Here are some of the best board games you can play in virtual form

We all love a festive party or a rainy afternoon in playing board games – but which are the best board games that can be played on your PC through Steam’s highly popular video gaming platform? Here’s our definitive list.

Monopoly Plus

Playing Monopoly in the ‘digitalscape’ isn’t exactly a new thing; the first virtual version of the game was released on the Sega Master System in 1988 but was severely hampered by the limited technical capacity of the console it was played on, ergo – it looked terrible.

32 years on however, it goes without saying the game is a lot more enjoyable to play virtually. The graphics for this Steam version of the game are easy on the eye, the usability is good and the option to play multiplayer online is a perfect adjunct to a rainy day zoom call with your best pals.

Fun Fact: The exact numbers are hard to pin down, but there has been an estimated 1144 board game versions of Monopoly since it was first released in 1935 and more than a dozen virtual versions of the game, which includes video games, mobile apps (produced by Marmalade Game Studio) and a slot machine that can be played at casinos such as Betway amongst others.

Clue

The North American name for ‘Cluedo’, Clue is a video game, invented in 1998, based on the well-known board game. 

Set at Boddy Mansion, for the American version (it’s Blackwell Grange in the English version), Cluedo involves six suspects for the murder of Mr Boddy – and it is up to the players to find out who the culprit is based on the… well, the clues.

Each plausible perpetrator and means of killing the victim is envisioned through a cutscene, which may see the suspect, for example, stab Mr Boddy with a knife, strangle him with a rope or shoot him with a revolver among other possible scenarios.

As we saw with the board game, Clue is intended for 3-6 users – no more than six players are allowed in any one game because there are only six suspects.

Whether your style is shrewd but inelegantly blue-collared like Columbo, possessing of an eye for detail like Sherlock Holmes or refined and educated like Miss Marple, enjoy the mystery!

100% Orange Juice

Welcome to a world in which people, dogs and machines fly through the air.

The growth of darkness in this world becomes a challenge for a kid named Kai who, led by a mysterious life form referred to as Marie Poppo, embarks on a tumultuous journey which, in this digital, multiplayer board game, you can be part of.

100% Orange Juice was populated by developer Orange Juice’s star cast; they include characters from Flying Red Barrell: A Diary of Little Aviator, QP Shooting, Acceleration of Suguri and Sora.

With a bit of dedication, you can become an online champion at 100% Orange Juice.

Armello

A digital role-playing strategy board game, Armello was developed by League of Geeks, an Australian independent game studio League – it was their first major project.

Armello is set in a fantasy world involving anthropomorphic animals. Any number of players up to four can assume the role of a central protagonist, selected within their group, to lobby to become the heir to the main ruler.

The game involves turn-based board-game mechanics, revolving around use of dice and cards drawn from a deck, with each player’s actions influencing the outcome.

Archon: The Light and The Dark

Love chess? Then you may also love Archon: The Light and the Dark.

It’s a strategic board game with two sides, one light and one dark as 18 different pieces compete on a board divided into 81 squares.

So how do you find a winning formula?

There are three ways.

Firstly, by having one of your units on each of the five powerpoint squares.

Alternatively, by removing all opposing pieces from the board.

Finally, by imprisoning the last remaining creature of the opposing side.

You cannot remove a piece by merely landing on it, alas. When two pieces clash, they must battle one-on-one, with the context of the battle changing depending on the colour of the squad.

A dark square leads to the dark monster attaining a health bonus, whereas a light side would get an upper-hand on a light square. To make matters more complex, there are some squares that change colour depending on the time of day.

It all makes the standard task of thinking three moves ahead of your opponent that much harder!