When you can’t choose between game night, movie night, or a Netflix binge, you can split the difference with these board games based on some of the most popular blockbuster franchises and TV shows around. Whether you’re looking for some casual trivia games or complex strategy titles you can play for hours, there’s something for every level of dedication.
1. Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist; $30
If you’re the type who still sweats through multiple shirts while watching Die Hard, you can bring the action classic to your dining room table with Nakatomi Heist. Based on the movie’s adrenaline-soaked fights throughout the downtown Los Angeles high-rise, this game follows a one-versus-many format, with one player taking on the role of John McClane and other players conspiring to eliminate him from the Plaza. The game is meant for two to four players and will take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
Buy it: Amazon
2. Monopoly: The Lord of The Rings Edition; $40
A game of Monopoly with a Tolkien-inspired coat of paint would have been good enough, but this special Lord of the Rings edition has a few extra wrinkles that make it an even more faithful Middle-earth experience. In addition to the tokens (like Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, and more), properties, and money from the classic game, you can also control the Ring of Power and move it to Mount Doom. But beware, the longer it’s in your possession, the more perilous your journey becomes.
Buy it: Amazon
3. Dune; $41
Yes, this board game was originally released in 1979 and is based on the Dune novel—but it’s been reissued in anticipation of the new movie adaption of the book, so we’re counting it. In this strategy game, you have to maneuver your faction to gain control of the flow of melange and, in turn, wield dominion over the planet. This game is a little more entailed than many on this list, with playthroughs lasting two to three hours.
Buy it: Amazon
4. Risk: Star Wars; $40
This Star Wars-themed version of Risk recreates the Battle of Endor from 1983’s Return of the Jedi, with players commanding either the light or dark side for control of the galaxy. The board itself comes in the shape of a TIE fighter, and you’ll have to contend with three concurrent stages of the battle: The assault on the shield generator, the attack on the Death Star, and Luke’s lightsaber duel against Darth Vader.
Buy it: Amazon
5. Star Trek: Five-Year Mission; $30
Star Trek: Five-Year Mission allows you to live out your Enterprise fantasies by allowing you to choose between either the NCC-1701 model from the original series or the NCC 1701-D ship from The Next Generation. From there, you and your crew members, all of whom have unique abilities, must navigate through a series of challenges while keeping the ship intact. The game is meant for three to seven players and can be finished in around 45 minutes.
Buy it: Amazon
6. Planet of The Apes; $20
Take control of Taylor (Charlton Heston from the original movie) as you battle through a treacherous, ape-filled wasteland in this cooperative card-and-dice game. You can either play this one solo or with up to four players, where each person controls a different aspect of Taylor’s personality, including “commander,” “cynical,” “defiant,” and “explorer.” These different traits have to be balanced as Taylor moves through the most memorable scenes from the 1968 classic. The real highlight, though, is the art on the scenario cards and mini token figures included in the box, like the iconic war-torn Statue of Liberty.
Buy it: Amazon
7. Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons; $19
Netflix’s Stranger Things references countless pop culture phenomenons from the 1980s, but few are as prominent as Dungeons & Dragons, making this collaboration a no-brainer. In this take on the roleplaying classic, you play as one of the show’s main characters in order to fight the Demogorgon.
Buy it: Amazon
8. Clue: The Golden Girls; $36
The classic game of whodunit gets a Golden Girls spin. Play to find out who ate the last piece of cheesecake, where they ate it, and what items they left behind, such as a robe, lipstick, or a shoe.
Buy it: Amazon
9. Friends: Wheel of Mayhem; $11
Remember the one when Joey auditioned for a game show that wound up making no sense? Well, now it’s an actual game designed to test the mettle of even the most die-hard Friends fans. The game includes a motorized spinning wheel and 150 trivia cards, and it’s designed for up to four players. Like the episode it’s based on, Wheel of Mayhem is needlessly confusing and random, but fans of the show probably wouldn’t have it any other way.
Buy it: Amazon
10. Happy Festivus; $25
In one of Seinfeld‘s most memorable episodes, we learn that George’s father turned his back on the commercialization of Christmas by inventing his own holiday called Festivus. Now you can bring the curmudgeonly celebration home with a board game designed for four people. Complete with eight Festivus poles and 42 cards, you can air your grievances to your loved ones on the path to victory.
Buy it: Amazon
11. Assistant to The Regional Manager; $10
In Assistant to the Regional Manager, you have to channel your inner Dwight Schrute to gain control of the Dunder Mifflin office. You do this by earning tokens for pulling pranks on other players, but you also have to avoid HR Strike cards that stand in your way to victory. The end goal is to have the most tokens on the seven sections of the office, including the annex, sales, Michael’s office, and more.
Buy it: Amazon
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