Going home after term ends and missing your board game group, or just want to keep yourself occupied during the long nights of winter? There are tons of incredible digital implementations of board games available now on both PC and iPad that capture the fun of a board game night but without the hassle of set up, and with the convenience of being able to play solo. Here are some of the best out there:
Wingspan
Wingspan is a wonderfully gentle tableau and engine-building game themed around attracting various birds to your wildlife preserve. It is centred around a fun mechanic in which, as you play more birds onto your board each of your actions gets better, and you can construct combos to meet goals and score points. Every card is gloriously illustrated and has a fact about the bird printed on it. The digital version is smooth and gorgeously rendered with a wonderfully relaxing soundtrack and bird sounds, operating as the benchmark for digital editions of board games. And when you get to grips with the base game, the European and Oceanic-themed expansions are both available digitally too.
- Available on: Steam, Switch, Xbox, iOS, and Android
Scythe
Scythe is a strategy game set in an alternative-history 1920s with huge mechs. It focuses on resource management and engine building, and each player represents a fallen leader trying to restore honour to themselves and their faction. It’s hugely popular because of its strategic depth, quick pace, and cutthroat competition. Players can choose to farm the land, fight their opponents, and discover technological secrets to try and gather the points needed to win the game. The digital edition leans into the incredible world-building and artwork of the physical game, and the AI is reasonably challenging to face off against. Unfortunately, the game’s expansions aren’t in the digital version and won’t be, but it’s still a great game in its own right.
- Available on: Steam, iOS, Android
Lords of Waterdeep
A classic worker placement game that captures the theme of a fantasy setting like Dungeons and Dragons, Lords of Waterdeep is a favourite for many. It’s fairly quick to play and teach, making it an ideal introductory game for anyone looking to dip their toe in. Players recruit adventurers and send them off to complete quests, which earns them points, which are needed to win the game. The flow is relatively simple but never pretends to be something it’s not. The digital implementation is smooth and familiar, and both expansions (Scoundrels of Skullport and the Undermountain) are available online too, which is great because Skullport especially adds a lot of depth to the game.
- Available on: Steam, iOS, Android
Dune Imperium
A game that combines deckbuilding with worker placement and then slathers the lot with the theming of Dune, Dune Imperium is one of the most-hyped games of the last few years. It’s one of those games where you never have enough actions to do everything you want, so you have to be strategic with your decision-making throughout. It’s a race to 10 points, which means it never drags on. Some franchise tie-ins slap the theme on in a superficial way, but Dune Imperium really feels like it works, taking the world’s factions and creating in-game thematic mechanics for them. The digital edition features solid AI as well as solo challenges and is widely regarded as one of the best digital adaptations available for any board game. The first expansion, Rise of Ix, is also available.
- Available on: Steam, iOS, Android, Xbox
Quilts and Cats of Calico
In Calico, players are tasked with making a beautiful quilt which will attract cats to sleep on it. Under the cosy theming is a devilishly tricky tile-laying game that relies on a little bit of luck, a little bit of forward planning, and a lot of not accidentally ruining things for yourself. The digital implementation has a full campaign story mode where you complete specific challenges using the game’s mechanics, just in case you need an extra challenge. The soundtrack is gentle, the graphics are charming, and you can pet the cats that wander along to sleep on your quilt. Perfect with a hot chocolate.
- Available on: Steam, Switch
Featured image credit: Stonemeir Games/Dire Wolf/Wizards of the Coast
Student journalist & freelance writer. Check out Quick Play, where I review video games that are 10 hours or less.
