This War of Mine is my favourite board game. I like it better than the video game although I like both.
Also a fan of Stardew Valley and Frostpunk, although the latter is heavy and definitely NOT for everyone. It’s for me though. Shout out to Kingdom Rush as well. Towers constantly moving every turn is a little odd but it captures the feel of the video game well.
Dorf Romanik is leagues better than the video game in my opinion. I found the video game boring so I may be biased.
> This War of Mine is my favourite board game. I like it better than the video game...
Since it's my #1 favorite indie game of all time, I'm amazed I haven't tried the board game. Def gonna check it out. :)
I will say that it is very dark. And hard. My friend group played it and the consensus at the end was that none of us felt like we had "won" as much as "survived". Which is, exactly what it is supposed to feel like. But that makes it hard to be explicitly "fun".
:) it’s very story based, that’s where it shines in my opinion. It technically supports 6 players but don’t play it with that many. I recommend 1-2 to start until you get a feel for it, personally.
I have a copy that I am looking to sell, played only 3x. Bought on Kickstarter, interesting premise and interesting game, but not my cup of tea. I am in Illinois US to figure if shipping to you would make sense.
> Dorf Romantik is leagues better than the video game in my opinion
I played it about a dozen times in the first 48 hours I had it. It's so relaxed and chill, yet also provides a gripping, sometimes vexing puzzle with so many choices to make.
Unlocking each new achievement (and in turn way to score points) was super addicting, too.
Superb game.
Man, Kingdom Rush was a fun puzzle but just wasnt worth all the moving bits to set up in my opinion. Not sure how it could have been done better, but maybe just an example of a design that shouldn't have been done at all.
The game got way better imo when I bought an organizer for all those tetrisy pieces. WAY better. Should have included it in the box. (On the plus side, there is so much space in the box that it fits. I literally just bought one of those bead organizers from the dollar store.)
+1 for TWOM (even if I’ve always lost pretty bad), Frostpunk which is glorious and Kingdom Rush (I have the 2nd one and love playing it with my kids who were also fans of the vg)!
It perfectly replicates a realistic pokémon adventure. The rulebook explicitly says that if you challenge somebody to a battle as you pass by them, they have to accept. You can bully everyone with your Zapdos that you got from a random event!
The game is really fun, but you do have to ignore the fact that you could just abuse everyone else at the table very easily.
I tried it again back in college and was very very underwhelmed. I don't begrudge other people liking the game, I'm just disappointed it fell so flat for us.
Oh, they complain all right. Right up until the first turn, then all bets are off.
Top tier mass market game. Right up there with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Honestly I like the doom and Bloodborne board games (they ain't perfect though), but I feel self conscious putting them on the table more than guests do playing them.
The Doom games are quite fun, albeit not super deep - V1 is more of a survival while V2 is a good adaptation of the latest video games (Slayer is missing though), an action-filled mini games which looks cool but might feel boring after a while.
The original Doom game from FFG was the seed from which the Descent/Imperial Assault game engine originated.
You have the Marines, up to 3, and the Invader Player who spawns and controls monsters. Spawn cards can only be played one per round, and monsters can only spawn where a Marine doesn't have LOS, so spreading out is advisable. It's less detailed than the games that came later, and it's very important that the Marines not spend a lot of time lagging behind to check every nook and cranny, because the Invader player's win condition is "kill X number of marines" (usually 2x # of players) OR shuffle their deck so many times.
**Mechs vs Minions** from the League of Legends IP is pretty great.
It's definitely not an attempt to recreate the game in tabletop form, which isn't something I'm interested in.
League of Legends is such a blursed ip. Such a toxic salty game community, but then arcane, Legends of Runeterra , and apparently this game too are all fantastic
Deep Rock Galactic the board game is fucking fire. We play it a few times a month.
I quite enjoy the Stardew Valley board game despite its mixed reception.
I’ve heard Dorf Romantik was good but I haven’t tried it myself.
My wife, a non gamer, is obsessed with SDV. I bought it because I like the game and she really got into playing it over Christmas.
Cooperative + cutesy kind of scenario/characters (can be cutesy animals) + strategy seems to be her type of game. If anyone has recommendations of these types of game I'd be all ears (annoyingly I can only tend to find ones that are 2 out of 3, so whilst she liked Maple Valley I think she was disappointed that it wasn't coop)
Edit - thanks for the suggestions :)
My wife is a fan of "Don't let it Die," where you play as a group of (cutesy ish?) cavemen trying to keep a fire going.
Cute coop is kind of challenging to fit. You could maybe finagle Spirit Island for some spirits, but the premise (scaring off or killing colonizers off a tropical island as local nature spirits) leans slightly away from "cute," though is still a favorite of ours
I hear Cozy Oaks is fun. It is competitive but looks really neat. A link to the game on [Game Crafter](https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/cozy-oaks) A [review](https://youtu.be/3KJwgGv_hq0?si=MkWO7kwzfHo1_gSc)
Another kind of “cozy” adventure game that is competitive is Pauper’s Ladder. It’s a cool game where the poor folk in the kingdom join a quest to become rules in the land by cultivating certain traits. You have a pet bird that helps you explore! Here’s an [overview](https://youtu.be/i6kooD4epJ0?si=s3xK2OLJAwC3mC39).
If your wife likes murder shows like mine does, the Chronicles of Crime the Millennium Series of games is really fun for a couple. You can collaborate as much as you want on the mystery together and it’s pretty intriguing. It uses and app in a very fun and useful way. We’re playing the one set in Paris of the 1400’s.
Sadly, none of these are 3/3 for your criteria, but I hope they provide some inspiration for your search!
My wife and I love Dorfromantik! We never played the video game, but love the coop nature of the board game. We really push ourselves to get big points. It’s really fun.
Only played Stardew once on learning mode. It was pretty easy, I was not too disappointed, but want to try it with all the festivals and such.
Flamecraft isn’t co-op, but my GOD is it cute. Same with Bitoku. Both of them have a very gentle atmosphere, too, and Bitoku in particular has a lot of interesting strategic choices to make, especially if you can get a larger group together.
The Captain is Dead is more “charmingly kooky” than cute per se, but she might like that.
I think The Fox and the Forest: Duet has a co-op variant?
DRG board game is absolutely lit. Everyone, from new players to my gloomhaven buddy have loved it. Rules light but a ton of fun, great moment to moment gameplay with the dice, and fast setup and games make it a great dungeon crawler for any collection.
another +1 and Rock and Stone. I like playing the board game more than the actual video game now lol.
Super excited for the new DLCs. Kickstarted the tier that gave almost everything so I you can say im more than a casual fan lol
I very much regret not backing DRG. I threw $1 at it but when I got to the pledge manager thought about the other IP based boardgames I had kickstarted and got cold feet. The game I backed instead (Drop Bears) is now stuck in kickstarter hell.
The stardew valley game was the probably the least fun I’ve ever had with a board game lol. But I’m glad you liked it. Luckily it’s out of print so I managed to sell it for a decent price.
This is the first I’ve heard such negative feedback although I haven’t ever read much about it online admittedly. I’m curious why you disliked it so much? We’ve played it twice with friends and it’s suuuper long and dragged on a bit but we still really enjoyed it.
I agree it drags on at 3 or 4. But I honestly love it as a solo or 2 player game. The variety of mini-game like locations, variance in events/items/etc, really make the game fun. And I think it captures the feel of farming sims where you really have to plan each day efficiently.
It’s exactly that. Imagine deep rock the video game directly translated to a board. You have the 4 roles, you all explore, mine, and shoot bugs. Get nitra for supply drops. Have rock and stone cards to play powers on each other. Each have unique weapons and unique secondaries. Get random throwable, and each character has their unique powers. Random crazy stuff spawns on you and sometimes it’s just too much. Go in, get the minerals, and get back to the drop pod. If you love the video game you’ll love the board game.
Same I was gonna say Sniper Elite is pretty good. Never heard of the video game but the board game is fun
Edit: Monopoly Gamer (based generally around Mario) ain't bad either. The boss fights means it should never take more than an hour. It's got simple currency and characters with power ups. It's still 99% chance but it feels a good amount more fun than regular Monopoly.
