It’s no secret that we here at Overclockers UK are big into our gaming. We live for new game hype and love to replay our old favourites. Over 2024, we’ll be sharing our own top fives across a spicy selection of genres. This month we’re looking at Emily’s Top 5 Digital Board Games.
Oh yes, I am back to get giddy over digital board game adaptations. Over the past few years, my board game collection has grown from a much-loved copy of Pokémon Monopoly and Scrabble to a dedicated bookcase chock full of Kickstarters, deck builders, write-and-rolls, TTRPGs, and a weird amount of fish-themed games. (I mean, I do have a shark tattoo, so the fish thing tracks.) Naturally, my tabletop gaming hobby has spilled over to the digital space, too. How else were we to keep up game night during lockdown? So, today I am rounding up my five favourite digital board games that I like to bring to the virtual table.
5. Small World
Small World is one of those games where I’m not sure I’d ever play the physical version. There are an awful lot of pieces, you can change factions halfway through, and I need easy scoring. (I do words, not numbers.) That said, it always appealed as a good balance of strategic gameplay and fantasy whimsy. So, when a friend wanted to teach someone how to play with the digital version, I was an eager volunteer.
The game faithfully recreates the board but has handy automation to take you through the more fiddly aspects, like scoring. You’re free to figure out and concentrate your cunning strategy to dominate each territory, without having to waste any brain power on counting.
4. Tokaido
Tokaido is a beautiful game that really appeals to the hoarder goblin in me that just wants to collect all the things. (Side effect of growing up in the 90s, I guess.) You play as a traveller, working your way across the board and visiting as many places as possible. There are vendors to buy from, temples to visit, and panoramic vistas to take in. It’s all about the journey with Tokaido.
What sets this digital version apart is the animation and how it brings the board to life. Instead of just making a like for like board, each of the spots you can visit is a fully realised 3D image. It is presented much more like a video game, rather than a flat board game, all while still being faithful to the gameplay. Plus, you know, it does the scoring for you. That will never not be a thing I love.
3. Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye pairs tile laying mechanics with staggered goals and a Celtic aesthetic. You are building a map, developing your land with roads, resources, and such, but each round only select goals are scored. This game nicely balances focusing on what is needed now and the groundwork you have to lay for future rounds. It’s easy to pick up but also requires a little thought if you want your clan to succeed.
I enjoy Isle of Skye because I do tend to gravitate towards simpler, easier games. My brother-in-law loves a hefty campaign game with several boxes and I relish being invited to the table for those, but most of the time, I don’t have the brain space for something that complex. Hence, the simpler games which employ enough strategy to not be mindless. Isle of Skye is perfect for booting up after a long day and unwinding. Plus, I am a sucker for anything with a highland cow on it.
2. Potion Explosion
Potion Explosion was the game that got me through lockdown. It was regularly brought to the virtual table with my online game group, as it was a favourite for all. From the simple ingredient matching mechanics to that oh-so-satisfying cascade of marbles which just keeps on going – there is never a dull playthrough.
What’s great about the digital version is the overall style. The witchy vibes, whimsical music, and animations are all so fitting. I particularly enjoy magically sending the ingredients to their vial. Everything is just so well put together, and it doesn’t hurt that the version I have included The Fifth Ingredient expansion!
Honourable Mentions
My two honourable mentions are definitely cheating, but considering my top five farming sims technically included six games do we expect any different?
A great game night will bring lots of different games, genres, and mechanics to the table. These digital versions are better suited for sessions where you stick to the same game, rather than moving on to something new. As such, my honourable mentions are Board Game Arena and Tabletop Simulator.
Both offer an incredible range of games with easy multiplayer access – against randoms across the world or friends! Being the anti-social flower that I am, I tend to stick to playing with friends and family. Some people use very aggressive tactics, and I am not about that life!
My favourite thing about BGA and TTS is that they have given me access to games I’d never be able to play otherwise. Whether it’s because of complicated scoring or being out of print (I’m looking at you, Dragonheart!). Also, it’s a great way to test a game before committing money to the physical version.
1. Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a game I love. Gameplay is relatively simple, there’s a lovely tactile feel to the game, and all the expansions add interesting new facets to play. But the fields. The fields, man! Without computer intervention, I would never know who has ownership over the fields or which completed cities contribute to their scores. The digital version solves this issue with the toggle option to show who dominates what land simply by colouring it in to match the player.
Carcassonne also has some great animations. The dragon expansion has one of my favourites, because it takes the time to stomp across your cities and eat the meeples. All while keeping the wooden token aesthetic that is so iconically Carcassonne. This version recreates the classic tile-laying gameplay, adding quality-of-life support and whimsical animation in a way that simply enhances the experience.
Best Gaming PCs for Digital Board Games
The beauty of digital board games is they have very modest specifications. I happily play all of these on my Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, and 16GB RAM spec’ed laptop. (That also more than meets the requirements for TTS, if you wanted to go that route.) The one thing you will need is plenty of space. Even in digital format, there are expansion galore and plenty of titles to fill your virtual shelves. At Overclockers UK, we have an exciting range of gaming PCs and laptops that boast plenty of storage, and even have a range of configurable systems that offer multiple storage options. I’ve picked out a couple here that are a similar tier to my spec, but you can explore our full collections with the click of a button.
OcUK Gaming Kite Configurable PC
The OcUK Gaming Kite is a great companion for your digital board gaming and more. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU is built on Zen 4 architecture, optimised to deliver great gaming performance and support for content creation. Perfect for any streamers out there! Plus, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT GPU will bring all your board game favourites to life in beautiful crisp detail and smooth frame rates. To keep up with your ever-growing collection, the OcUK Gaming Kite has a WD Blue SN580 1TB NVMe SSD as standard, but you can choose to increase the capacity and even add up to two more drives!
Other configurable options on this gaming PC include the PC case, CPU, memory, graphics card, cooler, WiFi, and operating system. Please note that any changes to the base spec will affect the price.
Gigabyte G5 Gaming Laptop
Add some portability to your set-up so you can game together at your mate’s place with the Gigabyte G5. This gaming laptop pairs an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU to facilitate smooth gaming on the 15.6” FHD 144Hz screen. Plus, with 16GB DDR5 RAM, operations will stay smooth and with near-zero latency, so you’re free to concentrate on your tactics. Providing ample storage space, this gaming laptop features a 1TB NVMe SSD and the capacity for a second M.2 drive, should you need to upgrade.
To keep things cool, the Gigabyte G5 is equipped with WINDFORCE cooling technology. This thermal solution expertly drawing heat away from your vital components, even when under intense load.
More of Our Favourites!
ICYMI, the OcUK staff has been sharing their faves across a range of genres all year.
Let Us Know Your Favourites
Agree with my list? What are your favourite digital board game adaptations? Let us know in the comments below!
PC specs are subject to change.
- 8 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK since 2020, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
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