10 Greatest Board Game Movies, Ranked Worst To Best

April 18, 2024, 1:20 p.m.

Movies

10 Greatest Board Game Movies, Ranked Worst To Best

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Summary Board games have inspired a range of blockbuster movies, from epic sci-fi thrillers to comedic murder mysteries.

Battleship and Ouija failed to live up to the cinematic potential of their board game origins, disappointing audiences.

Films like Pi and Zathura successfully incorporated board games into their plots, creating unique and engaging movie experiences.

For thousands of years, board games have entertained and enthralled players of all ages and, because of this, they have also served as the inspiration for several great movies. From role-playing fantasy adventures to strategy-based puzzles, board games were excellent cinematic fodder as the existing worlds that they brought to mind were fleshed out with characters, storylines, and spectacular visuals in many acclaimed films. While film studios were often rolling the dice when it came to how successful a board game movie would be, every once in a while, they came out on top and emerged victorious.

The greatest board game movies were categorized by their sheer variety and have included everything from epic science fiction thrillers, intense fantasy adventures, and even classics of world cinema. While murder-mystery comedies such as Clue immediately hinted at the story the board game movie would take, other films were more cryptic and infused board games into part of the narrative. With plenty of varied films to choose from, there were so many great board game movies over the years.

10 Battleship (2012)

Battleship was based on the board game of the same name

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buy Not available Not available Not available Rihanna, Liam Neeson, and Taylor Kitsch star in the 2012 action movie adaptation of the board game Battleship. They play a group of Navy SEALs who confront an invading fleet of alien ships. As humanity's only hope, they must use all their training and resources to fight the alien invasion and save the planet. Director Peter Berg Release Date April 11, 2012 Cast Taylor Kitsch , Alexander Skarsgard Rihanna , Brooklyn Decker , Tadanobu Asano , Hamish Linklater Runtime 131minutes

Of all the board games that could have received a movie adaptation, Battleship was the most cinematic due to its strategic concept of sinking warships and carefully thought-out shots. The movie version of Battleship took this concept and ran with it by including an extraterrestrial threat that a small group of warships were forced to battle against or face utter destruction. However, with over-the-top visuals and a lackluster script, Battleship did not live up to its potential and was a mostly forgettable blockbuster disappointment.

A classic example of Hollywood studios adapting any recognizable property they possessed, Battleship came across as a misjudged cash grab that highly overestimated the public’s desire for a movie based on the Battleship game. While the corny and over-the-top spectacle of Battleship may be a guilty pleasure for some, it failed to impress critics and grossed a disappointing $303 million against its $209 million budget (via Box Office Mojo.) Sadly, Battleship was a sunken flop that underperformed at the box office and was best left to decay at the bottom of the ocean.

9 Ouija (2014)

Ouija was based on Ouija boards

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buy Not available Not available Not available Ouija follows a group of friends who play with an Ouija board and accidentally awaken an ancient dark spirit. The 2014 supernatural horror film was critically panned upon release but did well enough at the box office to warrant a sequel. In 2016, Ouija: Origin of Evil was released, acting as a prequel to the original film. Director Stiles White Release Date October 24, 2014 Cast Lin Shaye , Sierra Heuermann , Shelley Hennig , Olivia Cooke , Ana Coto Runtime 89 minutes

Anyone with a genuine belief in the paranormal or supernatural would swear that Ouija boards were best left well enough alone and this fear was effectively explored in the horror movie Ouija. A Ouija board was a flat board that contained numbers and letters which some believed could be used to contact spirits and have interactions during a séance. Although these boards have gained a highly suspect reputation, the name Ouija was actually a trademark of Hasbro and was originally branded as an innocent parlor game.

The film Ouija told the story of a group of teenagers who unleashed spirits using an Ouija board and were forced to confront their most terrifying fears after awakening dark and ancient powers. Although Ouija was not well received it led to the development of a prequel called Ouija: The Origin of Evil which critics deemed an improvement over its predecessor. An interesting concept for a horror franchise, Ouija explored the superstitious beliefs many held about this highly feared board game.

8 Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

Dungeons & Dragons was based on the tabletop roleplaying game of the same name

While the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons may be one of the most popular RPGs the world has ever seen, the same cannot be said about its movie adaptation Dungeons & Dragons from 2000. Telling the story of an empress seeking a mythical rod to aid her fight against an evil wizard, Dungeons & Dragons was a convoluted fantasy film that bombed at the box office and disappointed many of the game’s players. With subpar directing, a shoddy script, and a cheap aesthetic, Dungeons and Dragons did not do its source material justice.