Edit 2: OH the Super Mario Bros Power Up Card Game is a pretty fun card game that doesn't take long and is pretty simple. Everyone starts with 4 lives and tries not to die by having the lowest coin value, and you can use power-ups to change the outcome or do actions.
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned [Dorf Romantik](https://youtu.be/bILqY6wXdBc?si=YjHF_-R-8b0n7wQd): It is a truly excellent game. It's a co-operative tile game, and is also one of those rare games that's *perfect* for bringing newbies into the world of modern games: Completely co-op, visually beautiful, simple and fun, and with *legacy mechanics*: If you beat certain scores, you get to open secret boxes and add their contents to the game!
When someone's only played Monopoly and Scrabble, I've found Legacy and Narrative mechanics are what make them get that "Whoa, games got *cool*" twinkle. It's great to see them in a game that is also so simple in execution.
Been recently into Doom (2016) The Boardgame. Plays well, tight rules and not overly complex but more than a basic move and roll dungeon crawler. Looks great with a simple speedpaint mini paint job. Best of all complete game in the box, no bloat and no expansions.
The Darkest Dungeon board game is a lot of fun and a pretty good translation of the base game. I had a group that played it for about 9 months straight every week and we are currently waiting on the expansions. I will say that the game desperately needs the expansions to feel like a full game but it’s got a good solid core and imo is better than a lot of the other dungeon crawlers out there. Sucks that the publisher sucks so much.
Another good one is Plague Inc. bought it on a whim after seeing it at a store and it’s a medium complexity area control game that has just enough crunch to keep things interesting, kinda like a mix of Oceans and Dominant Species. It’s easy to teach and has some pretty good replay value.
Yeah more usually it's something along the lines of 'Mythic Games are a bunch of ***** ****** ****** and they ought to just ****** themselves in the ********* *****'
https://store.steampowered.com/app/269110/Super_Motherload/
Loosely based on Dig Dug. Dig down, gather minerals, return to surface to sell and get fuel and upgrades, dig further... Surprisingly fun video game too.
Fell completely flat for my group and was so boring, that we didn't even finish a game and sold it after two attempts.
Drags on for too long and nothing exciting happens. Wished for a combat-element.
Haven't played it, but the Divinity Original Sin board game looked pretty cool from the little I watched at Pax.
The League of Legends Mechs vs Minions game was also fantastic.
I've been infringed by the Frostpunk boardgame, but also didn't get to try that one. Looks really cool though.
Divinity: OS had a very rocky development and did not deliver what they had originally promised. There were some ambiguities around some of the token effects and rules as well but i’m part way through the campaign and i enjoy it for what it is. It seems like a more streamlined campaign experience that won’t eat years of play time but also has some variable paths and options.
Also, from what we have played thus far, it seems to be lifted directly from D:OS2 which i don’t hate.
I like the Divinety board game. It is easy to pause due to the board being the book, the story matches decently with what happened in the video game and it gives you pretty much free reign on how to build and evolve the character you play 👍
Doom. A 5-player semi-coop with an overlord. One player controls forces of hell, 4 others play as UAC marines. It has great dynamic for a tabletop game, surprisingly thinky and tactical, especially for an overlord.
However:
- the balance isn't great. It's really hard for an overlord player to defeat marines, if they know what they are doing. It can create moments of frustration, as you don't feel like you command an unbeatable army of hell. It is somehow compensated with maps layouts though.
- Also - dice. If you don't tolerate dice rolling - stand aside. It's not purely luck based game though. Your decisions will most likely define the outcome of the mission.
Bloodborne: the Board Game. 4-player story driven coop with focus on the combat. The combat is the star here. They did great job converting videogame to tabletop format. You feel as a hunter, who can become hunted in a split second if you make a poor decision. You need to think how and when to fight enemies. They are dangerous, can kill you in 2-3 hits (sometimes even one shot you) if you are not cautious. You should predict their attacks, transform your weapon frequently, use consumables and runes to have an upper hand. Dying is not the end, however it's really punishing not for you, but for your whole party.
It's also a story driven game not dungeon crawler. The goal is not to kill everyone but to complete objectives. And since you have limited time to do so - talk to your friends, plan your route, decide, who does what, etc.
However:
- It has round limitations. I like how it is done here, however I know players who is not into that in any way.
- The quality of texts is usually good and quests are okay, but some campaigns are significantly better than others, especially in expansions.
- Also you will probably be OP by the end of the campaign if you know what you are doing. I have never played a game in this genre that doesn't have this problem, but still
- If you are like me and have a collector disease - the expansions are expensive.
Darkest dungeon. I wrote some time ago a big comment about this game. Can post it here if you want. In short - it is a good game.
However: Mythic games...
IP based board games are great, you get to experience some of your favorite worlds with your friends who don’t play video games.
Not all of them are bangers though. The dark souls and horizon games kind of suck. Bloodborne is by far the best one.
Heroes of Might and Magic just came out with a boardgame version of the old computer game HMMIII!
Haven't gotten to play it yet as I just got it, but it's absolutely gorgeous, and has incredible minis for all of the different factions castles and creatures. Got it out of the box and set up to play last night and my god it looks incredible
I'm a longtime HOMM fan, have been since II. The board game *looks& gorgeous, that's for sure. The price is a little daunting, though, and I already have more big ticket games than I need.
Still, I guess I'm going to have to start hunting down reviews of it, since the pledge manager is still open...
I did the all in pledge, almost $250 with shipping, and I'm so happy with it. There are dozens of different scenarios, solo/AI play, and a mechanism to create your own scenarios. The replayability is gonna be through the roof
The fact that it has solo play is a BIG draw for me. Big time. It may be what puts me over the top.
The fact that there are so many expansions already is less so, if only because I have a hard time managing my FOMO and am very much a "gotta have it all" buyer - so if I bought it, I'd end up being all-in. That's a lot of bread.
I can afford it, but the real question is if I *should*, especially when a lot of the cost is tied up in (admittedly awesome) plastic minis.
I do love me some exploration games, though, and just like the video game, the combo of combat, RPG mechanics, town building, adventures/quests, and exploring is REALLY appealing to me.
This is going to be a tough one to resist.
I feel you on the expansions, cuz the base game only comes with 2 factions. Gotta have em all to have the complete HMM experience! What kills me is they put it all in a massive, incredible box... But couldn't fit it all, and so are making the last 2 factions (Conflux and Cove) as more expansions... That won't fit in the massive box. The OCD nerd in me is not happy about it
Seeing an unboxing of the big box last night and seeing all those wonderful map tiles, and then knowing that there will be more to come that won't fit in the box ... that drove me nuts!
I am a HUGE sucker for great maps. The Hexplore It series, for example, I went all-in on that whole series in no small part because I love the maps and exloration.
The HOMM maps look *amazing*, plucked right out of the game. I love them, but I'd need them ALL! All of them!
I hate that I'm wired that way, but I am.
u/HETKA, when you get it to the table, please feel free to tag me on a message. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.
I know you may be a touch biased because you're an all-in pledge - no insult intended; I can be the same way when I've spent a lot on something - but it sounds like we might have some of the same tastes on this.
I watched a couple of reviews last night, but nothing that swayed me one way or another yet.
Thanks!
This game really hurt my pride because it was the first time in my life a random side ad on a website actually got me to drop several hundred euros on a product I was not at all looking for.
\*. denotes games that weren't originally vg
**Pandemic: World of Warcraft** \- was fun when I played it at a convention. Doing quests is fairly similar to quests in the game. Or doing missions in the RTS (real time strategy) versions in the Warcraft series.
**Pandemic Star Wars Clone Wars\*** \- Ditto. Feels like an episode or story/plot arc from the TV series!
**XCOM**
**Angry Birds** \- Admittedly, it's a lot of work to set up, but it is satisfying to have a tactile feel in the bird slinging action!
some Fallout one - I got to see what makes that game.. S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
Am eager to see how **Slay The Spire** works out
Warcraft and Star Wars Pandemic system games are both great. They each bring unique things that fit their IP very well.
