Board games are great fun, but sometimes it can be difficult getting family and friends into one place to get a game going. Which is where video game consoles come in – for the board game nut, they might not be a superior experience to a ‘real’ board game, but they’re a good bandaid solution.
The good news is, regardless of which console you own, there is at least one good board game available on it for download and play. Read on for one example of a great downloadable board game for each major games platform!
PS3
Greed Corp
Greed Corp is unique, in that it’s a board game that only exists in video game form – you can’t walk into a hobby shop and buy this. Despite that, it is very much the board game, offering interesting and unique gameplay, some very challenging AI, and some lovely, understated visuals. Oh, and the old-style soundtrack is worth listening to by itself.
Xbox 360
Catan
The PSN Catan game looks cheap and has a nasty tendency to cheat. The XBLA Catan is a virtual opposite. One of the most addictive Eurogames to be invented looks and plays gloriously on Microsoft’s console, and any self-respecting board game fanatic needs to invest in this version.
PC
What else could we recommend? Magic the Gathering Online is literally Magic the Gathering, with all the cards and popularity that entails. Play competitions, trade with friends, complete decks. It’s an ugly, old interface now, but the massive community remains strong, making this a reliable (if expensive) online hobby to get into.
iPad
Months and months after downloading this for the first time, I still play it regularly. Samurai is a remarkably simple game in concept, but the crisp visuals, addictive hot seat multiplayer and random nature of the game means it’s a highly strategic, but also relaxing game to play.
Nintendo DS
PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff
DSiWare didn’t have many great board games – but this is almost enough in itself. Guess what colour tokens your opponent has, while trying to bluff them into guessing the wrong tokens you have. It is always entertaining to bluff a mate, and The Royal Bluff captures this basic idea superbly.
Nintendo Wii
Picturebook Games: A Pop-up Adventure.
Nintendo’s on to a hit with this franchise. The PictureBook games are simple, yes, but they’re fun in multiplayer – and like with Greed Corp, this is a board game that isn’t available in hard copy. This twist on the snakes and ladders formula is the perfect party game for a group of people who might include non-gamers. It’s easy to pick up and not too demanding, but at the same time charming enough to maintain interest. It’s worth keeping on the SD card for those rainy days inside.
I remembered seeing Picturebook Games: A Pop-up Adventure when it released(and a little after), but like most WiiWare games…it fell quickly after its release from the "gaming world" radar I think.
I remembered seeing Picturebook Games: A Pop-up Adventure when it released(and a little after), but like most WiiWare games…it fell quickly after its release from the "gaming world" radar I think.
Hi Coffee,
Yes, and it's very disappointing that it did. I take my Wii with me when I visit my parents for holidays or family get togethers, and there, we must have played 40-50 games of it. It's a wonderfully relaxing game, so with a couple of beers or glasses of wine, we play it almost in the background while chatting and catching up.
There are very few games that can be both engaging, but not consuming – in many ways, Picturebook games captures exactly what board games are meant to be about.
Hi Coffee,
Yes, and it's very disappointing that it did. I take my Wii with me when I visit my parents for holidays or family get togethers, and there, we must have played 40-50 games of it. It's a wonderfully relaxing game, so with a couple of beers or glasses of wine, we play it almost in the background while chatting and catching up.
There are very few games that can be both engaging, but not consuming – in many ways, Picturebook games captures exactly what board games are meant to be about.