Overlap happens a lot when it comes to different hobbies and passions. People who love illustrative art also tend to have an appreciation for photography and film, fans of football tend to watch other sports as well, and people into board games as a hobby tend to be into art, anime, or video games.
And, lucky for them, there are board games specifically about all three of those topics! In fact, there are tons and tons of video-game themed ones, but our interest today is specifically on the best ones centered around an anime or comic book property. So, without further ado, let's take a look
10 Love Letter: Batman Edition
Let's start things off with a simple type of game, Love Letter. Love Letter is a beloved game in the community because every playthrough is different, the mechanics of the game itself are simple yet fun, and it's incredibly easy to teach to new people. Basically, there are a certain number of cards in the deck with numbers or face-cards much like a normal deck.
Each of these numbers has a "role" tied to it that allows the player to perform an action when playing it. Well, this variation of the game just adds to the fun by orienting all the cards around classic Batman characters! Batman actually has a fair amount of Board Games dedicated to him.
9 The Attack On Titan Games, Both Last Stand And Deck Builder
Honestly, that's about as simple as these games get on this list. From here on out, they're a bit more complex and aren't recommended for people who are new to the hobby. But, our first anime example is based on the hit series Attack on Titan and is actually two different games.
AoT was lucky enough to get multiple board games themed after its nihilistic world, and both of them are fun in their own ways. Last Stand is great because the entire goal is climbing and killing a single titan, and the cardboard cutout works great for the theme. The Deck Builder is a fantastic way to imitate defending the three walls from a Titan invasion and has tons of interesting mechanics that make the game a bit more difficult than one would expect.
8 Hail Hydra: The Board Game
Hail Hydra is the other relatively simple game on this list, and it's of course based around the MCU and its infamous Nazi-based bureau, Hydra itself. Hail Hydra is a deduction based game where any of your fellow shield agents playing could be a hydra agent in disguise.
Players will have a variety of number cards that represent damage and will play them in response to a villain invasion. But, there are small and negative numbers, and Hydra Agents want to make sure the villains survive to destroy to city. It's a relatively easy game and a ton of fun, plus the board and art itself are worth collecting even on their own.
7 One Piece: Water 7
Surprisingly for a board game based on an international Goliath like One Piece, the board game Water 7 isn't all that well known. But, it's a fantastic game to play even with people unfamiliar with the franchise as the mechanics of it are simple, easy to learn, and fun.
Obviously, this game is based on Eiichiro Oda's hit series One Piece, specifically the Water 7/Enies Lobby Arc of it. Anyone familiar with the series will appreciate how the designers incorporated all the aspects of the arc into the game like the CP9, Robin's kidnapping, and the Aqua Laguna itself.
6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows Of The Past
the TMNT Shadows of The Past Board Game is what we like to call a Campaign-based game where players pick a character, complete missions, and build up their skills or equipment for the final confrontation/mission.
In it, players pick their favorite Ninja Turtle (and yes, ours is Donatello), take on missions, earn new equipment, and complete their end goal. And, the best part is, One player even gets to play as the villain! It's a competitive game where one player controls the baddies and has extra mechanics and the rest of the players work together to defeat them. Frankly, we didn't expect this game to be near as fun or as well-made as it is, so give it a look if you're a fan of the Turtles in a half shell.
5 Death Note: Confrontation Strategy Board Game
Now, the TMNT was unique in the way it was played, and the Death Note Board Game is unique in that it is specifically a two-player game. Players take the role of either Light Yagami or L himself and turn their brains to overdrive is a fierce battle of wits. The goal of the game is to gather the most Victory Points by the end or thwart Light's plans.
If L can eliminate all the suspects but one before Light gets 15 Victory points, L wins. If Light manages to elude the authorities and achieve his grand plan, L loses. It seems like a great game for couples, and even works as a perfect two-player game to play with a friend or a parent, even if they're unfamiliar with the source material.
4 Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Marvel Champions is not an easy game to learn, but it is one of the most fun games we've ever played once you do learn. It's a game made for 1-4 players who are all controlling different characters from the Marvel universe with their own unique decks as they take on a variety of missions and villains.
Throughout the course of the game, you'll spend resources, gather new cards, and use your alter-ego. It's the perfect game for people who want a complex tabletop game without the cluttered mess that some board games require. We absolutely recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the MCU or reads comic books at all.
3 Naruto Shippuden: The Board Game
Now, most of the other games on this list worked on a fundamental level even if you weren't familiar with the setting or source material. But, Naruto Shippuden: The Board Game is not that. If you don't have any love for the orange jumpsuited ninja or his friends, this game might not be for you.
But, if you love Konoha and all the other hidden villages, this game will be a blast. The gameplay is incredibly unique, the Akatsuki and the Konoha Ninja's all have their own playstyles, and the better you do throughout the game, the easier the final boss will be. It's a very inventive way to incorporate the Akatsuki, the Shinbi War, and the Jinchuriki all in one and we had a blast playing it.
2 Sailor Moon Crystal: Dice Challenge
Sailor Moon Crystal is a board game with easy mechanics and a lot of visual flairs. Players can either intentionally or randomly pick from the 24 characters available in the base game. The game can be played with 2 people or with 10 depending on if you have enough dice and are willing to play with teams.
In either case, Sailor Moon Crystal is a game all about rolling dice to capture your opponent's dice. Sounds simple right? Obviously, there are extra mechanics on top of that such as Power Attacks, Skill Attacks, or Special Abilities. But, at its core, this game is about rolling the higher number until you capture all of your opponent's dice.
1 Tokyo Ghoul: The Card Game
Finally, we have another Deck Builder completely centered around the horrifying world that is Tokyo Ghoul. For those unaware, Tokyo Ghoul is centered around one Ken Kaneki and his pals as he tries to adapt to his new life as a half-ghoul who needs to eat human flesh to survive.
Now, you might think the goal of this game is to find a way to become human again or unite all the Ghouls, but no. Your goal is to become the strongest and worst Ghoul on the streets by either obtaining 10 Victory Points or by starting your turn while controlling 3 out of 5 of the Tokyo locations.