Board games have been part of human culture for thousands of years, shaping how we think strategically, interact socially, and entertain ourselves. From the ancient Royal Game of Ur (dating back to 2600 BC!) to modern classics like Monopoly and Settlers of Catan, tabletop games have always offered structured yet open-ended play experiences and, let’s be honest, the occasional friendship testing argument too.

When video games arrived in the 20th century, they didn’t appear from a vacuum, they borrowed heavily from the DNA of board games. Today, that influence is everywhere: in mechanics, storytelling, multiplayer experiences, and core design principles.

While many early board games focused purely on strategy, the storytelling potential really bloomed with narrative-driven games like D&D and Betrayal at House on the Hill. These titles invited players to shape characters, make decisions, and live out stories, an approach that inspired generations of video games.

Character progression, classes, levels, XP, all stems from tabletop RPGs. Early titles like Ultima and Wizardry adapted these ideas into code, eventually leading to juggernauts like Final Fantasy and The Witcher.

Board games that offered branching narratives, like Choose Your Own Adventure books or the absolutely epic Gloomhaven (yes, I’ve clocked over 100 hours in the digital version), showed that players could drive the story forward. That idea flourished in video games like Mass Effect, Disco Elysium, and Telltale’s The Walking Dead, where your choices shape entire worlds.

Board games have always been about social interaction, whether it’s friendly rivalry or (in my case) not-so-friendly deception 🤥. Video games have replicated that experience, expanding it to local and global levels.

Party games like Mario Party and Among Us carry the spirit of board games right into your living room or online match. Co-op titles such as It Takes Two, Overcooked, and Left 4 Dead echo the teamwork and chaos of classics like Pandemic and Arkham Horror. They demand communication, coordination, and the occasional emotional breakdown.

And then there’s bluffing. Poker, The Resistance, and Werewolf are all about psychology; reading faces, hiding intentions, twisting words. That exact vibe lives on in digital games like Town of Salem, Poker Night at the Inventory, and Among Us. Though personally, I still prefer lying to my friends in person. It just hits different 😈.

Beyond mechanics and themes, board games helped shape how video games are designed. That’s especially clear in areas like replayability, balance, and structure.

Replayability is a huge deal. Board games achieve it with randomized setups, varied outcomes, and emergent play. Video games took that lesson and ran with it, especially in roguelikes like Hades, The Binding of Isaac, or sandbox giants like Minecraft and Terraria.

Balancing complexity and accessibility is another shared challenge. A good board game is easy to learn, but hard to master just like successful video games. Take Hearthstone or League of Legends: they welcome newcomers but offer insane depth (and yes, I’m a Hearthstone Legend player, top 0.5%, thank you very much 👑).

Even things like tutorial systems and UI design mirror the way board games present information; clearly, concisely, and with a sense of structure. Game devs, like tabletop designers, need clear rules, systems, and feedback loops.

As technology advances, the line between board games and video games continues to blur. We’re now seeing full-on hybrids that combine the best of both worlds.

Digital versions of classics like Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, and Wingspan bring the tabletop experience to screens with style. Platforms like Tabletop Simulator and Board Game Arena recreate physical play online, letting you roll dice and flip cards with friends across the globe.

Some video games directly integrate board game mechanics. Slay the Spire, Inscryption, and Dicey Dungeons combine deck-building and turn-based strategy in digital formats. Meanwhile, AR and VR tech are merging the physical and digital even further—just look at Catan VR, where you can stare down opponents in virtual space, offer them a handful of your wood while still planning your hex-based longest-roaded empire!

Board games and video games are two sides of the same coin or maybe two meeples on the same board. From mechanics and narrative to social play and design theory, board games laid the foundation for so much of what we love in digital gaming today.

As the industries continue to merge, I couldn’t be more excited. Whether we’re gathered around a kitchen table or connecting across servers, the spirit of play stays the same. I’ll see you there, dice in one hand, controller in the other.