Despite the significant star power of Dungeons & Dragons, which featured Jeremy Irons among its cast, the performances were bad, and the CGI was underwhelming. Considering that the cinematic wonder of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released just one year after Dungeons & Dragons truly highlighted just how poor the presentation of this film was. While there have been several adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons over the years, this one stood as the poorest of them all.

7 Pi (1998)

Pi featured the Chinese strategy board game Go

The directional debut of Darren Aronofsky, Pi was a highly conceptual psychological thriller that heavily featured the Chinese strategy board game Go. A vast game that dated back more than 2,500 years this board game was infinitely more complex than chess and it made sense that Max Cohen, the maths genius at the center of Pi, would have an affinity for it. Throughout Pi, Max was shown playing Go with his mentor Sol, who explained the game as a microcosm of the complex and chaotic nature of the world.

As Max tried to understand the mathematical equals that governed the universe, the game Go acted as an effective metaphor for the infinite and unknowable qualities of existence. Pi was a frighteningly smart movie that addressed thrilling themes on a shoestring budget. Produced for just $134,815 (via Filmmaker Magazine), Pi won Aronofsky the Directing Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and kickstarted Aronofsky’s incredible body of work.

6 Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Zathura: A Space Adventure put kids into the world of a board game

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Jon Favreau Release Date November 6, 2005 Cast Jonah Bobo , Josh Hutcherson , Dax Shepard , Kristen Stewart , Tim Robbins , Frank Oz Runtime 101 minutes

The Jumanji series received a standalone spinoff with the release of Zathura: A Space Adventure, which was a highly underrated adventure sci-fi movie that transported into the world of a space-based board game. Directed by Jon Favreau, Zathura was an early indication of Favreau’s innate understanding of sci-fi that he would utilize so well in later years when he created The Mandalorian. With dazzling special effects and a solid story, Zathura was a movie that could be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

With a witty script with fully realized characters, Zathura was an adaptation of a children’s picture book by Chris Van Allsburg. Zathura featured a talented cast that included Tim Robbins and Dax Sheppard, as well as Kristen Stewart, and Josh Hutcherson in younger roles. While Zathura was a disappointment at the box office that barely broke even, grossing $65.1 million against its $65 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), it has been reappraised in recent years as a forgotten classic.

5 Game Night (2018)

Game Night featured a group of friends game night that went awry

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buy Not available Not available Not available Written by Mark Perez and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Starring Jason Bateman, Billy Magnussen, Rachel McAdams, and Sharon Horgan, the 2018 Comedy sees a routine game night turn into a mystery when one of the regular members is kidnapped. Director Jonathan Goldstein , John Francis Daley , Billy Magnussen Release Date February 23, 2018 Cast Sharon Horgan , Rachel McAdams , Danny Huston , Kyle Chandler , Chelsea Pereti , Jason Bateman , Lamorne Morris , Jesse Plemons , Kylie Bunbury , Michael C. Hall Runtime 93minutes

Game Night was far more entertaining than an average evening of playing Monopoly.

The action-comedy Game Night focused on a group of friends who regularly got together to host play board games, charades, and other lighthearted activities. However, this good-natured fun was soon turned on its head after the friends found themselves entangled in a real-life mystery after one of them was seemingly kidnapped by dangerous gangsters. Full of action, adventure, and many twists and turns, Game Night was far more entertaining than an average evening of playing Monopoly.

With a sharp script and excellent cast that featured Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, Game Night was high-octane fun that expertly delivered on its unique concept. Game Night was consistently funny as the stakes of its story were upped with every subsequent scene and its unwilling participants were thrust ever further into the chaos of it all. While Game Night left things open-ended for a sequel, the directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein recently gave a disappointing update surrounding Game Night 2.

4 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was based on the tabletop roleplaying game of the same name

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fantasy action-comedy film based on the popular tabletop game and set in the Forgotten Realms campaign by the original creators. Chris Pine stars as a song-slinging thief named Edgin Darvis, who is hired to find a lost relic but manages to anger the wrong people along the way. With his mismatched crew, each inspired by a race and class from D&D lore, Edgin will lead his team to complete their task - and many innocent lives depend on it. Director Jonathan Goldstein , John Francis Daley Release Date March 31, 2023 Cast Hugh Grant , Rege-Jean Page , Chris Pine , Justice Smith , Chloe Coleman , Michelle Rodriguez , Sophia Lillis Runtime 134 Minutes

The fantasy heist film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves managed to right the wrongs of the past and deliver a movie adaptation that was worthy of its source material. Despite underperforming at the box office, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was a truly good-spirited comedy that offered a fun, fantasy adventure that was propped up by a solid script and an effective emotional core. Telling the story of a charming thief and a band of adventures caught up in an epic quest for a lost relict, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was an enjoyable cinematic spectacle.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves avoided the mistake made by so many fantasy adaptations before it and did not take itself too seriously and imbued its story with plenty of comedic fun. By focusing on the experience of the adventure rather than the story itself, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves captured the most important aspects of the board game it was based on and reveled in its over-the-top sense of adventure. As a feel-good, family-friendly heist movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, like the best board games, could be enjoyed by the whole family.

