Throughout Doctor Who’s 60-year history, games have frequently played a part in the show’s adventures through time and space. Before the Seventh Doctor showed his fondness for high-stakes chess, the First Doctor was famously caught in the dangerous games of the Celestial Toymaker in the mid-1960s. That cosmic foe returned to trouble the Fourteenth Doctor in the 60th-anniversary specials, keeping the gaming spirit alive in the Whoniverse.
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As expected, the world’s longest-running sci-fi show has inspired many games that let fans play the Doctor or their distinctive enemies. Since the arrival of Doctor Who’s hugely successful modern era in 2005, new games have materialized, along with timey-wimey versions of classic games. In short, there’s a universe of games out there to suit Doctor Who fans of all ages.
Updated on May 30, 2024 by Megan Miranda Reyes: Pricing was updated, and new information has been added to this guide, along with a new top 3 list of the best items.
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Magic The Gathering Doctor Who Commander Deck – Blast from The Past
$38 $57 Save $19Fresh for the 60th anniversary year, Doctor Who has crash-landed in the world’s leading trading card game. MTG is highly versatile, and multiple decks are available that introduce new mechanics and themed cards, picking up various aspects of the Whoniverse. The Blast from the Past set opens up the game to fans of the classic era, including all eight original Doctors and their companions.
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Doctor Who: Race To The TARDIS Expanded Universe Board Game
$30 $40 Save $10In Race to the TARDIS, up to 6 players race around a board to pick up components to repair the Doctor's time ship, the TARDIS. The expanded edition features new cards and incorporates the Thirteenth and Fugitive Doctors. It’s a lower price-point game perfect for involving younger fans in the Doctor's hectic adventures.
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Doctor Who: The Card Game (2nd Edition)
$24 $27 Save $3The second edition of Doctor Who: The Card Game adds new Doctors to the roster, as well as their companions. It's a fast-paced game in which you attempt to save the universe from a variety of the Doctor's greatest enemies. Two to Four players compete in this card-based territory control game. Fans of the modern era will want to pick up the second edition of the game that expands to include the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors and their favorite companions.
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Doctor Who: Time Of The Daleks
$46 $50 Save $4Two to Four players can take the role of the First, Fourth, Eleventh, or Thirteenth Doctors in this fight through time to stop the Daleks. Pulled from their timelines, the objective of each incarnation is to defeat their fearsome element, but as only one player can win, the gameplay is wonderfully described as semi-competitive. The ability to recruit and link companions adds a light role-play element that should keep fans engrossed.
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Doctor Who: Don't Blink
Taking inspiration from the Series 5 epic The Time of Angels, this game strands players on a derelict spaceship packed with the dangerous time-locked Weeping Angels. Up to four players can take on the survival challenge of this board game. Players need to be ready to see a lot of the legendary Lonely Assassins and remember not to blink.
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Doctor Who Monopoly 50th Anniversary Edition
Two legends met for the show’s 50th anniversary as the Whoniverse merged with the definitive board game, Monopoly. Fans of the original game know what to expect, but themed tokens, including a sonic screwdriver and scarf and streets replaced with classic stories from the show, give the gameplay a distinctly Doctor Who feel.
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Doctor Who Fluxx
This game isn’t based on the Flux arc seen on TV in Series 13, but it’s a themed version of the fast-paced card game from Looney Labs. Like the Doctor, it’s a game all about changing the rules. As its name suggests, what starts as a simple card game can go anywhere as drawing cards changes rules and even the game's overall objective. It’s easy to see the Time Lord approving of this unpredictable fun.
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Doctor Who: Nemesis
$32 $60 Save $28If the Doctor has a lot of anything, it's nemeses. This game puts players in the shoes, or casing, of the show’s main villains: Cybermen, Angels, Daleks, and the evil Time Lord, the Master. The aim is simple: defeat the Doctor and rule all time and space. Fans of the darker side of the sprawling space franchise will be keen to turn the tables on the Doctor with this game’s intricate gameplay.
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Rory's Store Cubes: Doctor Who Dice Game Set
The fun storytelling game for up to four players has hit the Whoniverse. Rolling the image cubes sets nine narrative points, challenging kids and adults to tell a unique story. Perfect for any fans looking for an imaginative and playful way to pass the time and create their own Doctor Who legend. Keep an eye out for that "run" dice.
