Classic Board Games Based on Great Movies
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Board games are great. Movies are great. Board game adaptations of movies? Well… you win some, you lose some. Board games based on popular movies have been around for decades, and while some have long faded from fans’ memories, there are others that continue to enthrall and delight us. Today, we’re looking at five board games inspired by movies that are definitely winners.
Jaws (The Board Game) By Ravensburger
Jaws is easily one of the most recognizable and enduring movies of the 1970s, from its music to its technical prowess to its always-quotable script. The movie was released in 1975 and is based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley. The story takes place on Amity Island, a fictional island off the coast of New England, where a great white shark menaces the local population. Three men – the local police chief Martin Brody, the local shark hunter Quint, and oceanographer Matt Hooper – must work together to kill the shark and save the local population. The movie revels in the tension it creates, to one of the best pieces of music in cinematic history. Composed by John Williams, the theme song consists of only two notes but it has become synonymous with approaching danger.
In 2019, Ravensburger released the Jaws strategy board game in which one player takes on the role of the shark while the other three take the roles of the main characters, Brody, Hooper, and Quint. The game is divided into two parts. In the first part, the shark moves around the board unprotected, attacking swimmers while the other three players attempt to save them. The game board is double-sided so it can be flipped over for part two, where the three players are on the boat, fighting for their lives against the great white terror. It’s a great game and brings to mind the tension and danger that are pervasive throughout the movie.
The Thing: The Board Game by Pendragon Studios
John Carpenter’s The Thing is a cult classic that is enthralling and horrifying in equal measure. Released in 1982, it follows a group of scientists at a remote base in the Antarctic who, like all good humans would, rescue a dog who has come running across the icy plains being pursued by Norwegians with guns. Of course, the Norwegians had the right idea, as is evidenced when the dog transforms into a horrifying mass of tentacles, bones, body parts, and teeth. This shape-shifting monster, who can assume the appearance of its victims, proceeds to stalk the desperate scientists through the claustrophobic confines of the base, picking them off one by bloody one.
Pendragon Studio’s 2022 The Thing: The Board Game is a brilliant adaptation of the movie. One player is the Thing, whose aim is to infect the rest of the players (the humans), prevent survivors from escaping the base, or escape with them by pretending to be a human. The game is intense and creates a sense of paranoia that makes you question every look and action of those around you. Is your friend really a friend or a monster in disguise? There’s only one thing to do: get the hell out of Outpost 31.
Firefly: The Game by Gale Force Nine
Firefly, the legendary and tragically short TV series, was created by Joss Whedon and starred a host of phenomenal actors including Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, and Morena Baccarin. Captain Mal Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion, owns the Firefly-class transport ship, Serenity, and he and his crew run jobs across the ‘Verse. The show was canceled after only one season, despite gathering a dedicated fanbase in its short run. Two years later, in 2005, a movie sequel called Serenity was released in an effort to tie off some loose ends and give fans a sense of closure. Was it enough? Not nearly, but it was better than nothing.
So you can understand why fans were so eager to get their hands on Firefly: The Game. Published in 2013 by Gale Force Nine, it features a beautifully crafted board and the artwork mixes imagery from the movie and show with original art. It’s a “pick up and deliver” style game where each player pilots a Firefly-class transport ship across the ‘Verse in search of a crew, money, and jobs. Of course, nothing is easy, and you’ll have Alliance ships, difficulties with your ship or crew, and Reavers to deal with along the way. The goal is to complete all the story objectives while traveling to various amazing places in the ‘Verse. Like the other games we’ve discussed, Firefly: The Game manages to capture the fun, adventure, and camaraderie of Captain Mal Reynold’s crew aboard the Serenity.
Alien: Fate of the Nostromo by Ravensburger
Yet another cult classic, Ridley Scott’s Alien is unparalleled in its impact on the science fiction/ horror movie genre. The commercial space tug Nostromo is traveling back to Earth with its seven-member crew in stasis when the ship receives a transmission from a nearby moon. When crew members investigate, they are attacked and subsequently return to the ship, unknowingly bringing a vicious and virtually unkillable alien back onboard.
Alien: Fate of Nostromo is the perfect game for the perfect movie. The alien is on the ship and you are one of only five crew members left. The board is marked with acid burns and blood stains and you need to work together if you have any hope of getting through this alive. This cooperative strategy game will have you on the edge of your seat, frantically counting your action points to see if you’ll be able to move out of harm’s way – before it’s too late.
Star Wars: Rebellion By Fantasy Flight Games
Star Wars needs no introduction. The first movie, A New Hope, was released in 1977 and since then the franchise has expanded and evolved. The galaxy far, far away is one of the most vast and complex works of fiction we have ever had the privilege to visit.
So when Star Wars: Rebellion, the board game from Fantasy Flight Games, was released in 2016, it impressed on multiple levels. It’s set during the original trilogy and gameplay revolves around the struggle between the Galactic Empire, led by Darth Vader, and the Rebel Alliance, with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo on the frontlines. The game is huge, on a scale bigger than most games we’ve come across, and features more than 150 miniatures and two game boards representing 32 of the galaxy’s most important systems. With stunning artwork and themes that feel at once epic and deeply personal, Star Wars: Rebellion brings the movies to life in a way that feels fresh and nostalgic at the same time.
These games capture the essence of the great movies that inspire them: the atmosphere, the visuals, the characters and their struggles. They’re a chance to relive our favorite stories through a different medium, in the comfort of our own sitting rooms, with some of our nearest and dearest. Some of the most imaginative books and movies have inspired incredible board games, beyond even those listed above. Games based on The Lord of the Rings, Jumanji, and Dune have all expanded their fans’ access to and enjoyment of these properties. Board games offer new possibilities for exploring worlds and telling stories in different ways. Whether you’re quaking in fear of the Thing, hiding from the alien aboard the Nostromo, or fighting for the freedom – or control – of the galaxy, these board games allow us to immerse ourselves in the worlds and stories that thrill and captivate us. Timeless, compelling, and a lot of fun, board games like these do it right.
Have you played any of the board games on this list? What movie-inspired board game do you think is the best? Let us know in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe to our free newsletter, PopPulse Digest, for all things gaming, movies, online deals, and more.
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Great article!
Thank you, Antonino! Great to hear you enjoyed it.