Boardgames on pc/consoles

[Hans Lauring]

Another German board/card game announced for XBLA: Lost Cities (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/24/lost-cities-being-discovered-this-spring-on-xbla/).

This post and others buried in other threads lead me to this question:

What boardgames (and CCGs) have succesfully been translated to computer game format?
I know of the three (?) on XBL, but what's avaliable elsewhere?

And what games have done it in the past? I remember playing the hilarious Nuclear Wars on the Amiga, but not many others.

Buy successfull I mean having the main gameplay intact - not just being a game tie-in. So the Microprose Magic: The Gathering-game qualifies whereas the Acclaim (I think) M: TC RTS doesn't.

[reactionman]

Ticket to Ride (http://www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/pcgame/) turned out pretty good.

[madkevin]

There's a free version of Titan, the old Avalon Hill game, called Colossus (http://colossus.sourceforge.net/) that translates surprisingly well.

[Lorini]

For all things board game, the Geek usually has the answer. Here (http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/6483) is a list of computer versions of board games. This (http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/8323) is a list of 'Free Computer Versions of Board and Card Games with Computer AI (Artificial Intelligence)'.

[tromik]

Ticket to Ride is still coming to XBLA, apparently (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/51882). I'd heard it'd been cancelled (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?p=1260271#post1260271).

[Rock8man]

For all things board game, the Geek usually has the answer. Here (http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/6483) is a list of computer versions of board games. This (http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/8323) is a list of 'Free Computer Versions of Board and Card Games with Computer AI (Artificial Intelligence)'.

Wow, what a list! Thanks!

I had no idea there was a computer version of Acquire, one of my all-time favorite board games! They call it "Venture" (http://www.tabberer.com/sandyknoll/more/venture/). I'll be sure to try the demo tonight. I hope they don't deviate from Acquire's gameplay, and I hope they allow multiplayer.

[scharmers]

Ticket to Ride is still in multiplayer testing.

[slantz]

Ticket to Ride is still coming to XBLA, apparently (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/51882). I'd heard it'd been cancelled (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?p=1260271#post1260271).
Yeah, I had definitely been told by a related party that both games (Ticket to Ride and Alhambra) had been cancelled, but recent evidence definitely says that Ticket to Ride is still coming.

*shrug*

I don't know what the full story is, but I wouldn't have said it was cancelled if the source hadn't been a solid one. Sorry for any misinformation.

[Tom Chick]

Buy successfull I mean having the main gameplay intact - not just being a game tie-in.

The real question is which board games have been ported and provided an AI good enough to make them viable single player games.

I imagine this would make for a short list. But from my own experience, you'd have a hard time topping SimTex's superlative port of 1830. I loved the AI in that thing, especially considering how dynamic the game was. I can't think of a truer or more competent board game adaptation than that one.

Next to that, I remember really liking the adaptations of Avalon Hill's Advanced Civilization, History of the World, and 7th Fleet. Or was it 5th Fleet?

-Tom

[Lorini]

The link above rates the AI of all the free games ported so far.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

The real question is which board games have been ported and provided an AI good enough to make them viable single player games.

I imagine this would make for a short list. But from my own experience, you'd have a hard time topping SimTex's superlative port of 1830. I loved the AI in that thing, especially considering how dynamic the game was. I can't think of a truer or more competent board game adaptation than that one.

Next to that, I remember really liking the adaptations of Avalon Hill's Advanced Civilization, History of the World, and 7th Fleet. Or was it 5th Fleet?

-Tom

I want to second the History of the World mention. It's really a top notch adaptation of a very interesting game.

Troy

[Adam B]

Thanks for the links, Lorini! I didn't know that BGG had compiled all that stuff, it's awesome! Only ever gone there for specific reviews/errata/etc on specific games before. Yay!

[tromik]

Yeah, I had definitely been told by a related party that both games (Ticket to Ride and Alhambra) had been cancelled, but recent evidence definitely says that Ticket to Ride is still coming.

*shrug*

I don't know what the full story is, but I wouldn't have said it was cancelled if the source hadn't been a solid one. Sorry for any misinformation.
No worries, Hiro. I was just pointing out where I'd heard the bad news.

BTW, publishers should issue press releases stating that their huge game has been cancelled the month before it's released, and ride the mood swings to the bank.