.webp?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Despite living in the digital age, traditional board games will always maintain some sort of relevance and popularity. Board games are typically the epicenter of most family game nights. It’s likely that a lot of people have the same shared memory of grabbing the family’s copy of Sorry! from the shelf and bringing it to the dining room table with pieces rattling around inside. Board games have the ability to bring people together, spark fun competition, and serve as the focal point of family memories.
In some cases, board games require a bit of imagination to truly enjoy them. As a child, Candyland is much more fun if you can immerse yourself in the imaginative treat-filled world. And Monopoly is certainly more enjoyable with a healthy dose of competition, as if your fictional property dealings are really going to make or break your finances.
This is why it’s fun to see some of your favorite board games brought to life on the big screen. Seeing the characters, pieces, and even the rules of some of the board games you frequented as a child turned into movies can be a great experience for both the viewers and the production companies behind the feature, as many of them have been pretty successful releases.
Here are some of the best movies based on board games.
6 Battleship (2012)
Battleship is a classic board game and an easy favorite among a lot of people. This strategic guessing game is meant for two players and was originally released by Milton Bradley in 1967. The object of the game is to sink your opponent's warships before they sink yours.
The movie Battleship, which premiered in 2012, is based on the board game, but adds a unique spin to it. It's about a small team of warships that have to battle against a fleet of destructive, extraterrestrial ships. The movie featured a cast including Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood), Liam Neeson (Taken) and also included Rihanna in her acting debut. Unfortunately, the movie bombed at the box office. Battleship grossed $303 million worldwide against a $209 million production budget. It also sits at 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. A movie about the beloved board game was cool in theory, but unfortunately was executed so poorly, it didn't live up to expectations.
5 Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
Countless hours have been spent on lengthy Dungeons & Dragons quests across the world. The epic role-playing game is a massive phenomenon with an even larger fan base. So when the game made its way to the big screen in 2000, people were understandably excited.
The movie sported an ensemble cast with names like Richard O'Brien (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Thora Birch (Hocus Pocus), Marlon Wayans (White Chicks) and Jeremy Irons (House of Gucci). However, Dungeons & Dragons was another box office bomb. But, despite the poor CGI and effects, the acting and storyline does feel reminiscent of the game — even if it is a little subpar. Unfortunately, the overall execution doesn't do the source material justice.
The stand-alone sequel, Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, followed up in 2005, but didn't really redeem its predecessor. A third installment, Dungeons & Dragons 3: The Book of Vile Darkness was released in 2012 in a direct-to-DVD format.
There's still hope for the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, though. Paramount is set on rebooting the franchise with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, set to hit theaters in March 2023.
4 Ouija (2014)
It may be a bit of a stretch to classify Ouija Boards as board games. Also known as Talking or Spirit Boards, these boards are used as vessels to communicate with spirits and have been the activity of choice for many teenage slumber parties.
In 2014, a movie based on the concept of the Ouija board — simply titled Ouija — was produced in partnership between Blumhouse Productions (Insidious, The Purge) and Hasbro Studios (Transformers, My Little Pony). Ouija is about a girl named Laine (Olivia Cooke) whose best friend recently died. Laine finds an old Ouija Board and tries to connect with her friend, but instead opens a portal that lets in an evil supernatural force. Upon its release, it was poorly received by critics for its predictable, cheesy plot.
Later in 2016, the prequel, Ouija: Origin of Evil, was released and performed much better among both critics and general audience members.
3 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
The 2017 reboot of Jumanji puts a modern spin on the 1995 classic. Instead of being based on a board game that can transport you to another world, it's now a video game. This action-packed comedy brought an ensemble cast together with names like Jack Black (School of Rock), Kevin Hart (Get Hard), Dwayne Johnson (Fast & Furious), Karen Gillan (Avengers: Endgame), Nick Jonas, (Camp Rock) and Alex Wolff (Hereditary).
Re-imagining a classic movie like Jumanji is a big responsibility, but 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle does a great job at it. The movie is funny, innovative and just generally silly, making it a really fun watch. The characters are also perfectly cast and each give their own believable, stand-out performances. When the movie premiered, it was very well-received. It was one of the top-five highest-grossing movies in 2017, bringing in over $962 million at the global box office. Two years later in 2019, the sequel Jumanji: The Next Level hit theaters and brought more action and laughter to the franchise, complimenting the previous installment.
The fourth movie in the Jumanji franchise —including the original from 1995 — is also on the table. There's no set release date yet, but it's a movie that producer Hiram Garcia (Jungle Cruise, Hobbs & Shaw) said is definitely going to happen.
2 Jumanji (1995)
1995's Jumanji is peak '90s media. The concept of Jumanji made board games feel exciting. Imagining your game pieces coming to life and enveloping you in a foreign place makes playing the game even more fun, especially as a young kid. Like most board games, the Jumanji movie is truly fun for the whole family. It has adventure, action, thrills and even some heartwarming scenes to round out the whole package.
On top of the fun nature of the general plot, Jumanji has an equally impressive cast with acclaimed comedian Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting) at the forefront. Other notable cast members include a young Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man, Marie Antoinette), Bonnie Hunt (Cheaper by the Dozen, Jerry Maguire) and Jonathan Hyde (Richie Rich, Anaconda). When the movie premiered in 1995, it was a box office success, grossing $263 million worldwide. Years later in 2017, the Jumanji franchise saw a revival with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, bringing the game to life once again.
1 Clue (1985)
In the niche of movies based on board games, Clue has to be the best. This campy murder mystery is based on the game of the same name. Clue was originally created in 1943 by a British board game designer named Anthony E. Pratt, but is now owned by American toy and game company Hasbro. Clue features iconic characters that have since become household names, like Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum. The whole concept of the game is to find out "whodunnit" before your opponents. The game of Clue is a massive success and a favorite choice among family game nights everywhere. The game has since been adapted in a variety of ways with iterations like Scooby-Doo, Bridgerton, and even Harry Potter-themed Clue.
The 1985 movie is perfect for fans of the game and anyone who loves a classic murder mystery like Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." Clue has a strong cast of powerhouse actors including Michael McKean (Better Call Saul, Best in Show), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Addams Family Values), Colleen Camp (Death Game, Smokey and the Bandit Part 3) and most notably, Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, It). Curry is a force to be reckoned with as an actor, and fully transforms into any role he's set to play. In Clue, he plays Wadsworth, the butler, and acts as a sort of host for the guests and the evening they endure.
When Clue premiered, it didn't wow the box office or critics. However, over the years it has amassed a significant cult following and is one of the best murder mystery movies, if not the best. Currently, there's a reboot of the '80s classic in the works. There aren't any hard details, casting information or a release date yet. All that's really known is that Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) is behind it.