We enjoy our movies and our board games. Sometimes they work well together. Here’s the best of what’s on our shelf.
10. Groundhog Day: The Game
Starting off the list with a coop game. Players lay out cards silently, a la The Mind, while trying to live the perfect day. If the values of the cards are greater than the prior day, new and more valuable cards are added to their hands. Each round is timed, and an app offers a fun way to keep the game moving. The cards follow the story with hand-drawn scenes capturing key moments from the movie.
2-6 Players • Ages 10+ • 15-25 minutes • $30
9. Terminator: Dark Fate – The Card Game
This coop deck builder has some solid mechanics, so don’t overlook it as a throwaway IP mass-market title. Players choose one of the main characters (each with their own strength), build an arsenal, and decide when to run or make a stand. You’ll encounter several types of the Rev-9 in the game. If you like deck builders, you’ll want this fast-playing playing small-box delight in your collection.
1-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 30 minutes
8. Escape From New York
A semi coop exploration game where players take on the roles of the iconic characters from the 1981 cult classic and search the city for the President of the United States, slugging their way through the mean streets along the way. A nice twist comes when a player decides to turn on the others and goes rogue, opting for a solo victory. This makes everyone just a little distrustful of each other during the game when it comes to sharing items and letting others spread too far out across the city.
1-4 Players • Ages 17+ • 40-90 minutes • $30
7. Jaws
This one vs. many hidden movement game is played in two acts. In the first half, the players, choosing one of the original characters or the shark, race around the island. The players try to save swimmers and hunt the shark as the shark does, well, shark stuff! The hidden movement aspect of the first act really works. In the section half of the game, you flip the board over to reveal the Orca, the boat used to hunt down the shark, and the game devolves into a fight for survival as the shark tears the Orca to shreds. Good fun.
2-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 60 minutes • $30
6. Star Trek: Five-Year Mission
This coop dice roller has the players complete rows of mission cards. These expanding rows are ticking clocks that must be stopped. Each player controls a character from either the original or the new series, each with a special power. Working as a team, you must efficiently complete the mission cards before failing too many or destroying the Enterprise. This plays well with many groups, but can be susceptible to the alpha player problem, and surprisingly, it’s not always Kirk. Alerts throw some randomness into the game.
3-7 Players • Ages 10+ • 30-45 minutes • $45
5. The Warriors: Come Out to Play
This game is mostly for fans of the movie. It’s a card based coop that works because of the tempo of the fights. You must know when to fight, when to rest, and when to seek help. Going in when your group is not ready often means defeat. You slowly lose weapon cards, so by the time you get to the Coney Island finale, the situation is dire. Each fight gains you more reputation. The Bopper deck keeps the action moving.
2-4 Players • Ages 13+ • 45 minutes • $17
4. Planet of the Apes
This coop dice-rolling set collector follows the action of the original movie by having players complete the key scenes with dice placement. Action cards allow you to mitigate poor rolls. Each major scene is made up of several minor scenes that players must complete. It’s a smooth system that’s easy to teach and offers surprises with the Planet of the Apes cards and a race up the Fate track. The artwork is in a comic style that works well, giving it an action feel and keeping it from seeming dated.
1-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 60 minutes • $26
3. Fast & Furious: Highway Heist
This scenario-based action coop puzzler does not follow the storyline of the movies. It uses a unique system to simulate the constant flow of traffic. Stunt cards give you abilities that damage opponents or power your vehicle up. I dare you not to make special effect sounds as you flip your vehicle over another while escaping an attack. Your characters can also leap from vehicle rooftop to rooftop. I would rather play this than watch another offering in the series.
2-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 60 minutes • $10
2. Star Wars: Rebellion
No other franchise has spawned as many games as Star Wars. From minis to deck builders, you’ll find this IP in every category. Though I have several titles in the library, the one I feel is the most solid and exciting is Star Wars: Rebellion. This 2 to 4 player military conflict is a true cat-and-mouse game that will keep players on the edge of their seats. One player hides the rebel base and runs Ops from it as the formidable fleet of the Empire scours the system. So often, the rebels will watch nervously as the Empire flies past their hidden HQ, knowing that at any moment, they could be discovered. A very tense game!
2-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 180-240 minutes • $99
1. Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game
In this deck-building coop, you’ll choose which movie-based scenario to play and build your team. You’ll work to accomplish the goals and pass checkpoints as they did in the movie. The gameplay is very thematic and, at times, frantic, especially when an alien gets through the line. If a player gets implanted, soon a chestburster card will appear in their hand and end their game—or will it? One of my favorite titles. A streamlined system is an easy teach as both a deck builder and coop. One downside is that the setup can take a while as you construct the game for your chosen scenario.
1-5 Players • Ages 17+ • 30-60 minutes • $55
