Summary
- Scythe offers deep 4X gameplay with captivating world-building post-WWI mech war Europe.
- Munchkin Digital provides humor and fun in a simple hand management board game for all.
- The Captain Is Dead presents intense co-op space chaos where players save a doomed ship.
There's nothing like a good board game night. The wide variety of board games in the world means that there are countless options for playgroups of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. In fact, the biggest obstacle to a board game night is often not finding a game to play, but getting everyone in the same room to play it.
Thanks to the internet, though, board game fans no longer need to be in the same room to play. A lot of great board games now have online clients on storefronts like Steam, letting fans play with each other no matter where in the world they are. Like with video games, different board games will appeal to different people, but here are some of the best tabletop experiences available on Steam.
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10 Scythe: Digital Edition
March of the Machines
- Genre: 4X strategy
- Developers: The Knights of Unity, Asmodee
Scythe takes place in an alternate version of Europe following World War I. In this version of the Great War, each of the nations is strengthened by giant mechs sold by an independent city-state known as The Factory. Representing one of the great nations in the region, players must vie for supremacy throughout Europe and establish technological dominance.
This 4X game gives players many avenues to victory, from assembling an advanced army of mechs to taking over broad swathes of territory. The asymmetrical nature of its hidden goals and nations makes the game endlessly replayable. While its age means the multiplayer scene can be rather scarce, it's still a strong choice for groups of 4X fans who don't get much chance to play in person.
9 Munchkin Digital
Delving the Dungeon
- Genre: Hand management
- Developer: Dire Wolf Digital
Munchkin is a parody of dungeon crawlers and tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. Players use humorous and peculiar magic items and resources from their hand to defeat a variety of wacky monsters, and ascend to Level 10 before their rivals in order to gain the most loot.
The digital version has robust options for playing with friends or with bots, and the game receives regular patches to address balance issues. Munchkin Digital is not the most mechanically complex board game out there, but it can be a very enjoyable time for casual fans and beginners alike.
8 The Captain Is Dead
Space Opera Chaos
- Genre: Co-op strategy
- Developer: Thunderbox Entertainment
The Captain Is Dead is a frantic co-op game that takes place on a spaceship that's falling apart. As the name suggests, the captain has been killed, and the rest of the crew must scramble to stay alive as aliens attack. Each player has a special role that will help keep the ship together, but the odds are stacked against them.
The online version of The Captain Is Dead boasts surprising polish for a digital board game adaptation. Rather than just translating the board itself, Thunderbox Entertainment took strides to make the game feel like a video game, akin to something like FTL: Faster Than Light, while preserving the board game's mechanics. The only downside is that, despite being digital, the game does not feature online multiplayer, so fans do still need to be in the same room to play.
7 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel
Breaking the Limits
- Genre: Strategy
- Developer: Conor Petersen, Thunkspace, LLC
Most online versions of board games strive to replicate the experience of the physical game as much as possible. And while there are plenty of digital versions of chess in the world, 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel takes a much stranger approach. As the name suggests, this title offers chess games that take place across multiple dimensions and branching timelines, forcing players to consider the consequences of their actions on axes that humankind was never meant to comprehend.
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5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel offers a variety of AIs for players to practice against as they come to terms with this complex new reality. There are also robust PvP options, letting fans test out their eldritch chess talents against friend and foe alike. This is probably the most difficult board game on Steam, but it truly couldn't exist in a physical version, and it's an excellent diversion for chess fans.
6 Root
Conquering The Woodlands
- Genre: Strategy
- Developer: Dire Wolf
Root is perhaps the most adorable war game on the market. This title sees four factions of charming woodland creatures vie for control of the forest, each with their own mechanics and tactics. The totalitarian Marquise de Cat seeks a technological victory, while the birds of the Eyrie must spread as much as possible while obeying the dictates of their leader. Meanwhile, the rebellious Woodland Alliance seeks to gain popular approval, while the enigmatic Vagabond plays the other sides against each other.
The difference between the four factions, as well as others introduced in expansions, makes Root a deeply replayable game. Tactical players can find surprising depth beneath the game's cutesy exterior. The digital version offers five expansions, and its cross-platform functionality makes it easy to share with friends online.
5 Clue
The Classic Game of Whodunit
- Genre: Murder Mystery
- Developer: Marmalade Game Studio Ltd
Clue, also known as Cluedo, is an iconic board game of crime-solving and deduction. Players must share cards back and forth in order to eliminate suspects and solve the crime by identifying the murderer, the weapon they used, and the room where they committed the crime.
The online version of this classic game comes with all the aspects of Clue that fans have come to know and love over the years. Aspiring sleuths can dive into the digital game's new content, which includes new crime scenes and clue cards. Players can also add new standardized rulesets from more modern versions of the board game.
4 Everdell
Building A Life
- Genre: Worker Placement
- Developer: Dire Wolf
Everdell is a charming worker placement game that tasks players with building a city full of adorable woodland critters. Players can send workers out to gather resources as they recruit and play creatures and structures to make their humble settlement, amassing points and meeting goals in the process.
The digital version of this lovable game brings the lush forest setting to life as players compete to make the most charming village. While it hasn't received as much post-launch support as the physical version, the Glimmergold expansion still allows players to extend their Everdell experience with Carnival cards and new legendary figures and structures.
3 Dune: Imperium
Control The Spice
Dune: Imperium
- Released
- March 13, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Dire Wolf Digital
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Deckbuilding, Board Game
On the back of Denis Villeneuve's film adaptations, the Dune: Imperium board game gives players a chance to assume the role of one of the franchise's many warring families and battle for control of Arrakis and the invaluable Spice saturating its sands. This game combines worker placement mechanics with deckbuilding to simulate currying favor with various factions and participating in large-scale battles for the fate of the planet.
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The digital version features everything included in the physical version. Players can download the Rise of Ix expansion as well, expanding their tactics with new technology options and powerful dreadnoughts. At the time of this writing, the game is still benefiting from constant updates, so players can look forward to plenty of variations in their ongoing wars for the Spice.
2 Wingspan
Building Up The Birds
Wingspan
- Released
- September 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Monster Couch
- Genre(s)
- Digital Card Game, Board Game
Wingspan is a recent major success among board game fans. This strategy game focuses on birds. Players fill out their habitats with these feathered creatures over the course of the game, and each one provides unique benefits and special powers that can aid in accumulating victory points and working toward various goals.
The immense variety of birds in Wingspan makes it extremely replayable, as does the wide array of expansions available for both the physical and digital versions. These expansions bring in birds from several different regions throughout the world, in addition to new rules and mechanics to play with. With the addition of the game's expressive art style and wealth of fun bird facts, Wingspan is an engaging and entertaining experience in any medium.
1 Dominion
A Kingdom of Cards
- Genre: Deckbuilder
- Developer: Temple Gates Games
Dominion holds the title as the first deckbuilding game, and many years after its first release, it's still going strong. The Steam version of the game is free to play, and it's also quite simple, meaning anyone can pick up the rules without much trouble. The meat of the game is in its numerous expansions, all of which are available on the Steam client for a relatively low price.
Assembling a complete version of Dominion is a pretty pricey endeavor, online or otherwise, but it doesn't take many expansions to create a truly memorable experience. There are hours of fun to be had in the base game alone, which is more accessible than ever. Fans of the deckbuilding genre can experience where it all began, free of charge.
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