The Steam summer sale is upon us once again, and this time there are some great deals on the best digital board games available. Many of these games are faithful adaptations of the tabletop versions, giving players a quick way to practice new and interesting strategies, and in the midst of a pandemic, a way to play online with friends as well. Now is a great time to pick up any of these classics.
Carcassonne – Tiles and Tactics
Carcassonne is one of the best board games of our time, either in its base form or with expansions, and the digital version does not disappoint. The premise is simple as a tile-placement game where players draw and place a tile based on the design of a southern French landscape. This one was free on the Epic Games Store platform, and if you missed it there, 60% is about as cheap as it will ever get at this point. All of its DLC releases are also on sale.
Race for the Galaxy
This is a real treat to see on Steam, because Race for the Galaxy is among the best card/board games ever thanks to its well-though design and broad range of play styles crammed into game sessions that typically last 20-30 minutes. Explore, develop, settle, trade, consume, and produce are all viable options, and this lets you try them all out to master each, and surprise your friends. Check it out now for 30% off the base game and all DLC!
Ticket to Ride
The award-winning board game Ticket to Ride has been well adapted to a digital version and features all the fun of the real thing. Players work to build railway lines between cities in a game that is easy to learn for all ages. Ticket to Ride is by far the most casual game on this list, but it is also one of the best for all ages. Given that the pandemic has people stuck at home, Ticket to Ride is a great option for relaxed, virtual hangouts, and since the scoring is largely “secret” until the end of the game, it makes for a great way to spend time with friends.
D&D Lords of Waterdeep
Lords of Waterdeep and its two expansions is an award-winning title that is a ton of fun to play. Rather that work within the genre of tabletop RPG, players take control of one of the masked Lords of the City of Splendor. From there, it is mostly about resource management to outperform and outscore the other Lords and factions around Waterdeep.
The only real caveat here is that in its current form, players cannot add AI opponents to a multiplayer game. This means that while playing solo against the AI works well, as does with a large group of real friends online, the game can feel a bit hollow with fewer players due to a lack of opponents on the board. Since this is not likely to be changed, be aware, or go make some more friends to challenge online!
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a great board game to play with friends, and in its current form, not bad as a digital adaptation. The core parts of the game are all there with more added regularly as the game chugs along through Steam’s Early Access program, but the main drawback to consider is that at this point there is still no online multiplayer available. That is a key feature for this game to maximize its potential, and it is planned as a release feature, but that has no set date. Keep this in mind for Gloomhaven, as many players will prefer to wait for the online feature to be added in order to play the game with friends.
Honorable Mention: Tabletop Simulator
Technically speaking, Tabletop Simulator is not a game like the others on this list, but a gateway to endless possibility. There are so many great mods available for purchase, and of course, custom campaigns for groups of friends who cannot physically get together during the pandemic. This is well worth the purchase at full price, and a 50% off, it’s a steal.
