Merge your love of cinema with dice rolling, obstacle avoidance, picking up of pieces, deciphering clues and getting distracted as the conversation invariably leads to memories of the movie in play. Pull up a chair, clear that tabletop, and settle in for our favourite board games based on films.
Movie-inspired board games are a curious breed. Shoe-horning big screen action and events into a cardboard box along with artwork, associated playing pieces and references to the movie, there are most certainly a few board game bloopers in this category out there. But you don’t have to worry about that here — our selection reads like the Hollywood walk of fame.
With our selection, you’ll get the tactile experience of tabletop gaming presented here in an array of gameplay styles to fit the themes of their associated movies. There are opportunities inside all of them to gather some knowledge from the game about some of the big-screen action and characters — and plenty of chances to get competitive with your pals.
So, grab some popcorn, gather your friends, and prepare for a crash course in what might happen if Hollywood and Monopoly had an awkward first date.
Playing as the shark or cooperatively as the crew, Jaws the game offers a decent mirror into the 1975 film. Broken up into two Acts, one on Amity Island and then out into the ocean, the suspense is solid throughout. The shark eats as many people as it can in part one before a finale that can play out as a decent analogue re-enactment of Captain Quint sliding down the protagonist’s toothy gullet.
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A fast-paced 20-minute play where you’ll combine your wits to avoid Ghostface and assist in others escaping his blade. The included playing piece and knife-marker accessory adds to the atmosphere as does the accompanying app (iOS and Android) with narration by Roger Jackson — the voice of Ghostface himself. With its own intense soundtrack, that app will also uncover clues to speed up the game. A nail-biter indeed.
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Fancy a bit of deduction but know that Cluedo will leave you cold? Based on Hitchcock’s classic the gameplay for the Rear Window board game pays real homage to the film itself. Is there really something sinister happening in the neighbours’ apartments? Or is your holed-up imagination over-actively playing with you? A co-operative game of deduction and decision making, each time you play everything is just a little bit different.
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As close as you’ll get to having slime-based saliva dripping down your back — well, around the kitchen table at least. This immersive strategy game is based on the 1979 sci-fi horror classic, with a presentational sheen worthy of being on constant display. A co-operative game where you all team up for an hour’s worth of play, you’re out to survive aboard the Nostromo as the xenomorph creature stalks around hunting you all down.
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A puzzle-style game taking you through the main plot points of The Lord of the Rings over eight chapters. Gather your favourite elves and dwarves, as players control various members of the Fellowship. There are a few LOTR offerings in the board game arena but this the lightest one of all and easiest to pick and play. It offers up a unique Chapter Book format along with decent play-pieces and artwork.
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Across six chapters players work together to get Dorothy back to Kansas. Diagrams and visuals complement the rulebook making it an easy-access family play. The components, artwork and play pieces all combine to create a real retro fuzzy feel, one that feels like it has got that display-worthy appeal, earning a space in the spotlight even when you’re not travelling down the yellow brick road.
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Straightforward enough to pick up and get playing, the difficulty level can be ramped up as you become more adept in your time-space continuum repair skills. Biff has taken the DeLorean for a joyride, Doc and Marty need to travel through time to return objects to the right spot in history, and there is a real sense of urgency to the game as you play with the OUTATIME tracker keeping tabs on your play.
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Whether you’ve got an entire Rebellion behind you, or are a solo agent of the Empire, this one’s a treat for Star Wars fans. UNLOCK: The Escape Game can be played solo with the multiple cards in the box offering three different Escape room style adventures – without you ever needing to venture into the dreaded outdoors. A companion app handles organisation and hints so you can focus on solving puzzles and completing objectives in under an hour. Play as rebels, smugglers or imperial agents, use ships, weapons and interact with droids.
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The closest you’ll get to actually playing Jumanji. There are a couple of variants around of this game — but this one offers up playing pieces, dice, a light up logo and, most importantly, the drum sound when it is opened. As much a prop then as a plaything, all considered we think it deserves a place on the list.
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One player controls the dinosaurs at ill-fated Isla Nublar resort whilst others attempt to fix up stuff at the facility where it’s all gone a bit awry before making their escape. Each human player has a special ability and, to win, each one must meet a specific victory criterion — say, making sure each player reaches a certain tile before everyone can head for the helipad. The dino-sized rulebook takes some-time to absorb, but there’s lots of replay value here.
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