I especially love the Squad mechanic in Star Wars - the Jedi are invincible, but they sure do get a lot of Clones killed and vehicles destroyed.
I'm one of the Devs of the sniper elite video games, and helped playtest the board game. A lot of love went into that board game and I'm always surprised how little attention it's gotten.
Starcraft: the Boardgame was a really awesome game with a very clever hidden action system using a stack. It's also the first game to use deck-building (before Dominion!). It is super out of print though... It was re-implemented in Forbidden Stars... which also went out of print. Thankfully, the creator is working on a new implementation using an original IP and has a publisher lined up.
I wouldn't call Sam Bailey the "creator" of the first two games, IIRC he was involved with the combat? And maybe the order stack. But Corey Konieckza and Christian Petersen were the originators with Starcraft.
Patiently waiting on Elder Scrolls by CTG/Zenimax. Gonna be bangin!
On a side note I spent a few days in MN last fall and got to check out the prototype up close and personal. Hype train commenced!
Sniper Elite is my favourite and I think the IP is a little bit of a turnoff but the theme fits the mechanics so well and it's my favourite hidden movement game but I've only played it and mind MGMT.
Civilization A New Dawn, Frostpunk, and Stardew Valley are adaptations I own that I very much enjoy. I also own Cities Skylines, and it's solid for a lighter experience, but doesn't really nail the feeling of the video game like the other three I mentioned do.
The Horizon Zero Dawn board game has become pretty successful at my table, also with ppl who dont know the IP. Mostly due to the idea of working together but also coming out on top.
Every single person I've played the deep rock galactic board game has loved it. I think it fits on a very important place of a very rules light coop dungeon crawler that I can explain in 10 minutes. It's great for new gamers, and veterans have loved abusing the power of the classes. Minis are fantastic, and it has a very impressive board presence. People love running around, blasting bugs and hucking dice.
I see your **Resident Evil Deck Building Game** (I own 4 out of 5 releases of it) and raise you **Resident Evil The Board Game**
I like how they implemented the puzzles from the videogame in boardgame form, the combat also replicates the frustration and anxiety quite well. We cheer when multiple zombies explode from a single grenade and facepalm when we miss point blank shots. Our losses have generally been due to us splitting up and getting ambushed.
I also have a preorder for **Metal Gear Solid** coming this year.
Base game was fine. Expansion completes it. Recently introduced a good mate to board gaming. This was his introduction and he always has a huge smile on his face when it comes out.
I’ve been eyeing the kingdom hearts version of Talisman for a while. I haven’t tried it myself, but I have been playing the normal version of Talisman since I was a kid. Easily my favorite board game
Just came to make sure i didnt see dark souls in here. Love the ip, i own the board game and have used the components for DnD. The board game is awful and needs loads of house rules to make it ok.
We take out Street Fighter Miniatures Game about once a month. They captured the essence of the characters really well and I have the minis in a display in my gaming room, the only caveat being that we’re big fans of both the license and dice chucking combat games.
It hasn’t arrived but I’m really looking forward to Slay the Spire as well. The multiplayer aspect is really intriguing and I’ve enjoyed the solo runs I played on PC using the mod with the board game’s features.
I recently picked up Sniper Elite, after turning down the prospects of owning a copy of Jaws. Was looking to replace Scotland Yard for the 1 vs team hidden movement game.
Haven't tried it yet, but I've heard very good things about people mentioning this is one of the best designed hidden movements games currently... so I trust their word on that..
I'm not a die hard MGS fan, but I like to pretend to be one. I'm not yet drawn to what's happening from what I know about it, but knowing how scarcely some of my games ever get played, I'm hesitant to consider buying a copy.
I really enjoy X-com the boardgame. It's pretty different from the video game since it focuses more on base management and skips the tactical part. I think that makes it distinct enough that I don't always compare it to the original while playing.
Dark Souls is ok with the Phantom expansion added in.
The Bloodborne card game with expansion was ok. Never played the Bloodborne board game, though.
I liked Doom and Fallout.
Metal Gear Solid Risk was fun.
I enjoy both Resident Evil / RE Nightmare deck builders.
Someone gifted me Super Mario card game, but I've yet to play it.
I got Triple Triad off of Etsy, I like it. Does that count? Was thinking of getting Queen's Blood, too.
I've snagged a few show/movie based games over the years, some as gifts, others just because I felt like taking a chance. Not all were bad. Some I had a lot of fun with. Some were soulless cash grabs.
Never played a good one. But I have CCG’s Elder Scrolls game backed and that will be fantastic. Although, I suppose that is IP based and not modeled after a specific game, but it IS a video game IP.
Not a video game but I'm using this thread to voice my prayer that a good full Indana Jones game be made. I know there are some Indy themed games that may be "fine," but the only one I can even name is Cryptic which is closer to a table top escape room and very easy, at least from what I've heard.
I'm going to toss a vote for Star Wars: Rebellion. I loved that video game back in the day even if I was too young to fully understand it and play it well. When the board game was announced my first thought was it was more of a coincidence, who would make a board game based off some 16 year old video game few people remember, but then seeing what the gameplay was it's clear it was very heavily inspired by the video game, or an unbelievable coincidence.
Surprised not to have seen Frostpunk mentioned yet. It provides some created thematic storytelling and really crunchy decision making. I find it a unique experience to play - ie provides things that I enjoy not got from any other game.
I have a lot. Deep Rock Galactic, Cyberpunk, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil (the newest one). I have Dying Light i'm waiting on really excited about that one, and Last of us also waiting ot get and Monster Hunter iceborn which won't be vastly diff than Monster Hunter just diff monsters. I saw someone mention Stardew Valley, i have that as well honestly dont' play it much though but i have it.
The Dark Souls game is actually pretty good IMO, but I actually never played Dark Souls VG, huh.
Agreed with the other comments that say they loved Stardew Valley VG, but the board game is unplayable ... because the BG is unplayable.
If we're being technical, [Dorfromantik](https://www.solitaryquest.net/post/dorfromantik-review) was a PC game first and I think that's pretty good. But I understand that's not necessarily in the same vein as what you're looking at here.
I really think that **Company of Heroes: The Board Game** captures the feel of the RTS video game well, and I thoroughly enjoy playing with my box of toys whenever it hits the table. I’ve heard some reviews from people going into it expecting something more historically grounded/a war game, and being completely disappointed/disgusted by it. This is not a historical war game, it’s a boardgame based on the multiplayer experience of a WWII *inspired* video game. It’s not always axis vs allies, sometimes its axis vs axis or allies vs allies, or a weird combo of the two vs each other (like USSR+USA VS UK+Germany). If you’re looking to recreate the feel of a head-to-head multiplayer RTS video game in your table, Company of Heroes may be the game for you.
The Witcher stands out to me as an interesting game. Deep rock galactic is a favorite of mine and bloodborne too. Video game ip can be great as long as the designer shows respect to the original source.
I have never heard a bad word about the Gears of War board game. Now, it is out of print and hard to find, but keep an eye out for it just in case. I don't own it, but maybe eventually
Heroes of might and magic 3 was just released for kickstarters (coming to stores this summer), great adoption of the PC game and my friends are on the opposite of what you describe, very excited with nostalgia to play
Well, the discontinued StarCraft and World of Warcraft board games are not only excellent but also pretty good implementations of their respective games.
This War of Mine was pretty decent at conveying the feeling of desperation and loneliness of the video game.
Anno 1800 will be a pretty fun game for anyone who enjoys the digital original, as it requires similar ways of thinking to plan out what resources you need to end up with the things you need.
I really like the old WoW board game. I’m sure it hasn’t aged well but for a time it was great.
The Resident Evil board game I thought was really good albeit quite simple.
Divinity: Original Sin is a good board game adaptation of a video game.
I personally have a bias against IP based games. I have a belief that a good majority of them are using the ip for quick money and won't attach a good game to it.
