4
Age: 12+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes

Resident Evil 2's successful adaptation paved the way for similar games. Players cooperatively control Leon or Claire, battling zombies to escape in various scenarios. Collect weapons, items, and keys, navigate the environment, evade the undead, and solve puzzles, utilizing iconic ink ribbons and typewriters.

Pac-Man: The Board Game

Availability: Amazon
Players: 2-5
Age: 10+
Play Time: 30 minutes

Buffalo Games brings the arcade classic to the tabletop. In cooperative or competitive modes, Pac-Man navigates the maze, eating pellets and fruit, while ghost-controlling players try to catch him. Played on four metal tiles, setup is initial, but subsequent games are quick. The electronic Pac-Man figure even makes its iconic sound!

Tetris Board Game

Availability: Amazon
Players: 2-4
Age: 8+
Play Time: 20-30 minutes

Also from Buffalo Games, Tetris is a head-to-head game where players maneuver tetriminos to achieve the highest score. The next piece is displayed, allowing strategic planning. Points are earned by completing lines, matching pieces, and achieving specific goals. Quick setup and play time make it ideal for parties and younger players.

Dark Souls: The Board Game - Tomb of Giants

Availability: Amazon
Players: 1-3
Age: 14+
Play Time: 90-120 minutes

A standalone adventure, Tomb of Giants is perfect for newcomers. Players choose a class and gear, navigating catacombs, facing enemies, and resting at bonfires. Limited actions require careful choices. Faithful to its source material, the game features punishing combat and RPG elements, including a level-up system. It includes new characters and cards compatible with existing Dark Souls board games.

Cuphead: Fast-Rolling Dice Game

Price: $46.88 (22% off $59.99 at Amazon)
Players: 1-4
Age: 8+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes

Like its digital counterpart, Cuphead is a fast-paced cooperative game where players defeat bosses using dice. Setup is simple, with a fixed boss deck. Players choose a character and play through rounds with five phases, carefully choosing dice rolls. High replayability allows score improvement and ability upgrades.

See our Cuphead: Fast Rolling Dice Game review for more.

The Oregon Trail Card Game

Availability: Amazon
Players: 2-6
Age: 12+
Play Time: 30-45 minutes

A quick card game where players cooperate to reach Oregon without dying. Sessions are fast-paced, with "Calamity" cards causing deaths. The challenge is significant, with luck playing a role. Winning requires playing fifty trail cards. A player dying on the first turn necessitates sitting out that session.