Real Life Board Games that You Can Also Play on Your PC
One of the best things about board games is that people of all ages can enjoy them. Whatever your age, there is a board game for you. And if you don’t feel like leaving home to play, you can always play them on your PC.
The best thing is that there are solo board games that you can so enjoy alone. You can check them here.
Otherwise, here are some of the best real-life board games that you can also play on your PC.
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games, with origins dating back over 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. It has been played throughout various cultures and historical periods, evolving into the game we recognize today.
The objective of backgammon is to move all of your checkers around the board and off the board before your opponent does the same, using the roll of dice for movement and strategy to block or hit your opponent’s checkers along the way, the online version allows players to compete against others from all around the world. Play Backgammon online here.
Monopoly
There’s a reason why Monopoly is one of the most popular board games. Playing it is a lot of fun, and you’ll be entertained for hours. If you’ve never played Monopoly before, the goal is to become the wealthiest player by buying and trading properties.
You can play Monopoly online against other players or play it on the computer. Either way, you’re sure to have a good time.
Chess
For centuries, chess has been a classic board game. Two or four people can play it, and it is a great game for improving your strategic thinking skills.
To play chess nowadays, you don’t even need to have a physical chess set. It is possible to download and play digital versions of many classic games on your computer.
One of the best things about playing chess on your PC is that you can use various chess engines to help you improve your game.
Checkers
Checkers is another classic board game that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Like chess, it can be played by two or four people.
There are also plenty of great digital versions of checkers available, and many of them allow you to play against other people online. You can practice your skills and improve your gameplay with these programs.
Othello
Othello is a classic strategy board game that is also known as Reversi. Two people can play it, and the goal is to capture as many of the opponent’s pieces as possible.
This is a great game for improving your strategic thinking skills, and there are also plenty of great digital versions available.
Ticket to Ride
Alan R. Moon designed Ticket to Ride, a railroad-themed board game for two to five players that was published by Days of Wonder in 2004. The game is inspired by the early twentieth-century concept of railroad routes across Europe.
Players gather train car cards and use them to claim railway routes between two cities on the game board. The more points you gain, the longer the routes are. At the conclusion of the game, the player with the most points wins.
Ticket to Ride is also accessible to play online, with variants for Europe, the United States, the Nordic countries, and Germany.
Catan
Klaus Teuber is the creator of Catan, a multiplayer board game. Previously, the game was called The Settlers of Catan, or simply Settlers. Die Siedler von Catan was initially published in Germany in 1995 by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag (Kosmos).
On the island of Catan, players take on the role of colonists, striving to establish and grow their own colonies. The game board is a hexagon with a grid of 36 squares, each depicting a different terrain type: six types of field, five types of mountain, and five forest types.
Each player starts with two settlements, consisting of a city and two villages. On a player’s turn, they must do one of three things:
- Draw cards from the deck.
- Play a card to build something.
- Trade with other players.
When one player reaches ten victory points (VPs), or when the robber (a game piece that can be moved to any hexagon on the board) reaches the hexagon with the most recent settlement, the game is ended. At the end of the game, whoever player has the most VPs wins.
Several online versions of Catan are available, including the original Settlers of Catan, Catan: Cities and Knights, and Catan: Seafarers.
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a tile-based popular game for two to six players, designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede and published in 2000 by Hans Im Glück. The game is based on the fortified city of Carcassonne in southern France.
Players place tiles to create a map of the city and then place game pieces (called “meeples”) on the tiles to claim ownership of that area. When the game ends, the player with the most points wins.
Carcassonne can also be played online, and there are several different versions of the game available, including Carcassonne: The City, Carcassonne: The Castle, and Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers.
Pandemic
Z-Man Games published Pandemic in 2008, a cooperative game for two to four players designed by Matt Leacock. A deadly disease pandemic has broken out in the near future, and it is spreading globally.
Players assume the roles of disease control experts, working together to treat patients, build research stations, and develop cures for the disease. The game is won if the players can cure all four diseases before running out of time.
You can also play Pandemic online, and there are several different versions of the game available, including Pandemic: The Board Game, Pandemic: Legacy Season 1, and Pandemic: Rapid Response.
Takenoko
Takenoko is a board game for two to four players, designed by Antoine Bauza and published by Asmodee in 2011. Players assume the roles of gardener and panda in this game set in Japan’s imperial court.
The gardener’s goal is to cultivate the bamboo garden for the emperor, while the panda’s goal is to eat as much bamboo as possible. The person who either accumulates the most points by the end of the game or is the first to reach 20 points wins the game.
Takenoko can also be played online, and there are several different versions of the game available, including Takenoko: Chibis, Takenoko: Nozomi, and Takenoko: Matsuri.
Paperback
Paperback is a card game that simulates the experience of writing and publishing a novel. Two to five people can play it, and it is a great game for anyone who loves books or writing.
The player who publishes the most books before the game’s end wins the game.
Several online versions are available, including Paperback: The Bookbinding Card Game, Paperback: Hitchcock, and Paperback: Stephen King.
Final Word
So, there you have it – a few real-life board games that you can also play on your PC. Whether you’re looking for something to keep the family entertained over the holidays or want to add a new game to your repertoire, we hope you give some of these a try.
Also, don’t forget to let us know how you get on – we love hearing about other people’s gaming adventures.