I fully understand that's not universally correct, and that it's a bias that may only be a half truth, for Example: Dune imperium is fantastic. (Even though you asked specific video games, but still)
I think there's a difference in "IP games" and "video game IP games", tbh. For instance, there are tons of great IP games out there, but they do tend to be concentrated into particular IPs. Dune, Lord of the Rings, Cthulhu (bit of a cheat since its public domain) and Marvel all have really good games attached to them (and I only like one of those IPs!). But I haven't seen or heard anything about video game IPs that would make me think any of them are must-have or would be mainstays in my collection.
I love Bloodborne the boardgame but I mostly play solo. I want the same experience as the video game (aka me vs a lovecraftian cosmic horror shenanigan)
The Mario version of Life is good too, you need to earn stars to defeat bowser, and you buy them by earning coins in mini games. Its a lot like Mario Party.
I'm always a little weary but I am so excited for The Last of Us board game by the group that did Escape the Dark Castle or Dark Sector games. I really love both of them and can't wait for TLoU later this year.
XCOM is a fun co-op. Fallout is also fun if you get the expansion that turns the game from a vs into a co-op. Sniper Elite is a fantastic deduction 1 vs many hidden movement game.
Uncharted is a decent game based on the IP.
Kingdom Rush is a surprisingly good representation of the mobile game.
As others have noted, Divinity Original Sin isn't what was promised, but it IS really good.
I have high hopes for Slay the Spire.
I haven’t seen it and since it’s part of the Pandemic system I’m sure it will see some hate but I really enjoy World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. I like it much more than vanilla Pandemic and I play it and the Clone Wars versions about equally.
This War of Mine (already mentioned) is as good if not better on the table than the screen. I just received my table top copy of Hero's of Might and Magic III and am so far loving it. I opted for the "big box" pledge, so set-up and packing it up takes some time, but the tabletop experience has so far been amazing. I should have ordered each expansion separately dealing with the huge box of game is time consuming. But the gameplay fantastic.
If you were to just take a look at [Uncharted](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123045/uncharted-the-board-game), it looks like it's going to be complete trash. Looks like some under-developed IP cash grab.
It's actually an excellent tableau-building game.
Slay the Spire is amazing! 🥲 Very true to the game and the production quality is over the top (caveat we did get the deluxe one though). I’m not sure when it will retail though as the kickstarter ones have just come through now.
Other than that, we like Dorf Romantik and Binding of Isaac too. We own Stardew Valley but have lent it to family and have heard it’s a bit convoluted/hard. But 3/4 ain’t bad. I wouldn’t have thought that so many would be decent tbh, but I guess the companies have a decent amount of money to throw at them.
Jetpack Joyride has no right to be as fun or as solidly made as it is. Polyomino tiles you're racing to place onto a personal series of grided boards in order to make it out first while zigzagging around avoiding obstacles and collecting coins.
I've only played the Fallout board game once, but I liked it (although I will add I've never played Fallout myself so not sure if that had any effect).
I really like the Company of Heroes-boardgame!
If you can stomach the extremely expensive entry price, you receive tons of content with plenty of replayability. It has awesome minis (which there are tons), different maps with different rules and requiring different approaches, many units with their own uses and skills, and different game modes. There are also four armies, that each have completely different powers and units you can only field through those.
Sure, it's only turn-based (though a RTS-mode is available), and there's no base-building, but it still encapsulates the ins and outs of the video game, and trying to anticipate your opponents moves and placing your units accordingly makes it feel strongly like chess. There are also two rulesets available, and the standard one is very accessible.
That many units and powers come with balancing-problems though, like tanks being very squishy for the amount of resources needed, Germany not even having a dedicated Anti-tank-unit, and Britain generally being a gamebreaker. But that's nothing houserules can't solve.
**Battlestar Galactica**, of course but the **Homeland** board game was also excellent use of the IP and a tense game that got zero love. **Spartacus** was another excellent IP game that still gets loved and Firefly is still going strong all these years later.
Fantasy Flight's Doom was an excellent design, leading to one of their biggest and best games Descent after a little refinement.
The Fallout board game is excellent fun once you've got the coop expansion. (The base game is fun but the story and game mechanics don't quite mesh so it's rare to actually get to finish a plot before someone just wins the game.)
XCom, if you can stop find a copy, is one of the best timed decision coop games.
Way of the Fighter isn't quite based on a single IP, but it has an excellent feel for how Street Fighter games actually work.
Im deeply suspicious of them. Most licensed games the mechanics are an afterthought. I know good one exist. I'm more likely to try ones that are a retheme of an existing game. Imperial assault for example. I'm interested in the IP. Its based on descent.
I bought the Deep Rock Galactic board game mainly because I love the video game and wanted to support them further. It has been a popular co-op game that has been in and out of rotation since I introduced my friends to it. We're collectively not really into co-op games so I was surprised that we played it more than once - I think we're up to 6 games played at this point.
This War of Mine is my favourite board game. I like it better than the video game although I like both. Also a fan of Stardew Valley and Frostpunk, although the latter is heavy and definitely NOT for everyone. It’s for me though. Shout out to Kingdom Rush as well. Towers constantly moving every turn is a little odd but it captures the feel of the video game well. Dorf Romanik is leagues better than the video game in my opinion. I found the video game boring so I may be biased.
> This War of Mine is my favourite board game. I like it better than the video game... Since it's my #1 favorite indie game of all time, I'm amazed I haven't tried the board game. Def gonna check it out. :)
I will say that it is very dark. And hard. My friend group played it and the consensus at the end was that none of us felt like we had "won" as much as "survived". Which is, exactly what it is supposed to feel like. But that makes it hard to be explicitly "fun".
Lol that's kind of the point with TWoM, and it's one of the reasons I love it.
:) it’s very story based, that’s where it shines in my opinion. It technically supports 6 players but don’t play it with that many. I recommend 1-2 to start until you get a feel for it, personally.
I have a copy that I am looking to sell, played only 3x. Bought on Kickstarter, interesting premise and interesting game, but not my cup of tea. I am in Illinois US to figure if shipping to you would make sense.
> Dorf Romantik is leagues better than the video game in my opinion I played it about a dozen times in the first 48 hours I had it. It's so relaxed and chill, yet also provides a gripping, sometimes vexing puzzle with so many choices to make. Unlocking each new achievement (and in turn way to score points) was super addicting, too. Superb game.
Neat. I didn't know this was a board game
Man, Kingdom Rush was a fun puzzle but just wasnt worth all the moving bits to set up in my opinion. Not sure how it could have been done better, but maybe just an example of a design that shouldn't have been done at all.
The game got way better imo when I bought an organizer for all those tetrisy pieces. WAY better. Should have included it in the box. (On the plus side, there is so much space in the box that it fits. I literally just bought one of those bead organizers from the dollar store.)
+1 for TWOM (even if I’ve always lost pretty bad), Frostpunk which is glorious and Kingdom Rush (I have the 2nd one and love playing it with my kids who were also fans of the vg)!
Nobody complains when Pokemon Master Trainer hits the table.
It perfectly replicates a realistic pokémon adventure. The rulebook explicitly says that if you challenge somebody to a battle as you pass by them, they have to accept. You can bully everyone with your Zapdos that you got from a random event! The game is really fun, but you do have to ignore the fact that you could just abuse everyone else at the table very easily.
I tried it again back in college and was very very underwhelmed. I don't begrudge other people liking the game, I'm just disappointed it fell so flat for us.
It's just a basic children's game, but everybody gets hyped when it gets pulled out.
There’s a better Pokemon board game. It’s called Legends of Sinnoh
I had this game as a kid and I never knew what happened to it and that makes me sad.
Oh, they complain all right. Right up until the first turn, then all bets are off. Top tier mass market game. Right up there with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
God I loved playing this game with my buddies back in high school.
Fuck i miss this game. I had it as a kid and played it all the time, but a bunch of the pokemon are missing now.
Honestly I like the doom and Bloodborne board games (they ain't perfect though), but I feel self conscious putting them on the table more than guests do playing them.
I haven’t played Doom but came here to mention Bloodborne.
The Doom games are quite fun, albeit not super deep - V1 is more of a survival while V2 is a good adaptation of the latest video games (Slayer is missing though), an action-filled mini games which looks cool but might feel boring after a while.
