Best Board Games to Try Out in 2020

With everything that’s happening in 2020, we can all use time to relax and enjoy a little laughter. What better way to have a good time with your family than spending a few fun-filled hours playing exciting board games?

If you’ve got a little extra time on your hands, what better time to try out old and new movie board games that you’ve never played before? To get you started, here are nine of our favorite board games that are based on or related to movies.

Dungeons and Dragons

There are so many different D&D games that it’s hard to say which one’s the best. It’s just as tricky to figure out which one was based on the movie – or which one the movie tried to emulate. Despite the film’s somewhat embarrassing performance, Dungeons and Dragons remains one of the most popular and widely played board games of all time.

Whether you want to embark on a horror-filled journey with Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate or indulge in hilarity with Dungeon Mayhem, there’s something for everyone in the D&D universe. Spice things up by using colored dice, like the beautiful Infinite Aquarium that the D20 Collective suggests. 

CLUE: IT Edition

Almost everyone is familiar with the board game, CLUE. As you move around the board, you need to discover clues to determine a murderer’s identity, their chosen weapon, and where they committed the murder. In this version, however, things work a little differently.

You’ll be playing as a member of the Losers Club, one of the kids that IT is trying to abduct. It’s your job to figure out who IT is planning to kidnap, where in Maine he’s going to do it, and what item he’s planning to use to lure his unsuspecting victim to their doom. If you love CLUE, horror games, or IT, you can’t go wrong with this game.

Goosebumps: The Movie Board Game

Most of us loved the Goosebumps books as children. To see Slappy brought to life and chasing a hilariously serious Jack Black across the silver screen inspired both terror and childlike glee. Thankfully, this movie turned into a brilliant board game that provides hours of replayable fun.

This time, YOU get to be the monster. Race your fellow baddies back to the typewriter or get sucked back into your creator’s book for all eternity. At least, until the next time you play this exhilarating board game.

Ender’s Game: Battle School

Unlike the other games on our list, this is perfect for only two players. It’s a zero-gravity 1v1 showdown as you and your opponent play as either Ender or Bonzo. There can only be one victor in Battle School, and under the watchful eye of Colonel Graff, you must duke it out.

Both players have equal health, but Ender and Bonzo both have unique abilities. You’ll also manage the corresponding team – Dragon or Salamander, respectively. Keep in mind that everything takes place in zero-gravity, so once you start moving, you don’t stop until you hit something.

AvP: The Hunt Begins

There’s no denying that Alien vs. Predator flopped harder than Comic-Con@Home. However, despite the movie’s mistakes, the board game is an absolute breath of fresh air. Play as one of the fast and deadly xenomorphs, the powerful predators, or the soft and squishy marines.

The game’s campaign consists of several missions and features an inside story as the three factions battle for the ultimate victory. Who will survive, and who’ll end up as an alien’s lunch? Play and find out.

Dune

Frank Herbert’s Dune has been in print, on the silver screen, and in various board games. The latter has been out of print for many years, but, with the 2020 Dune Reboot, this board game is back to thrill old, young, and new fans alike.

It’s the same classic story. Fight as the Emperor, Bene Gesserit, Fremen, Atreides, Harkonnen, or the Spacing Guild. Remember, the spice must flow, so harvest as much of it as you can and conquer Arrakis. He who controls the spice controls the universe. Good luck!

Ghostbusters: The Board Game

We ain’t afraid of no ghost, and we hope you aren’t, either. In the Ghostbusters board game, you play as Venkman, Spengler, Zeddemore, or Stantz as you chase down ghastly ghouls and spooky specters.

The four players need to work together to complete the campaign, and a game can last anything from 30 minutes to a few hours. Level up, gain abilities, and tackle harder stories. There are many different scenarios and narratives to play out, and you can even create your own!

Disney’s Villainous

Who says that the heroes always have to get the happy endings? With Disney’s Villainous, you get to change the way the story ends – and maybe, just maybe, the bad guy gets the last laugh.

Play as Ursula, Maleficent, Captain Hook, Jafar, King John, or the Red Queen in this hilariously wicked board game. Use random cards to achieve your story objectives, while you try to sabotage the other villains from reaching their goals. It’s a race to a dastardly victory, and there can be only one Big Bad.

Firefly: The Game

No one can take the sky from you in this board game – unless you run into an Alliance patrol or bloodthirsty Reavers. Based on Joss Whedon’s much-loved masterpiece, you become the Browncoat captain of your very own Firefly-class ship. If you’re lucky, you might even get to captain Serenity herself.

Pilot through space gathering crew, cargo, upgrades, and transport jobs as you try to avoid all the dangers of space. Keep in mind that not all the crew and cargo are legal, and if you get caught, the Alliance won’t take kindly to your shenanigans. The first one to finish the story goals wins.

The Last Word

While some movies don’t transition well to board games or vice versa, some become instant classics loved by fans and players alike. With plot twists, exciting game mechanics, and loved – or hated – familiar characters to enjoy, it isn’t hard to see why people still play these games today.

There’s so much to choose from, too. Whether you prefer the classic style of D&D, the delightful sci-fi of Firefly, the return of Dune, or the light-hearted play of Villainous, you certainly won’t be bored.