We have our RPGs and we have our board games. Sometimes they come together in such a perfect way, where you can get the best of both worlds! With the increase in popularity of both board games and RPGs it’s only natural that the popularity of RPG board games also increase.

Here I’ll cover our top 5 RPG board games!

1) Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is already a classic. It packs a huge campaign and story into its box. The box itself is massive, but you definitely feel like you get so much more out of it!

This massive dungeon crawler has you adventuring across the land as mercenaries. It will have you leveling up your character by building their deck and making it through encounters. You will not only go through dungeons, but you will be having encounters in cities and on the road. Just like you would in an RPG! Combat encounters feature tactical combat on hex-grid maps, with monsters governed by their own deck of action cards.

If you’re already into board games and RPGs, Gloomhaven is the perfect mix of both! It is designed to be played over multiple sessions and characters will have their own personal quests and upon achieving these goals, have the option to retire and new characters can be unlocked!

2) Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients

This game has it all, horror themes, Eldritch monster AND it’s set in a  western-themed underworld. What more do we need?

In Shadow and Brimstone: City of the Ancients players will be working together as brave adventurers who will travel deep into the mine in search of the dark stone. They will end up in heated battles with monsters, demons and even creatures from beyond space! Each encounter is unique and can range from a simple collection mission to entering other worlds and having all out battle. Players will be able to head to head to the local town to have their characters rest or even upgrade their character or their equipment! 

This system is easy to learn and the game can be adapted into making it more customisable for you and your fellow players! Though it has a heavy horror theme, it is still fun while keeping within the theme!

3) Dark Souls: The Board Game

Praise the sun! In this exploration game, players are working together to go into dangerous and challenging locations where an abundance of monsters and treasure are waiting.

Every new location you go to there are new and unique dangers for you to encounter. The game provides a variety of different yet still constantly challenging levels for you but is accessible to play for heavy gamers or for board game newcomers. You will need to think strategically and be aware of your players' stamina to be successful on your missions.

Those who love a challenge will relish the opportunity to play through this game. Bringing the difficulty and satisfaction from the video game, to this RPG style board game.

4) Mansions of Madness Board Game

This high fantasy Lovecraftian edition by Fantasy Flight, is a great introduction to RPG style board games! It features individual campaigns that players can choose from and then investigate.

In Mansions of Madness players are investigators who will be  working together to try to figure out the horrible mystery before the end of the world triggers. Whether a cult is trying to summon Cthulhu or a fellow investigator has sent a cryptic message, it’s up to you to figure it out!

The immersive app guides you through the game, revealing what’s in a draw, or where the angry mob has moved to while you search for all the answers you need. It will take survival and quick thinking to get through these campaigns!

5) The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth

For those who love RPGs, board games and Tolkien’s epic fantasy series The Lord of the Rings, then aren’t you in for a treat! This game brings you all of these, bundled up neatly in an epic adventure!

Players will take their place in an adventuring party as one of the iconic characters such as Bilbo, Aragon or Legolas, along with some fresh faces. Players will work cooperatively, making courageous choices and fight against the evil gathering that’s threatening the land. Players build their decks to balance the amount of successes possible to draw during tests they must take. Your fellowship will travel across the world completing quests and battling monsters generated by the companion app.

With this classic adventure theme and easy to maintain characters and campaigns, what’s not to love when it comes to this RGP board game? Plus who didn’t secretly want to be, or be in a party with Legolas?

Buying Guide

In summary, if you’re looking for…
An intense adventure? Gloomhaven
An Eldritch Western adventure? Shadows of Brimstone: City of the Ancients
A challenging cooperative game? Dark Souls: The Board Game
A classic Eldritch investigation? Mansions of Madness
A Lord of the Rings themed adventure? The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth

And there we have it! Our top 5 RPG board games! What do you think? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below!