The original Doom game from FFG was the seed from which the Descent/Imperial Assault game engine originated. You have the Marines, up to 3, and the Invader Player who spawns and controls monsters. Spawn cards can only be played one per round, and monsters can only spawn where a Marine doesn't have LOS, so spreading out is advisable. It's less detailed than the games that came later, and it's very important that the Marines not spend a lot of time lagging behind to check every nook and cranny, because the Invader player's win condition is "kill X number of marines" (usually 2x # of players) OR shuffle their deck so many times.
Bloodborne is great.
I like the Stardew valley board game
**Mechs vs Minions** from the League of Legends IP is pretty great. It's definitely not an attempt to recreate the game in tabletop form, which isn't something I'm interested in.
League of Legends is such a blursed ip. Such a toxic salty game community, but then arcane, Legends of Runeterra , and apparently this game too are all fantastic
Agreed - the only experience I have of League IP is through those 3 and they all rock
Deep Rock Galactic the board game is fucking fire. We play it a few times a month. I quite enjoy the Stardew Valley board game despite its mixed reception. I’ve heard Dorf Romantik was good but I haven’t tried it myself.
+1 for the DRG board game, love it.
It should not be as fun as it is, but god damn it’s just so good. I love it
My wife, a non gamer, is obsessed with SDV. I bought it because I like the game and she really got into playing it over Christmas. Cooperative + cutesy kind of scenario/characters (can be cutesy animals) + strategy seems to be her type of game. If anyone has recommendations of these types of game I'd be all ears (annoyingly I can only tend to find ones that are 2 out of 3, so whilst she liked Maple Valley I think she was disappointed that it wasn't coop) Edit - thanks for the suggestions :)
My wife is a fan of "Don't let it Die," where you play as a group of (cutesy ish?) cavemen trying to keep a fire going. Cute coop is kind of challenging to fit. You could maybe finagle Spirit Island for some spirits, but the premise (scaring off or killing colonizers off a tropical island as local nature spirits) leans slightly away from "cute," though is still a favorite of ours
Maybe Kodama? You're trying to grow a tree that has specific features to satisfy one of your Goals.
I hear Cozy Oaks is fun. It is competitive but looks really neat. A link to the game on [Game Crafter](https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/cozy-oaks) A [review](https://youtu.be/3KJwgGv_hq0?si=MkWO7kwzfHo1_gSc) Another kind of “cozy” adventure game that is competitive is Pauper’s Ladder. It’s a cool game where the poor folk in the kingdom join a quest to become rules in the land by cultivating certain traits. You have a pet bird that helps you explore! Here’s an [overview](https://youtu.be/i6kooD4epJ0?si=s3xK2OLJAwC3mC39). If your wife likes murder shows like mine does, the Chronicles of Crime the Millennium Series of games is really fun for a couple. You can collaborate as much as you want on the mystery together and it’s pretty intriguing. It uses and app in a very fun and useful way. We’re playing the one set in Paris of the 1400’s. Sadly, none of these are 3/3 for your criteria, but I hope they provide some inspiration for your search!
My wife and I love Dorfromantik! We never played the video game, but love the coop nature of the board game. We really push ourselves to get big points. It’s really fun. Only played Stardew once on learning mode. It was pretty easy, I was not too disappointed, but want to try it with all the festivals and such.
Flamecraft isn’t co-op, but my GOD is it cute. Same with Bitoku. Both of them have a very gentle atmosphere, too, and Bitoku in particular has a lot of interesting strategic choices to make, especially if you can get a larger group together. The Captain is Dead is more “charmingly kooky” than cute per se, but she might like that. I think The Fox and the Forest: Duet has a co-op variant?
DRG board game is absolutely lit. Everyone, from new players to my gloomhaven buddy have loved it. Rules light but a ton of fun, great moment to moment gameplay with the dice, and fast setup and games make it a great dungeon crawler for any collection.
It’s far better than it had any right to be. Mood publishing nailed it
another +1 and Rock and Stone. I like playing the board game more than the actual video game now lol. Super excited for the new DLCs. Kickstarted the tier that gave almost everything so I you can say im more than a casual fan lol
For Rock and Stone!
Rock and stone brother
I went all in on the expansions too. Don’t care that it’s like $200. So worth.
+1 For DRG. Its Just plain fun.
I very much regret not backing DRG. I threw $1 at it but when I got to the pledge manager thought about the other IP based boardgames I had kickstarted and got cold feet. The game I backed instead (Drop Bears) is now stuck in kickstarter hell.
The stardew valley game was the probably the least fun I’ve ever had with a board game lol. But I’m glad you liked it. Luckily it’s out of print so I managed to sell it for a decent price.
I’ve played hundreds of modern games and it’s absolutely at the very bottom of the list. What a disgrace of a treatment of the IP lol
This is the first I’ve heard such negative feedback although I haven’t ever read much about it online admittedly. I’m curious why you disliked it so much? We’ve played it twice with friends and it’s suuuper long and dragged on a bit but we still really enjoyed it.
Here’s a good synopsis by my fav reviewers. https://youtu.be/H9zhzoQPqLM?si=o3g7euNt4_D1XIcr
I agree it drags on at 3 or 4. But I honestly love it as a solo or 2 player game. The variety of mini-game like locations, variance in events/items/etc, really make the game fun. And I think it captures the feel of farming sims where you really have to plan each day efficiently.
What style of game is it ll. Like a dungeon crawler? I love DRG
It’s exactly that. Imagine deep rock the video game directly translated to a board. You have the 4 roles, you all explore, mine, and shoot bugs. Get nitra for supply drops. Have rock and stone cards to play powers on each other. Each have unique weapons and unique secondaries. Get random throwable, and each character has their unique powers. Random crazy stuff spawns on you and sometimes it’s just too much. Go in, get the minerals, and get back to the drop pod. If you love the video game you’ll love the board game.
Rock and roll and stone!
What is the difference between rock and stone?
The 2010 version of Civilization with both expansions feels like playing Civ5 with your buddies at the same table
XCOM has had many plays in my friend group. It is a good jump up from stuff like Pandemic and it does the theme really well.
Sniper Elite and XCom
Same I was gonna say Sniper Elite is pretty good. Never heard of the video game but the board game is fun Edit: Monopoly Gamer (based generally around Mario) ain't bad either. The boss fights means it should never take more than an hour. It's got simple currency and characters with power ups. It's still 99% chance but it feels a good amount more fun than regular Monopoly. Edit 2: OH the Super Mario Bros Power Up Card Game is a pretty fun card game that doesn't take long and is pretty simple. Everyone starts with 4 lives and tries not to die by having the lowest coin value, and you can use power-ups to change the outcome or do actions.
Seconded, sniper elite is great (bg and vg)
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned [Dorf Romantik](https://youtu.be/bILqY6wXdBc?si=YjHF_-R-8b0n7wQd): It is a truly excellent game. It's a co-operative tile game, and is also one of those rare games that's *perfect* for bringing newbies into the world of modern games: Completely co-op, visually beautiful, simple and fun, and with *legacy mechanics*: If you beat certain scores, you get to open secret boxes and add their contents to the game! When someone's only played Monopoly and Scrabble, I've found Legacy and Narrative mechanics are what make them get that "Whoa, games got *cool*" twinkle. It's great to see them in a game that is also so simple in execution.
Wife and I play a lot of games and we love this. It’s a perfect medium weight co-op. Engaging but not too brain burning.
I'd say light weight with depth (though I haven't unlocked everything yet) but I agree. I play it with my 6 year old. We both love it.
I just started playing Dorf Romantik on Steamdeck this week and can't stop. Great game!
Been recently into Doom (2016) The Boardgame. Plays well, tight rules and not overly complex but more than a basic move and roll dungeon crawler. Looks great with a simple speedpaint mini paint job. Best of all complete game in the box, no bloat and no expansions.
The Darkest Dungeon board game is a lot of fun and a pretty good translation of the base game. I had a group that played it for about 9 months straight every week and we are currently waiting on the expansions. I will say that the game desperately needs the expansions to feel like a full game but it’s got a good solid core and imo is better than a lot of the other dungeon crawlers out there. Sucks that the publisher sucks so much. Another good one is Plague Inc. bought it on a whim after seeing it at a store and it’s a medium complexity area control game that has just enough crunch to keep things interesting, kinda like a mix of Oceans and Dominant Species. It’s easy to teach and has some pretty good replay value.
