For as long as it feels that video games have been part of popular culture, board games have been around for much longer. Interestingly enough, Nintendo actually started as a card and board game company, and they were far from the last company to be influenced by board gaming culture.
Board games have inspired more video games than one might think over the years – in terms of gameplay elements, visual style, and even backstory. Tabletop gaming and video games are very similar when it comes to multiplayer experiences, so it's natural for one to influence the other.
10 Mario Party Series
The Mario Party franchise is one almost entirely based around board games, at least when it comes to the between-minigame gameplay. Each area in each Mario Party game features its own path that players travel on according to dice roll – it's a bit like Candy Land, but with mini-games thrown in.
The Mario Party games each play pretty much the same way, with players taking turns to move across the board, and one can easily imagine the game being transported to a physical board.
9 Cyberpunk 2077
Believe it or not, Cyberpunk 2077 was inspired by board games – well, one specific board game: 1988's Cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying game. Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't take the gameplay mechanics or the tabletop aspect from Cyberpunk, instead it takes the board game's deep back story.
Johnny Silverhand is mentioned in the board game, as are many of the settings, other characters, and overall plot elements that appear in the video game. While the RPG elements in the game are lacking, it was nonetheless inspired by a tabletop board game.
8 Advance Wars
Advance Wars for the Gameboy Advance is a game that took 2D on-the-go strategy games to the next level. Advance Wars took inspiration from tabletop board games like Risk and Axis and Allies for its strategic-yet-random combat mechanics.
Advance Wars might not have been based on a specific board game like Cyberpunk, instead, it was influenced by the wide number of historical strategy games popular over the years.
7 Civilization Series
The Civilization series is one noted for its focus on long-term strategic play. The resource control and land control elements of the game were largely inspired by civilization-building board games like Settlers of Catan and Axis and Allies.
Funnily enough, there is now a Civilization-based board game that was released a few years ago. The gameplay largely follows the video game, save perhaps for more arguing amongst players.
6 Dokapon Kingdom
Dokapon Kingdom is a game that plays a lot like Mario Party, but instead of minigames there are combat encounters. It was a PlayStation 2 and Wii game that wasn't super popular on release, but has since gained a fanatical fanbase.
The game revolves around a typical fantasy storyline told through turn-based movement and combat on a board, and serves as a great party game for those willing to put in a little time in the campaign.
5 X-COM Series
The X-COM series is a turn-based strategy game set in the not-too-distant future. X-COM uses random dice rolls behind the scenes to determine combat outcomes, much like many board game strategy games, and its movement style is almost exactly like that of the Warhammer tabletop board game.
The chance for combat to end up in the players favor isn't completely random, though, and can be influenced by changing position, weapons, and cover throughout the encounter. It's a deep game that one could get lost in for weeks.
4 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin and it's more popular sequel Divinity: Original Sin 2 both take a lot of inspiration from tabletop strategy games like Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer, using speed-based distance for character movement and turn-based attacks based on positioning.
While tabletop strategy games tend to be incredibly complex, with multiple factions and army options to choose from, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is surprising in its complexity for a video game, and plays almost exactly like a combat encounter in Dungeons and Dragons would.
3 Star Trek: Starfleet Command
Much like Cyberpunk 2077, Star Trek: Starfleet Command is a video game that is directly inspired by a board game. Star Trek: Starfleet Command was based on the tabletop war game Star Fleet Battles released in 1979.
The initial run was very limited but has since seen other editions. The video game version of Star Fleet Battles plays out just like the tabletop game, but the limitations of the software in 1999 don't take it as far as the tabletop board game can go.
2 The Warhammer and Warhammer 40k Games
Warhammer and Warhammer 40k are perhaps the best-known tabletop RPGs of all time, thanks to their undying fanbases and incredibly deep gameplay and lore. The two universes are so popular that multiple spin-off video games have come out through the years, mostly to success.
Vermintide and Vermintide 2 had similar gameplay to Left 4 Dead in the fantasy setting, Space Marine took place in the Warhammer 40k universe, and the competitive sports title Blood Bowl are based on Warhammer characters and factions.
1 Knights of Pen and Paper
An indie classic, Knights of Pen and Paper is a game where you play as a player in an unnamed fantasy tabletop RPG. You don't control that player's character, rather you control the player themselves dealing with the DM and external issues.
It's a unique take on the RPG genre, as it puts the player in the seat of another player, but the meta elements and Dungeons and Dragons based humor make this a must-play for any tabletop RPG fan.