Board games are part of a favorite pass time that has piqued the public's interest since ancient history. Although it's unknown what the first board game was, historians have attempted to make educated guesses. Fast-forward to today, and a variety of board games have ditched the board, making their way to PCs (personal computers).
PC gaming is considered by many the definitive video game platform. The backward compatibility on PC is unparalleled. Only a few of the following games play on video game consoles, but all play on PC. Looking to scratch that board game itch? There is an assortment of PC games heavily inspired by board games.
Updated on May 17, 2022, by Jack Pursey: The board gaming industry recently spiked in popularity when people around the world had to stay behind closed doors due to the pandemic. Although many people only used board games as a temporary solution to lockdown boredom, others discovered a new hobby that they're still enjoying today. For those looking for some more excellent PC board games or video games inspired by board games, we've updated this list to include a few more entries.
14 Inscryption
Inscryption is a roguelike deck-builder that was developed by Daniel Mullins Games. The game stands out for its creepy atmosphere, which is unsettlingly immersive, and incredible variety in gameplay mechanics that throw numerous curveballs at the player.
Inscryption was a hit with critics, exemplified by its 84 Metascore, Game of the Year win at the Game Developers Choice Awards, and Seumas McNally Grand Prize from the Independent Games Festival Awards.
13 Civilization 6
The Civilization series began all the way back in 1991 and has since become a flagship of the strategy genre.
Much like its predecessors, a standard game of Civilization 6 takes players all the way back to 4000 BC and, as the name suggests, tasks them will building and maintaining a thriving civilization by the year 2050, which is 500 turns away. Very few games actually make it to turn 500, however, as players are all gunning for the game's various win conditions that immediately end the game once met and fall into categories like Science, Domination, and Culture.
12 Slay The Spire
Like the aforementioned Inscryption, Slay The Spire is a roguelike deck-builder. The game was developed by MegaCrit and first released on PC in January 2019 before arriving on numerous other systems due to its popularity, including Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Slay The Spire didn't manage to win any major awards like Inscryption, though it did earn an excellent 89 Metascore on PC.
11 Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
As the name suggests, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game takes place in CD Projekt RED's Witcher universe. The card game featured as a side activity in the hit action RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and was so popular that CD Projekt Red released it as a standalone game in October 2018. Gwent: The Witcher Card Game does make a few changes from the Witcher 3 version of the collectible card game, such as removing the Siege row, but it generally plays the same.
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is free-to-play, so collectible card game fans should certainly give it a try.
10 Tabletop Simulator
Developer Berserk Games didn't hold back with the high acclaimed Tabletop Simulator. It's a sandbox game that lets players create their own online board games or play one of the thousands from the Tabletop Simulator community. Use custom assets as you make genuinely unique games.
If you're not interested in playing community games, Tabletop Simulator comes with 15 classic games like chess, jigsaw puzzles, poker, and more. The jigsaw puzzles can be any picture of your choosing.
9 Pathfinder Adventures
The Pathfinder AdventureCard Game is now translated into a new card game. There are quite a few differences between the original and the digital card game. For starters, players can play the game digital game solo. This game plays homage to the original, with a great deal of variation. Pathfinder Adventures is a solid card game developed by Obsidian Entertainment, with everything taken into consideration. Also, it can be purchased on Steam for a bargain.
8 The Jackbox Party Pack 7
From the developer that brought the You Don't Know Jack series comes yet another The Jackbox Party Pack. The Jackbox Party Pack 7 improves on its predecessors with enhanced animated visuals and three hit threequels in the package. Try games like Quiplash 3, Champ'd Up, and a speech game called Talking Points. The Jackbox Party Pack 7 is worth playing if you're into board games. You can play with up to 8 players as you use tablets or cell phones to control the game.
7 Monopoly Plus
Monopoly Plus is much how you would imagine a PC version of the popular household game. It includes animations for each property, and it is filled with vibrant colors that add excitement.
Hasbro's Monopoly isn't the most complex PC game based on a board game. Its simplicity is a large part of the game's charm. Monopoly Plus can be played online with friends, with the ability to customize the game's rules. Love it or not, it's hard to ignore the polish that went into this PC game that stemmed from a board game.
6 Ticket To Ride
As a PC game that was initially a board game, Ticket to Ride takes you on an adventure to collect and play cards to obtain railways. The objective is to connect as many cities as you can across North America. The longer the route you place, the bigger your chance of winning. Like Catan, having the longest railway (or road) is a secondary objective in Ticket to Ride.
5 Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars is a game about preparing a planet to resemble Earth to support human life. The premise around the game is impressive, and the gameplay even more so. Terraforming Mars is now a PC game instead of only a board game. As a game that involves playing as corporations with many individual pieces, cleanup is made easy with this fantastic PC game. Journey to the red planet and develop a stable civilization to control the weather, make oceans, and spend valuable resources.
4 The Jackbox Party Pack 3
The Jackbox Party Pack 3 stood out as one of the best games in the series. Its unique games like Trivia Murder Party and Tee K.O. were a find addition to the pack. The Jackbox Party Pack 3 can provide a wild raunchy time with friends or family. Guesspionage is a game that asks you to guess percentages based on polls. Every game in this pack is worth playing, unlike some of the other featured games in franchise history.
3 THE GAME OF LIFE!
The Game Of Life! has its ups and downs, much like the real world. At the beginning of the game, you choose between going to college or taking the career route. Both options have positives and negatives, with you as the driving force behind the rest of the game's meaningful decisions. Hopefully, you end the game happy in retirement. The Game Of Life! is mostly based on luck, but it's the wild ride that makes it enjoyable.
2 RISK: Global Domination
The game of global domination is now free to play on the Steam Store. RISK: Global Domination is a game where any player can take over the world. It can be played online with friends around the globe as you strive to take over RISK's global setting. Virtually nothing has changed since the board game, aside from a few improvements, which is why RISK: Global Domination is a must-play. If you don't have any friends to play with, A.I. characters can sit in.
1 Gloomhaven
Developer Flaming Fowl Studios listened to the woes of fans with a PC version of Gloomhaven. The explosively popular board game is now becoming a video game for sale on Steam. It contains all of the themes of the original board game, but it expands on the gameplay with more immersion. It's worth noting that Gloomhaven is still in its early access phase. That won't stop many from delving into the action-packed dungeon-crawling tactical role-playing game.