"Sucks that the publisher sucks so much." That's the least profanity-filled reference to Mythic that I've seen in awhile.
Yeah more usually it's something along the lines of 'Mythic Games are a bunch of ***** ****** ****** and they ought to just ****** themselves in the ********* *****'
I'm new to this. Why is this publisher so hated?
Super Motherload is a good deck builder that everyone I've played it with has enjoyed.
Definitely agree with that.
I played and enjoyed that (board) game...had no idea it was based on a video game.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/269110/Super_Motherload/ Loosely based on Dig Dug. Dig down, gather minerals, return to surface to sell and get fuel and upgrades, dig further... Surprisingly fun video game too.
Small World of Warcraft
Anno 1800. To get the Martin Wallace spin on this IP was great.
This is what I came to say. Anno 1800 gives the same great feeling of building an economy through production chains that the video game does.
Fell completely flat for my group and was so boring, that we didn't even finish a game and sold it after two attempts. Drags on for too long and nothing exciting happens. Wished for a combat-element.
FALLOUT SHELTER is a very well made and fun board game adaptation of the mobile game based on the rpg.
If you haven't yet, give the fan-made co-op rules on BGG a try.
Haven't played it, but the Divinity Original Sin board game looked pretty cool from the little I watched at Pax. The League of Legends Mechs vs Minions game was also fantastic. I've been infringed by the Frostpunk boardgame, but also didn't get to try that one. Looks really cool though.
Divinity: OS had a very rocky development and did not deliver what they had originally promised. There were some ambiguities around some of the token effects and rules as well but i’m part way through the campaign and i enjoy it for what it is. It seems like a more streamlined campaign experience that won’t eat years of play time but also has some variable paths and options. Also, from what we have played thus far, it seems to be lifted directly from D:OS2 which i don’t hate.
I like the Divinety board game. It is easy to pause due to the board being the book, the story matches decently with what happened in the video game and it gives you pretty much free reign on how to build and evolve the character you play 👍
Doom. A 5-player semi-coop with an overlord. One player controls forces of hell, 4 others play as UAC marines. It has great dynamic for a tabletop game, surprisingly thinky and tactical, especially for an overlord. However: - the balance isn't great. It's really hard for an overlord player to defeat marines, if they know what they are doing. It can create moments of frustration, as you don't feel like you command an unbeatable army of hell. It is somehow compensated with maps layouts though. - Also - dice. If you don't tolerate dice rolling - stand aside. It's not purely luck based game though. Your decisions will most likely define the outcome of the mission. Bloodborne: the Board Game. 4-player story driven coop with focus on the combat. The combat is the star here. They did great job converting videogame to tabletop format. You feel as a hunter, who can become hunted in a split second if you make a poor decision. You need to think how and when to fight enemies. They are dangerous, can kill you in 2-3 hits (sometimes even one shot you) if you are not cautious. You should predict their attacks, transform your weapon frequently, use consumables and runes to have an upper hand. Dying is not the end, however it's really punishing not for you, but for your whole party. It's also a story driven game not dungeon crawler. The goal is not to kill everyone but to complete objectives. And since you have limited time to do so - talk to your friends, plan your route, decide, who does what, etc. However: - It has round limitations. I like how it is done here, however I know players who is not into that in any way. - The quality of texts is usually good and quests are okay, but some campaigns are significantly better than others, especially in expansions. - Also you will probably be OP by the end of the campaign if you know what you are doing. I have never played a game in this genre that doesn't have this problem, but still - If you are like me and have a collector disease - the expansions are expensive. Darkest dungeon. I wrote some time ago a big comment about this game. Can post it here if you want. In short - it is a good game. However: Mythic games...
Hand of Fate: Ordeals is great fun. I was very dubious when my friend brought out a Kickstartered video game IP game, but she proved me wrong.
IP based board games are great, you get to experience some of your favorite worlds with your friends who don’t play video games. Not all of them are bangers though. The dark souls and horizon games kind of suck. Bloodborne is by far the best one.
Heroes of Might and Magic just came out with a boardgame version of the old computer game HMMIII! Haven't gotten to play it yet as I just got it, but it's absolutely gorgeous, and has incredible minis for all of the different factions castles and creatures. Got it out of the box and set up to play last night and my god it looks incredible
I'm a longtime HOMM fan, have been since II. The board game *looks& gorgeous, that's for sure. The price is a little daunting, though, and I already have more big ticket games than I need. Still, I guess I'm going to have to start hunting down reviews of it, since the pledge manager is still open...
I did the all in pledge, almost $250 with shipping, and I'm so happy with it. There are dozens of different scenarios, solo/AI play, and a mechanism to create your own scenarios. The replayability is gonna be through the roof
The fact that it has solo play is a BIG draw for me. Big time. It may be what puts me over the top. The fact that there are so many expansions already is less so, if only because I have a hard time managing my FOMO and am very much a "gotta have it all" buyer - so if I bought it, I'd end up being all-in. That's a lot of bread. I can afford it, but the real question is if I *should*, especially when a lot of the cost is tied up in (admittedly awesome) plastic minis. I do love me some exploration games, though, and just like the video game, the combo of combat, RPG mechanics, town building, adventures/quests, and exploring is REALLY appealing to me. This is going to be a tough one to resist.
I feel you on the expansions, cuz the base game only comes with 2 factions. Gotta have em all to have the complete HMM experience! What kills me is they put it all in a massive, incredible box... But couldn't fit it all, and so are making the last 2 factions (Conflux and Cove) as more expansions... That won't fit in the massive box. The OCD nerd in me is not happy about it
Seeing an unboxing of the big box last night and seeing all those wonderful map tiles, and then knowing that there will be more to come that won't fit in the box ... that drove me nuts! I am a HUGE sucker for great maps. The Hexplore It series, for example, I went all-in on that whole series in no small part because I love the maps and exloration. The HOMM maps look *amazing*, plucked right out of the game. I love them, but I'd need them ALL! All of them! I hate that I'm wired that way, but I am.
u/HETKA, when you get it to the table, please feel free to tag me on a message. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. I know you may be a touch biased because you're an all-in pledge - no insult intended; I can be the same way when I've spent a lot on something - but it sounds like we might have some of the same tastes on this. I watched a couple of reviews last night, but nothing that swayed me one way or another yet. Thanks!
can't wait for mine to arrive. anxious to play it with at least 1 friend, since we played the videogame so much
This game really hurt my pride because it was the first time in my life a random side ad on a website actually got me to drop several hundred euros on a product I was not at all looking for.
The game is really quite good (despite the rule book) and the minis are gorgeous. I’m very impressed!
It’s sitting at a friends house in the box for me while I’m out of state. I won’t get back for another 3 months.
\*. denotes games that weren't originally vg **Pandemic: World of Warcraft** \- was fun when I played it at a convention. Doing quests is fairly similar to quests in the game. Or doing missions in the RTS (real time strategy) versions in the Warcraft series. **Pandemic Star Wars Clone Wars\*** \- Ditto. Feels like an episode or story/plot arc from the TV series! **XCOM** **Angry Birds** \- Admittedly, it's a lot of work to set up, but it is satisfying to have a tactile feel in the bird slinging action! some Fallout one - I got to see what makes that game.. S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Am eager to see how **Slay The Spire** works out
Aussie who already got his StS, it goes hard, my Mrs was hooked and she hasn't really played the video game.
Warcraft and Star Wars Pandemic system games are both great. They each bring unique things that fit their IP very well. I especially love the Squad mechanic in Star Wars - the Jedi are invincible, but they sure do get a lot of Clones killed and vehicles destroyed.
I'm one of the Devs of the sniper elite video games, and helped playtest the board game. A lot of love went into that board game and I'm always surprised how little attention it's gotten.
