Arcade Board Games
During the 1970's and 1980's, arcade video games experienced an explosion in popularity as hordes of people flocked to the nearest arcade to play games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, and Q-Bert. Those that were fortunate enough could even bring the arcade world into the comfort of their own homes by simply purchasing an Atari 2600 home video game console at their nearest apartment store.
However, for those who didn't have the luxury of owning a home video game console or couldn't get enough virtual entertainment at arcades, had another way to enjoy these classic arcade games. When companies started to realize how popular arcade video games were across the globe, it provided the perfect opportunity to transform these virtual worlds into arcade board games.
In this article, we are going to explore the different types of arcade board games, ranging from dice games to puzzles, as well as various other board games that were inspired by casinos, including casino puzzle games and casino match arcade games.
Types of Arcade Board Games
Every character from Q-Bert to Mario was printed across a board and marketed as clean, fun entertainment to families around the world. Below, you will find the most popular arcade board games that leapt from the virtual world onto a tabletop.
Pac-Man
As one of the most acclaimed arcade video games of all time, it should come as no surprise that Pac-Man made it onto a board game. Released in 1980, the Pac-Man board game is essentially a dice game where players are required to roll two dice, one to move around the maze and devour pellets, and one to move the ghost placed in the centre of the board, making it harder for other players to move around.
Street Fighter II
In the Street Fighter II board game, players need to increase their power level by fighting against other opponents on the board. The main objective of the board game is to become strong enough to ultimately defeat M. Bison in his fortress to win the game. The board game features a 3D city landscape and allows up to 11 players. Players use cards to determine their character and dice to move up and down streets to look for a battle.
Tetris
The Tetris board game is slightly different from the arcade version. Players pick one of four colours and use a dice to determine which Tetris piece needs to be used on the game board. Should a player roll a Tetris logo, they can use any piece they like. To score points, players are required to connect at least 3 Tetris pieces of the same colour. Once the game board is filled, scores are used to determine a winner.
Donkey Kong
The Donkey Kong board game is very similar to the arcade video game. Players are required to accumulate points before their opponents reach the top of the board. Just like in the video game, players will need to either jump or destroy oil barrels and fireballs placed on the board. The game features a red die to move the obstacles and a white die to move a character.
Centipede
In the centipede board game, players can either take the role of Gnome or Centipede. On the one side, a player will control Gnome and explore the forest while attempting to defeat centipede, and on the other end a player will control centipede and venture across the board to destroy Gnome. The Gnome player uses dice to perform actions, while the player in control of Centipede will use a deck of cards to produce mushrooms, spiders, and fleas to control the game.
Q-Bert
The main objective in the Q-Bert board game is to collect as many white pegs as possible to beat your opponent. The player controlling Q-Bert can only move on the yellow spaces and may only move up or down which is decided by a die. Q-Bert will also need to avoid nasty characters, including Balls, Coily, Wrong Way, Ugg, Slick, and Sam. The player in control of the nasty characters will attempt to capture Q-Bert and ultimately end the player's turn who is in control of Q-Bert.
Space Invaders
The Space Invaders board game is a brilliant adaption of the classic arcade game. The board perfectly represents the layout of the arcade game which is divided into squares. One player will act as the Planet Player, while another player will act as the Aliens Player. The player in control of the Aliens will be represented by a card that begins at the top of the board. The player in control of the planet will get to fire first and should an alien be hit, it will be marked on the card. The planet player wins if he destroys all the aliens, and the Alien player wins if they can get a single alien to touch the player base.
Casino Board Games
Arcade board game manufacturers not only found inspiration in arcade video games but also focused on various casino games to provide a thrilling experience at home. Those who love playing slots, roulette, or even blackjack but don't have the means to spend hard-earned money at the casino can look at casino-themed board games. There are hundreds of worthy titles available, ranging from match the symbols arcade board games that feature pictures of roulette tables and slots to casino puzzle games.