It’s simple, what video games are out there that I really would love to see become a board game. Some of them might have something, not in the works, but already out there. Maybe a version of Monopoly with their IP on it, but what are some video games that I’d love to see become hobby board games. And there are a ton of options to pick from, so let’s get started.

Top 5 Video Games I Want To Become Board Games

5. Need for Speed

This one is lower on the list because I don’t know how I’d make the game as well. Mainly because there are racing games out there already. But there are some concepts in Need for Speed that I enjoy. I like that it’s not a tracking racing, it’s almost always street racing. And while I don’t love hearing it in real life, I live near an area where it does happen sometimes, I think it could be fun to try and simulate in a board game.

Plus then the fast pace of the game, but that is where it becomes tricky to get an idea. Racing games you tend to want to be pretty light on mechanics. Because too many moving pieces and the game slows down. Now, in a more strategic racing game, like Formula D, slower isn’t too bad, but for Need for Speed, the game needs speed.

4. Diablo

Diablo is also on the list but also lower. Mainly because this feels like another dungeon crawler board game if it were to happen. Yes, there is story, but what sets Diablo apart is that it’s a loot collector. How do you simulate that in a board game, you battle, you divvy out loot, you repeat the process.

I almost wonder if something like the Folklore: The Affliction way of doing it would work. You have little battles as you travel to big battles. Just in Diablo, you have more little battles between the bosses or the story points.

The other tricky part is all the abilities in Diablo. How do you create each attack so it feels different so it feels just insanely powerful like it can in the game, and get that feeling of mowing through enemies. Because sometimes you might just want to grind a little bit to get better gear or new gear.

3. Tomb Raider

The top three, I think, have easier times translating to a board game. Now, I say that and Tomb Raider is technically a cheat on the list, there is a Tomb Raider board game, it feels nothing like Tomb Raider. You all play as a different Lara Croft and race along a track, or in a circle really.

I want something steeped in story, and that gives you missions like the new Tomb Raider games. You play as Lara in solo or her and a team of other characters in multiplayer. And you need to figure out how to sneak past people, or sometimes go in there and start taking out guards unseen. Use a system, but more refined like Reichbusters with noise, and trying to keep it from happening.

Plus then story choices and moments where you maybe are even trying to solve a puzzle or a riddle. And eventually a classic escape type thing as you run out of whatever tomb you were raiding which is inevitably trying to kill you, or a bad guy is. Campaign for sure, but maybe several shorter, 5-6 games, campaigns in the box.

2. Myst/Riven/Exile

Speaking of puzzles, Myst or any of the games in that series, turn those into a board game. They almost have in some ways with escape room style board games like Unlock and Exit. But I want more. What made Myst so interesting was often times you’d find a puzzle and then need to go to a different part of the world or different world to find the answer.

Make it a big open, sprawling escape room style game. Make it so that you need to take notes on what the puzzles you found are, what you are looking for, and where they are at, because you’ll find so many that you’ll need to do that. And give me a little story in the mix as well. But make this something that if you’re good you could sit down and beat in a day, but most likely you’re packing it up to play again and again over evenings just like the video game.

1. Dragon Age

My number one is one of my top if not my top video game that I’ve played. Dragon Age is a big adventure of leveling up, gaining stuff, and then fighting bosses, using potions, building together a team and a strategy as you go, recruiting more characters, leveling them up, and well, a ton of story in there as well.

As compared to any on the list, Dragon Age would turn into a board game with the most story. Dragon Age really let’s you delve into a world and make a lot of choices and those choices matter later. If you make the “wrong” choice you don’t get a recruit a person. If you make a different choice you don’t get as many troops to help support you in the final battle. All of that is a lot of fun and I want that in a Dragon Age game.

Yes, you’d still likely have boss fights along the way and do some of the dungeon crawl type stuff. But I’d not mind seeing that abstracted away from a lot of the littler fights and only there for the really big ones. Because Dragon Age works so well because of the story it has.

What Games Would You Want?

There are so many different styles of video games out there to choose from. Would you want a solo Sim City game? Would you like to see a Jazz Jackrabbit crazy side scroller turned into a board game? Does playing Madden on the table top sound fun?

Let me know what video game you’d love to see get a board game treatment. And let me know what video games already turned into board games that are a lot of fun.

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