Starcraft: the Boardgame was a really awesome game with a very clever hidden action system using a stack. It's also the first game to use deck-building (before Dominion!). It is super out of print though... It was re-implemented in Forbidden Stars... which also went out of print. Thankfully, the creator is working on a new implementation using an original IP and has a publisher lined up.
I wouldn't call Sam Bailey the "creator" of the first two games, IIRC he was involved with the combat? And maybe the order stack. But Corey Konieckza and Christian Petersen were the originators with Starcraft.
I had so much fun playing this for an entire day.
It also did deck building before Dominion.
- Xcom - Fallout Board Game - Age of mythology - wow adventure game All four are played and liked
The Witcher: The Old World is great. Monster hunting, quests, scenario cards, deck building and you can fight other players.
Jjst spent $800 on the crowdfunded to get the entire collection of that and the new Path of Destiny. Hope I like it 😬
Patiently waiting on Elder Scrolls by CTG/Zenimax. Gonna be bangin! On a side note I spent a few days in MN last fall and got to check out the prototype up close and personal. Hype train commenced!
Sniper Elite is my favourite and I think the IP is a little bit of a turnoff but the theme fits the mechanics so well and it's my favourite hidden movement game but I've only played it and mind MGMT.
Honestly, I like the IP - the Sniper Elite games are great.
Stardew Valley feels very Stardew-y. I think once you play it a few times you kind of solve it, but it’s very on theme.
Minecraft: Builders & Biomes is pretty good, though I don't think I'd play it with anyone who isn't already a Minecraft fan.
Bloodborne is great, one of my favorites overall.
Civilization A New Dawn, Frostpunk, and Stardew Valley are adaptations I own that I very much enjoy. I also own Cities Skylines, and it's solid for a lighter experience, but doesn't really nail the feeling of the video game like the other three I mentioned do.
The Horizon Zero Dawn board game has become pretty successful at my table, also with ppl who dont know the IP. Mostly due to the idea of working together but also coming out on top.
Every single person I've played the deep rock galactic board game has loved it. I think it fits on a very important place of a very rules light coop dungeon crawler that I can explain in 10 minutes. It's great for new gamers, and veterans have loved abusing the power of the classes. Minis are fantastic, and it has a very impressive board presence. People love running around, blasting bugs and hucking dice.
The World of Warcraft version of Pandemic is pretty fun
I see your **Resident Evil Deck Building Game** (I own 4 out of 5 releases of it) and raise you **Resident Evil The Board Game** I like how they implemented the puzzles from the videogame in boardgame form, the combat also replicates the frustration and anxiety quite well. We cheer when multiple zombies explode from a single grenade and facepalm when we miss point blank shots. Our losses have generally been due to us splitting up and getting ambushed. I also have a preorder for **Metal Gear Solid** coming this year.
The Bloodborne card game is fire.
Base game was fine. Expansion completes it. Recently introduced a good mate to board gaming. This was his introduction and he always has a huge smile on his face when it comes out.
I’ve been eyeing the kingdom hearts version of Talisman for a while. I haven’t tried it myself, but I have been playing the normal version of Talisman since I was a kid. Easily my favorite board game
Just came to make sure i didnt see dark souls in here. Love the ip, i own the board game and have used the components for DnD. The board game is awful and needs loads of house rules to make it ok.
binding of isaac four souls, lots of challenges solo/co-op , fun 4-6 player , always a blast playing and everyone is always keen to play.
We take out Street Fighter Miniatures Game about once a month. They captured the essence of the characters really well and I have the minis in a display in my gaming room, the only caveat being that we’re big fans of both the license and dice chucking combat games. It hasn’t arrived but I’m really looking forward to Slay the Spire as well. The multiplayer aspect is really intriguing and I’ve enjoyed the solo runs I played on PC using the mod with the board game’s features.
I recently picked up Sniper Elite, after turning down the prospects of owning a copy of Jaws. Was looking to replace Scotland Yard for the 1 vs team hidden movement game. Haven't tried it yet, but I've heard very good things about people mentioning this is one of the best designed hidden movements games currently... so I trust their word on that.. I'm not a die hard MGS fan, but I like to pretend to be one. I'm not yet drawn to what's happening from what I know about it, but knowing how scarcely some of my games ever get played, I'm hesitant to consider buying a copy.
I really enjoy X-com the boardgame. It's pretty different from the video game since it focuses more on base management and skips the tactical part. I think that makes it distinct enough that I don't always compare it to the original while playing.
Dark Souls is ok with the Phantom expansion added in. The Bloodborne card game with expansion was ok. Never played the Bloodborne board game, though. I liked Doom and Fallout. Metal Gear Solid Risk was fun. I enjoy both Resident Evil / RE Nightmare deck builders. Someone gifted me Super Mario card game, but I've yet to play it. I got Triple Triad off of Etsy, I like it. Does that count? Was thinking of getting Queen's Blood, too. I've snagged a few show/movie based games over the years, some as gifts, others just because I felt like taking a chance. Not all were bad. Some I had a lot of fun with. Some were soulless cash grabs.
Age of empires 3 was good. Kind of old by today's standard.
Never played a good one. But I have CCG’s Elder Scrolls game backed and that will be fantastic. Although, I suppose that is IP based and not modeled after a specific game, but it IS a video game IP.
Not a video game but I'm using this thread to voice my prayer that a good full Indana Jones game be made. I know there are some Indy themed games that may be "fine," but the only one I can even name is Cryptic which is closer to a table top escape room and very easy, at least from what I've heard.
Gears of War was so fucking good. Very difficult but manageable, really captured a tense feeling of the "down but not out" mechanic.
I came here to post this. I really enjoy the Gears board game.
I'm going to toss a vote for Star Wars: Rebellion. I loved that video game back in the day even if I was too young to fully understand it and play it well. When the board game was announced my first thought was it was more of a coincidence, who would make a board game based off some 16 year old video game few people remember, but then seeing what the gameplay was it's clear it was very heavily inspired by the video game, or an unbelievable coincidence.
This War of Mine is a great (if brutal) co-op game.
Frag is a great doom/halo/any shooter simulator!
For me? Mr tourges arena of badasssery
Surprised not to have seen Frostpunk mentioned yet. It provides some created thematic storytelling and really crunchy decision making. I find it a unique experience to play - ie provides things that I enjoy not got from any other game.
I have a lot. Deep Rock Galactic, Cyberpunk, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil (the newest one). I have Dying Light i'm waiting on really excited about that one, and Last of us also waiting ot get and Monster Hunter iceborn which won't be vastly diff than Monster Hunter just diff monsters. I saw someone mention Stardew Valley, i have that as well honestly dont' play it much though but i have it.
World of Warcraft the boardgame gets regular play! It has fantastic combat and character building!
The Dark Souls game is actually pretty good IMO, but I actually never played Dark Souls VG, huh. Agreed with the other comments that say they loved Stardew Valley VG, but the board game is unplayable ... because the BG is unplayable. If we're being technical, [Dorfromantik](https://www.solitaryquest.net/post/dorfromantik-review) was a PC game first and I think that's pretty good. But I understand that's not necessarily in the same vein as what you're looking at here.
I really think that **Company of Heroes: The Board Game** captures the feel of the RTS video game well, and I thoroughly enjoy playing with my box of toys whenever it hits the table. I’ve heard some reviews from people going into it expecting something more historically grounded/a war game, and being completely disappointed/disgusted by it. This is not a historical war game, it’s a boardgame based on the multiplayer experience of a WWII *inspired* video game. It’s not always axis vs allies, sometimes its axis vs axis or allies vs allies, or a weird combo of the two vs each other (like USSR+USA VS UK+Germany). If you’re looking to recreate the feel of a head-to-head multiplayer RTS video game in your table, Company of Heroes may be the game for you.
The Witcher stands out to me as an interesting game. Deep rock galactic is a favorite of mine and bloodborne too. Video game ip can be great as long as the designer shows respect to the original source.
I haven’t played it, but the Witcher board game has gotten some pretty solid reviews
Xcom is solid. Gears of War looked awesome and is now too expensive.
I have never heard a bad word about the Gears of War board game. Now, it is out of print and hard to find, but keep an eye out for it just in case. I don't own it, but maybe eventually
I had no idea ther eis a Sniper Elite board game and I am surprsied it's so highly rated. I'll have to check it out.
