Board game games
Digital adaptations of traditional tabletop games built on boards, pieces and dice.
What is the board game genre?
The board game genre brings games that are played around a real table onto the screen. It covers a wide field, from chess and backgammon to modern boxed games and complex strategy boards. The rules are already settled and tested; what the digital version adds is keeping track of the rules, making it easier to find opponents and saving you the trouble of setting up the box.
Digital adaptations have also become the easiest way to learn these games. Because the game does not allow an illegal move, you learn the rules by playing. And thanks to online matchmaking, you no longer need to find four people to share the same box.
What defines it?
The rules are already defined and balanced, independently of the digital version.
The game keeps track of the rules, so an illegal move is impossible.
There are no reflexes involved; you have time to think.
Online matchmaking removes the need for a physical box and a group of players.
Landmark games
Well-known examples often used to explain the genre. For the list on our site, see the games section below.
At a glance
Board game games (1)
Frequently asked questions
Can digital board games replace the physical box?
In terms of rules they are usually identical and easier to learn. They do not fully match the social experience around a table, though, so the two mostly complement each other.
What is the difference between a board game and a card game?
In a board game the play area is a board or a map. In a card game the whole of play is built on the deck, the hand and the order in which cards are played.