3 Jumanji (1995)

Jumanji put kids into the world of a board game

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buy Not available Not available Not available Jumanji is an action-adventure comedy film by director Joe Johnston and starring Robin Williams. Two orphan siblings move into a home occupied by the former Parrish family, whose son disappeared years ago. When the two start playing a mysterious board game known as "Jumanji," they unknowingly release the missing Alan Parrish later, along with various other jungle-themed dangers that can only be stopped if they finish the game. Director Joe Johnston Release Date December 15, 1995 Cast Robin Williams , Kirsten Dunst , David Alan Grier , Bonnie Hunt , Jonathan Hyde , Bebe Neuwirth Runtime 104 Minutes

While the world of Jumanji has been expanded into an entire franchise, it all started with the 1995 fantasy adventure film that starred Robin Williams in one of his most entertaining roles in a kids' movie. Jumanji told the story of two children who found themselves entered into the world of a magical board game, only to discover a man (Williams) who had been trapped in it for decades. With lots of light-hearted fun, and an infectious sense of adventure, Jumanji was the best board game adaptation for a movie aimed at children.

While Jumanji received mixed reviews upon its release it was a major financial success that grossed $262.8 million against its $65 million budget (via Box Office Mojo.) With an animated television series, spin-off movie, and two indirect sequels, Jumanji was a highly creative concept that provided endless potential for subsequent stories of kids transported into fun-filled worlds of adventure. A fourth film in the Jumanji series has also been announced as the long-running series has continued to enthrall audiences.

2 Clue (1985)

Clue was based on the board game of the same name

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buy Not available Not available Not available Based on the classic board game, Clue features an ensemble cast that includes Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren. In the film, six strangers, each with a dark secret, are lured to a mansion by a mysterious blackmailer who is then killed when everyone has arrived. The group, accompanied by the butler and the maid, must work together to determine who the murderer is before it's too late. Director Jonathan Lynn Release Date December 13, 1985 Cast Eileen Brennan , Tim Curry , Madeline Kahn , Christopher Lloyd , Michael McKean , Martin Mull Runtime 94 minutes

The comedic mystery Clue may have a lot in common with the whodunnit stories of Agatha Christie but it was an adaptation of the board game of the same name, which was known as Cluedo outside of North America. With a star-studded cast that included Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd, Clue paid homage to the original board game by including three separate endings that mimicked the numerous potential murderers in the game. A hilarious murder mystery, Clue has developed a cult following in the years since its release.

Clue included the same iconic characters seen in the board game such as Mrs. Peacock, Wadsworth the butler, and Colonel Mustard which featured many allusions and references to the game. An enjoyable ensemble comedy that did its source material justice, Clue was full of wit and intrigue as it progressed toward its multiple conclusions. Although a new film based on the game was first announced in 2011 (via Variety), the remake never came to fruition.

1 The Seventh Seal (1957)

The Seventh Seal heavily featured the game of chess

The greatest board game movie ever made also held the honor of being one of the best films of all time.

The greatest board game movie ever made also held the honor of being one of the best films of all time as Swedish director Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal stood as a classic of world cinema. Set in Denmark during the Black Death, The Seventh Seal featured a medieval knight playing a game of chess against the personification of Death who had come to take his life. A truly iconic movie, the imagery of The Seventh Seal has been parodied countless times across books, other films, and television.

With heavy themes related to fate, religion, and the inevitability of death, The Seventh Seal has come to be regarded as a masterpiece of cinema in the nearly 70 years since its release. With intensely beautiful cinematography and a dark, brooding atmosphere, The Seventh Seal was one of Bergman’s greatest achievements on screen and stood as his most instantly recognizable movie. With a bold narrative and striking visuals, The Seventh Seal has maintained its innate power, and its reputation has only continued to grow in the decades since its release.

Sources: Box Office Mojo (Battleship), Filmmaker Magazine, Box Office Mojo (Zathura), Box Office Mojo (Jumanji), Variety