5 Video Games That Would Make Awesome Tabletop Games

As we wrote in a previous article, video games are often the inspiration for some of the best table top games on the market today. The tabletop world pays homage to the video game industry and as such, we were inspired to look at some video games that are not currently table top games, but should be made into one. 

Here, we have looked at games from a wide array of genres, including survival-horror, cooperatives, competitive games and worker placement games. It is really exciting to know that there is so much potential out there for such board games!

Join us as we look at the 5 games we think would make wonderful additions to the world of tabletop gaming. 

Day Z

In the middle of nowhere, players must keep watch for marauding zombies whilst gathering resources such as food, clean water, clothing, weapons and vehicles. The ultimate goal is simply to survive for as long as possible in the post-apocalyptic world. 

Whilst there are undoubtedly a number of zombie tabletop games on the market, Day Z would definitely bring something new and exciting to your game night. Players could traverse the differing towns of the Day Z universe, searching for resources and having zombie encounters. 

Just like the video game, the board game would be equally tough; there would be no superficial tips, no waypoints and no help given to players. Every decision would be vital and as there would be no extra lives, every mistake could be lethal. Fail, and lose all resources you’ve gathered. 

The game could either be played cooperatively or competitively, as other players can be friend or foe. The cooperative game would involve working together to defeat the zombies in X amount of turns. However, with the competitive version, players would fight for resources, whilst making things difficult for other players. 

And of course, there would always be the constant threat of zombies. 

PayDay: The Heist

The game about a bank heist crew, available on Steam, involves players assuming the character of a hardened criminal executing intense, dynamic heists.

Contend with the police and SWAT teams -- with the overall objective of gathering as much money as possible -- before it’s too late. This would work for the table top as a tile based game with six different sets of tiles to represent the six different heists within the game, each proceeding in levels of difficulty.

Within each game, players would be able to collect resources, such as weaponry, as well as the ability to level up statistics and build skills to fit the character’s preferred course of violence.

Although the video game is generally a cooperative game, with the other characters the partners in crime, there is the potential for competitive gaming. For example, there could be a secret betrayer who will do anything to only help themselves and impede other players to that end.

The game should be played in real time and be significantly time based too. Equally, any DLC released for the game provides content for table top expansions further down the line.

Syndicate

This is the original video game, involving cyborg agents, in the pursuit of completing goals, such as assassinating other characters, rescuing people or using persuasion for others to join a specific syndicate.  The large corporations have taken over and have manipulated people, taken over by corruption and crime syndicates. Characters walk around cities displayed in a fixed isometric game style. 

This would make a very interesting competitive board game. The board would feature all the cities in the game, with each player controlling a syndicate and with meeples representing each agent.

Players would need to manage the research and development of new weaponry and upgrade their cyborgs, all with limited funds. There would be card upgrades to collect throughout the game, to progress the character. For example, with weapons, players would begin with simple pistols and eventually have the opportunity to collect lasers and a Gauss gun. In addition, helpful items, such as medical kits and person locator scanner would be obtained. Other players should be wary of the player who has picked up the Persuadertron that brainwashes the player’s target into blind obedience. This is for the overall objective of engaging and eliminating rival syndicates. 

Players would be given secret card missions to complete in order to establish their overall goal of worldwide dominance, one territory at a time.

Speed Ball

This is the 1988 game that featured a violent futuristic cyberpunk sport that drew on elements of handball and ice hockey and rewarded violent play as well as legitimate goals.

The game is played by two teams on an enclosed court and a goal at each end, with the intention of scoring goals and injuring opposition players. The team with the most points is the winner.

This would make a really fantastic table top miniatures game. This scene has exploded in popularity in recent years and a miniatures game based upon this incredibly popular game would work brilliantly. The game already has a rich history that could be used for in-game lore.

Players assume the role of a team manager who looks after a faction -- such as Violent Desire or Fatal Justice -- with the objective of having the strongest, fastest and overall best team, throughout a season.  

Utilize the best of the team, with attacking players trying to score goals, the other team’s defence preventing the goals being scored and the mid-field having possession of the ball and gaining points in the process. To ensure the team's success, they will need training and new players too. 

Success comes with carefully constructed plays and counter plays with an emphasis on anticipation, positioning and resource management.  Roll dice for a fast resolution hit system, whilst generating in game momentum points to shift in game power and influence tokens to control actions and movement. 

Factorio

Build and create automated factories to produce items of increasing complexity, within an infinite 2D world, to complete your objective. Use your imagination to design the factory, combine simple elements into ingenious structures and protect it from nefarious creatures. It is available on Steam.

This game would work perfectly as a worker placement and resource gathering board game, where players could build their factories.

In the game, players would receive the most basic of starting resources, such as an electricity source or bricks, before being required to gather further resources to combine items and create factories.

To gain further resources, players would need to send out worker meeples to research technologies and fight enemies. Here's the GameSkinny Factorio starter guide, much of which could be applicable to a tabletop version of the game!

Once the factories are created, they would automatically generate further resources to help make the factory even bigger. Eventually, players would become an industrial powerhouse with huge resources to utilize at their will.

The game would be competitive, as other players would be competing for the same resources as they try to fight for the biggest factory complex of all. You'd need to consider other players and how they operate, whilst ensuring that you are ready to defend yourself and your machine empire against locals who disagree with the progress.

So there we have it, 5 of the best video games that would make fantastic board games. These games really do need to be made and showcase just how much variety there is in the video and board gaming universes. These two genres work extremely well together and inspire each other. Board games are constantly becoming more immersive and we look forward to see what new games are introduced in 2017.

What video games do you think would make awesome table top games? Let us know in the comments below!