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Trivial Pursuit: Doctor Who Edition
This universal version of the classic board game features 600 questions of varying difficulty. That means everyone in the family can get involved to show their knowledge of Doctor Who’s 60 years. The core elements of the classic game remain, but the categories players must master to win include monsters and companions.
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Doctor Who: Exterminate! The Miniatures Game
This game is perfect for fans who’ve always thought that Daleks and Cybermen could have achieved universal domination if they’d had the right leadership. Two of the Doctor’s greatest enemies clash in this tabletop game, where players direct sculpted miniatures to control the most resources to support their war effort and defeat their rivals.
Playing in Doctor Who's World
It’s an exciting time to jump into the world of Doctor Who board games. As Doctor Who is famously a show that can go anywhere in time and space, changing its setting and even lead actor from one week to the next, it’s no surprise there’s a lot of choice for budding gamers. Picking out the best Doctor Who game typically comes down to a few key considerations:
- Is it a special edition of an existing game? Inexperienced tabletop players will likely be more comfortable with a board game classic than a brand-new game. On the other hand, experienced players would relish the chance to try out a new title.
- How many players does it support? If you’re buying a game for a family, most games will do just fine with their four-player limitations. However, those with bigger groups or who prefer to play with just their spouse will want to find games with a wider range of player counts.
- How is it related to Doctor Who? Some games are just cash grabs and barely include Doctor Who-themed elements. Make sure the game you choose is as timey-wimey as you wish.
Best Budget Doctor Who Game
Rory's Story Cubes: Doctor Who Dice Game Set
Rory's Story Cubes have long been a favorite improv game for tabletop players, but fans of Doctor Who may only be thinking of Rory Williams, Amy Pond's husband. Of course, this game had its name long before the eleventh Doctor arrived, but that doesn't mean it's not a great game for fans of the show.
The game itself is based on storytelling using randomly rolled dice. In this version, players must come up with a Doctor-Who-themed story each time they roll. With icons such as alien ships and wormholes, it'll be a blast to come up with a crazy new adventure for the Doctor and his companions.
Best Premium Doctor Who Game
Doctor Who Monopoly 50th Anniversary Edition
Monopoly is a classic for a reason: it's easy for anyone to jump in and have a great time. Perfect for Doctor Who fans of all ages, this set comes complete with tokens that represent each Doctor, such as a sonic screwdriver and a bow tie.
The board is equally decorated with all things Doctor Who, with the trains being replaced by different Doctors' police boxes and Chance being a mysterious Gallifrey location. The center of the board shows all of the Doctors and the police box, tying everything together. It is a bit expensive compared to the other Doctor Who games available, but for a collector, it's well worth the price.
Editor’s Choice
Magic The Gathering Doctor Who Commander Deck – Blast from The Past
Released just last year, this new themed Magic The Gathering deck is the perfect addition to the collections of Doctor Who fans. Each deck comes with 100 cards and a two-card collector booster pack, as well as 10 Planechase cards, each featuring a different place (and time) in the Doctor Who universe. The set introduces 50 never-before-seen Magic cards with art and game mechanics inspired by Doctor Who, making it ideal even for players who aren’t competitive in the Magic scene anymore.
Being a complete, special edition set, each deck additionally comes with 10 double-sided tokens, 1 life tracker, 1 deck box, and a Collector Booster Sample pack containing 2 special alt-frame cards, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare card. With high-quality art on each card and a plethora of collectibles included, the Magic The Gathering Doctor Who Commander Deck is the best Doctor Who-themed tabletop game.
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FAQ
Q: Can Doctor Who cards be played in other Magic: The Gathering games?
Magic: The Gathering is a versatile game that maximizes gameplay options, so it’s no surprise that the Doctor Who sets can be used in games outside the theme. The Doctor and companion cards are stand-ins for Commander and partner cards, and more details can be found on the MTG Commander Format resource pages.
Q: Do you need to watch Doctor Who to enjoy these card and board games?
Understanding the show isn't necessary to play and enjoy these games, but knowing the characters and threats built up over the show’s 60 years will undoubtedly enhance the experience.
Q: Are there Doctor Who video games?
As well as board and card games, Doctor Who has a long history in video games. The first game appeared on BBC Micro in 1983, but that doesn’t mean there's been 40 years of top-quality gaming, as our ranking of every Doctor Who game shows.