Many tabletop titles throw players into worlds where strategy is how you plan and combo moves over several rounds. You’ll see echoes of RPG, strategy, and action games here, but with the tactile payoff of moving pieces, flipping cards, and watching a board change as you play. This depth scratches a familiar itch – learn the rules, optimize your character build, and feel smartly satisfied when that hard sequence finally lands.
Board games bring a social sharedness that digital games only approximate. When you sit around a table with friends, you’re reading tells, negotiating, bluffing, and cheering as a team or rival team pulls off a big moment. That social dynamic mirrors online multiplayer, but it’s in person, with everyone contributing to the moment at once. For many video game fans, that human connection is the missing piece that makes the “analog version” feel alive and vibrant.
A lot of modern tabletop games channel the same pacing and progression that gamers expect from digital titles. Campaigns unfold across scenarios. Character upgrades feel like leveling up, and recurring boss encounters provide that sense of escalating challenge. The result is a format that rewards skill, planning, and the satisfaction of seeing your plan pay off—like a truly well-executed playthrough in a video game.
What to look for
Companion apps or digital editions that extend the game beyond the table. A growing number of titles offer digital companions that handle setup, scoring, or even automate enemy behavior. Gloomhaven, for instance, has a digital edition that helps you manage monster data, tracks player progress, and speeds up setup enough to let you dive into more sessions. Scythe also has a digital counterpart that mirrors engine-building and resource management while keeping the core tabletop feel intact. These digital connections let players swap between PC or tablet and table with relative ease, preserving the “feel” of a video game while keeping the social, hands-on vibe of board play.
Deck-building, loot cycles, skill trees, and boss battles all translate well to the board. When a title makes you think like a gamer—even if you’re not staring at a screen—the appeal is clear.
Visuals and themes that resonate with video game aesthetics would be an important influence. Pixel art nostalgia, dark fantasy worlds, sci-fi landscapes, and even familiar franchise vibes can trigger a video game enthusiast’s brain. With its retro arcade flavor, Boss Monster leans into a similar vibe that many platformer and RPG fans would recognize. Thematic resonance thus forges a link between the two formats, making a board game feel like a natural extension of your favorite virtual worlds.
Board game picks that click with video game fans
The moment you lay eyes on Dark Souls: The Board Game, video game vibes are conferred on it. The table becomes an instant extension of game space. It leans into cooperative play, where players must cooperate to survive a gauntlet of tough encounters, trap-filled corridors, and daunting boss fights. The challenge is ruthless, and the rules lean on careful positioning, resource management, and split-second decisions—just like a boss encounter you’d tackle in a console game. On the table, you’ll feel the same tension you get from coordinating with teammates in a raid or dungeon crawl. While it’s at the heavier end of the spectrum, it rewards players who like strategizing, planning, and executing a tight sequence of moves.
Gloomhaven sets the bar for today’s co-op RPG experiences. Opening very big, the campaign has a strong feeling of progression and features a deep and ever-unfolding map. Players choose equipment and abilities that grow in power as scenarios unlock more content, echoing however long-run RPGs or action games reward sustained gaming. The digital edition adds a practical twist for video game fans who want to dip into the same world without spending a full weekend assembling every piece. The core loop—explore, fight, loot, and advance your character—feels very much like playing a tabletop RPG or an online game with a party of friends.
Swords have been replaced by engines in Scythe, but the thrill is the same reward of building a powerful system over time. It’s the same itch PC or console strategy games would give you—a mix of resource management, area control, and engine upgrades. The polished visuals and finely honed mechanics make you feel like you’re steering a strategy game through a number of turns, just as you would a complex sim in a video game. If you like the feel of “set up your base, optimize your flow, and win by making the best strategic calls,” Scythe hits that mark, especially for players who enjoy planning ahead and executing a long-term plan.
Terraforming Mars translates a sprawling sci-fi management vibe into a board game that’s easy to pick upe building facilities, harvesting resources, and triggering a chain of combos that push the planet toward a new climate. The tactile card system, combined with engine-like growth, has the same pull as a well-designed strategy game in a video library. It’s a great match for fans who enjoy city-building sims, resource-management titles, or space-themed adventures. And because it’s been adapted digitally, you can test and refine your approach in both formats, letting you consume the game on the go or at the table.
Dune: Imperium is all about deck-building fused with worker placement and political maneuvering. If you’ve spent time in grand strategy games or online strategy titles, you’ll recognize the feel of building a deck that becomes a toolkit for actions and outcomes. The table offers a lively blend of alliances, competition, and a touch of negotiation that video game fans often see in multiplayer strategy sessions. The theme—sandworms, noble houses, and competing factions—also echoes many sci-fi universes that live in digital spaces, which makes the tabletop version a natural pick for fans of grand strategy or epic campaigns.
Boss Monster parodies retro platformers with a card-drafting engine and a dungeon-building mechanic. It’s less heavy than many of the other titles and funnily fills the gap between digital nostalgia and tabletop strategy. If you’re an absolute beginner seeking something easy to learn but full of personality, Boss Monster fits the bill and provides an amiable place to dip your toes into analog games without losing the video game spirit.
How to begin a collection for a video game fan
Start with lighter to midweight titles that capture the same thrill you crave from digital adventures. A friend starter set like King of Tokyo or Ticket to Ride can help you warm up to the idea of strategy, turns, and indirect competition without a steep learning curve. As the group becomes more comfortable with longer campaigns and more involved rules sets, then add deeper experiences like Gloomhaven this or Terraforming Mars. The goal is to create a library that scales with your crew’s interest and schedule.
If you want a curated path, consider these steps. Select one giant-hitting title that has a digital twin or strong video game vibe, such as Gloomhaven or Dark Souls: The Board Game. This will set the tone for your group’s future picks. Mix in a couple of engine-building or deck-building games—Scythe and Terraforming Mars demonstrate how these systems translate into tabletop victories and brag-worthy plays. Bring in a lighter, theme-rich title like Boss Monster to balance the shelf with something quick and fun that still nails that retro-digital vibe. Don’t forget about cooperative experiences. Games like Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft or Descent-inspired adventures deliver a sense of teamwork that mirrors many online co-op games.
Start with a 2–4 hour block for a big session and allow a longer campaign feel when you’re ready. If you’re curious about the digital angle, you can add a game with a well-regarded app or digital edition to the mix—this keeps your options open for solo play, quick sessions, or extended campaigns when friends aren’t available to meet.