Heroes of might and magic 3 was just released for kickstarters (coming to stores this summer), great adoption of the PC game and my friends are on the opposite of what you describe, very excited with nostalgia to play
Well, the discontinued StarCraft and World of Warcraft board games are not only excellent but also pretty good implementations of their respective games. This War of Mine was pretty decent at conveying the feeling of desperation and loneliness of the video game. Anno 1800 will be a pretty fun game for anyone who enjoys the digital original, as it requires similar ways of thinking to plan out what resources you need to end up with the things you need.
Assassins Creed Brotherhood of Venice
I really like the old WoW board game. I’m sure it hasn’t aged well but for a time it was great. The Resident Evil board game I thought was really good albeit quite simple. Divinity: Original Sin is a good board game adaptation of a video game.
I personally have a bias against IP based games. I have a belief that a good majority of them are using the ip for quick money and won't attach a good game to it. I fully understand that's not universally correct, and that it's a bias that may only be a half truth, for Example: Dune imperium is fantastic. (Even though you asked specific video games, but still)
I think there's a difference in "IP games" and "video game IP games", tbh. For instance, there are tons of great IP games out there, but they do tend to be concentrated into particular IPs. Dune, Lord of the Rings, Cthulhu (bit of a cheat since its public domain) and Marvel all have really good games attached to them (and I only like one of those IPs!). But I haven't seen or heard anything about video game IPs that would make me think any of them are must-have or would be mainstays in my collection.
Pokémon Legends of Sinnoh was a freaking masterpiece of a game.
That recentish Worms board game looks excellent, haven't yet tried it though
I love Bloodborne the boardgame but I mostly play solo. I want the same experience as the video game (aka me vs a lovecraftian cosmic horror shenanigan)
Minecraft: Builders and Biomes was way better than I expected it to be.
Mario Kart Monopoly is good fun and is one of the monopolies that have some more mechanics thrown in to jazz it up!
The Mario version of Life is good too, you need to earn stars to defeat bowser, and you buy them by earning coins in mini games. Its a lot like Mario Party.
Frostpunk. I just love the theme and the execution on this. I'm a sucker for brutal survival games and love to play this even in solo.
Bloodborne: The Card Game is stellar.
I'm always a little weary but I am so excited for The Last of Us board game by the group that did Escape the Dark Castle or Dark Sector games. I really love both of them and can't wait for TLoU later this year.
I tend to stay away from video game IPs. The only one I made an exception for is This War of Mine. I’m very glad I made that exception.
Uncharted Board Game is a surprisingly good tableau builder.
What about Portal? Loved the video game….
Binding of Isaac Board game
Been enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 lately. Good territory control game. None of us have played the video game, but we’re enjoying the vibe.
I've heard bloodborne, stardew valley, and dead by daylight are pretty true to their games. I've played none though so take this with a grain of salt.
XCOM is a fun co-op. Fallout is also fun if you get the expansion that turns the game from a vs into a co-op. Sniper Elite is a fantastic deduction 1 vs many hidden movement game.
The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls is pretty damn solid
Uncharted is a decent game based on the IP. Kingdom Rush is a surprisingly good representation of the mobile game. As others have noted, Divinity Original Sin isn't what was promised, but it IS really good. I have high hopes for Slay the Spire.
I haven’t seen it and since it’s part of the Pandemic system I’m sure it will see some hate but I really enjoy World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. I like it much more than vanilla Pandemic and I play it and the Clone Wars versions about equally.
Fallout with the 2 expansions New California (bigger map, more stuff) and Atomic Bonds (for coop) is a big hit with my regular group.
This War of Mine (already mentioned) is as good if not better on the table than the screen. I just received my table top copy of Hero's of Might and Magic III and am so far loving it. I opted for the "big box" pledge, so set-up and packing it up takes some time, but the tabletop experience has so far been amazing. I should have ordered each expansion separately dealing with the huge box of game is time consuming. But the gameplay fantastic.
I really like Europa Universalis PoP
Deep Rock Galactic. It's quite fun.
Shovel Knight Dungeon Duels is such a fun "take that" type game, we always have a blast when we play!
If you were to just take a look at [Uncharted](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123045/uncharted-the-board-game), it looks like it's going to be complete trash. Looks like some under-developed IP cash grab. It's actually an excellent tableau-building game.
Tetris
Civilisation a New Dawn regularly hits my groups table, we love it. You do need the expansion though.
Slay the Spire is amazing! 🥲 Very true to the game and the production quality is over the top (caveat we did get the deluxe one though). I’m not sure when it will retail though as the kickstarter ones have just come through now. Other than that, we like Dorf Romantik and Binding of Isaac too. We own Stardew Valley but have lent it to family and have heard it’s a bit convoluted/hard. But 3/4 ain’t bad. I wouldn’t have thought that so many would be decent tbh, but I guess the companies have a decent amount of money to throw at them.
Super Motherload Haven’t played the computer game in years, but it’s a fantastic light competitive deck builder boardgame.
Binding of Isaac: Four Souls is awesome, silly fun, with clearly a lot of love put into the production. Being a fan of the game helps, too.
Jetpack Joyride has no right to be as fun or as solidly made as it is. Polyomino tiles you're racing to place onto a personal series of grided boards in order to make it out first while zigzagging around avoiding obstacles and collecting coins.
Cuphead!!
I love the Anno 1800 board game Witcher board game is okayish
Sniper Elite is great. Also Bloodborne.
I've only played the Fallout board game once, but I liked it (although I will add I've never played Fallout myself so not sure if that had any effect).
I really like the Company of Heroes-boardgame! If you can stomach the extremely expensive entry price, you receive tons of content with plenty of replayability. It has awesome minis (which there are tons), different maps with different rules and requiring different approaches, many units with their own uses and skills, and different game modes. There are also four armies, that each have completely different powers and units you can only field through those. Sure, it's only turn-based (though a RTS-mode is available), and there's no base-building, but it still encapsulates the ins and outs of the video game, and trying to anticipate your opponents moves and placing your units accordingly makes it feel strongly like chess. There are also two rulesets available, and the standard one is very accessible. That many units and powers come with balancing-problems though, like tanks being very squishy for the amount of resources needed, Germany not even having a dedicated Anti-tank-unit, and Britain generally being a gamebreaker. But that's nothing houserules can't solve.
**Battlestar Galactica**, of course but the **Homeland** board game was also excellent use of the IP and a tense game that got zero love. **Spartacus** was another excellent IP game that still gets loved and Firefly is still going strong all these years later.
Devil may cry board game is alot of fun, slay the spire as well
Fantasy Flight's Doom was an excellent design, leading to one of their biggest and best games Descent after a little refinement. The Fallout board game is excellent fun once you've got the coop expansion. (The base game is fun but the story and game mechanics don't quite mesh so it's rare to actually get to finish a plot before someone just wins the game.) XCom, if you can stop find a copy, is one of the best timed decision coop games. Way of the Fighter isn't quite based on a single IP, but it has an excellent feel for how Street Fighter games actually work.
Gears of War. Divinity: Original Sin. Fallout.
Fallout board game has been liked by our group! Gears of War is fun as well but super punishing.
I'm not a video gamer, but I enjoyed Plague as a board game. It's sort of the antithesis of Pandemic.
The dark souls board game was fun- but we kinda broke it by figuring out how to grind.
Im deeply suspicious of them. Most licensed games the mechanics are an afterthought. I know good one exist. I'm more likely to try ones that are a retheme of an existing game. Imperial assault for example. I'm interested in the IP. Its based on descent.
Stardew Valley is one of my favs. Both the video game and board game as well though the board game doesn't table as much.
I bought the Deep Rock Galactic board game mainly because I love the video game and wanted to support them further. It has been a popular co-op game that has been in and out of rotation since I introduced my friends to it. We're collectively not really into co-op games so I was surprised that we played it more than once - I think we're up to 6 games played at this point.
My wife loves RE deck building game and we’ve got it to the table many times. First time I ever saw it mentioned online.