Gift Guide: Best Board Games Based on Video Games

Looking for a good board game for the video game lover in your life? Here's a list of seven worth checking out!
Looking for a good board game for the video game lover in your life? Here's a list of seven worth checking out!

Sometimes gamers need a break from their screens to enjoy games the old-fashioned way. Classic board games like Monopoly might not always appeal to traditional video game players, but there are plenty of options that involve some of the more well-known digital games out there. For this holiday season, we've taken some time to put together a list of board games with video game counterparts.

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The Witcher Adventure Game

Price: $84.99
Buy it on: Amazon

Based on CD Projekt Red's phenomenal series of Witcher games, this adventure-style board game lets players utilize four distinct characters from the series. Each character has its own strengths and weaknesses that help to determine how you interact with the tons of unique quests that you'll run into. With development cards and custom dice for each character, it's possible to specialize your character and create an entirely new experience every time you play. 

 

 


Portal: The Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game

Price: $35.26
Buy it on: Amazon

The Portal series is an unforgettable entry in the world of video games, and its board game counterpart, The Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game, is equally unforgettable. Up to four players take part in a quest for scientific progress by performing various experiments around Aperture Laboratories. As you attempt to survive the experiments, the lab falls apart around you, forcing you to claw desperately for survival. Try to be the last man standing, and earn the most cake for your hard work. 


Assassin's Creed: Arena

Price: $38.99
Buy it on: Amazon

Assassin's Creed's introduction of competitive multiplayer gave rise to a pretty interesting board game, similar to other adventure games. In Assassin's Creed: Arena, gameplay, from fighting to sneaking, requires the use of cards, and only through clever management will you find a way to outwit the other players. Your objective is to find and assassinate a target, but guards and players abound to interfere in your schemes. With each turn, the city changes as guards make their rounds and players attempt to outmaneuver one another. If you're looking for a tense strategic battleground of deception and stealth, Assassin's Creed: Arena might be the game for you. 


Bioshock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia

Price: $39.99
Buy it on: Amazon

The legendary Bioshock Infinite embraces the world of analog games in The Siege of Columbia. Players must take objectives and earn points on their way to victory, all while dealing with characters from the original game. With only two factions to choose from, players can go head to head with just two players or pair up into two-person teams and start their war for control. The first team to reach 10 points wins the game, so pick your faction and use whatever means necessary to take control of Columbia. 


Batman: Arkham City Escape 

Price: $49.00
Buy it on: Amazon

In Batman: Arkham City Escape, players take part in an epic fight for Gotham. One player becomes the Dark Knight, while the other takes control of up to 20 of Batman's most impressive villains. While Batman moves around the city, he must stop the Arkham inmates from escaping while dodging the villains that swarm around him.  Each villain has its own special abilities, forcing Batman to remain cautious as he plots his next moves. Each time Batman comes into contact with a villain, a fight breaks out. Using combat cards, the Dark Knight can work to capture his rival and return them to their jail cell. 


Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game 

Price: $53.48
Buy it on: Amazon

Based on the successful video games, Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game uses a number of the video games' mechanics to propel its analog version forward. With different civilizations to play as and different paths to victory, no two games will be the same. The game board comes in multiple pieces that can be moved around and fit together in a variety of ways, making the game even more unique every time you play it. Take control of your favorite empire, and embark on a quest for world domination. 


Starcraft: The Board Game

Price: $64.99
Buy it on: Amazon

Coming in with a much more expansive board game experience, Blizzard's Starcraft: The Board Game comes with over a hundred figures, a modular board, and a ton of cards for combat and unit upgrades. Players can choose any one of six factions, each with its own special win conditions, and even unique units for combat. Players travel from planet to planet, gathering resources and slowly expanding their area of influence until they can wipe the competition through clever strategic play or the infamous "Zerging." 


Hopefully this list leads you to some excellent gifts. Let us know in the comments what you think about these games and if there are any others out there that are even better.


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