Christmas 2022: our selection of board games
Five games inspired by pop culture universes: “Harry Potter”, “Batman”, “Squid Game”… Ideal extensions to offer fans of these licenses.
Through Marilys Vallet
© Point Pop
Published on
OrForget Monopoly, Scrabbles and other puzzles: today, the perfect fun gift par excellence is the board game inspired by the wonderful worlds of pop culture. Battle magic in the world of Harry Potter, investigations in the Batman universe, or playful nostalgia in the new Hero Quest : we have selected for you five genre highlights for Papa Noël Pop!
Sonic Super Teams
Embark on a furious race in the universe of cult video games Sonic: the Hedgehog ! On a circuit board that resembles a game of goose, you advance your figurines of heroes of the saga box to box, while trying to avoid traps. But here there are no dice, you advance your runners with numbered cards. The first team to avoid the traps and cross the finish line wins. Sonic Super Teams therefore a racing game on a board, where you have to put your cards in your hands at the best time, either to advance your own miniatures, or to slow down your opponents. A simple and fun game in the colorful universe of Sega’s star license, with the beautiful Sonic, Tales and all their friend figurines.
From 7 years old – 2 to 4 players – Games approx. 20 min. Publisher: Zygomatic.
Harry Potter: amazing!
Let the battle of the wizards begin! In amazing!, as a representative of one of the four houses of Hogwarts, you will need to win magic fights and collect rewards. Once his house is assigned, each player receives a “successful spell” and “failed spell” card. In each round, you have to choose one of your cards, which will determine whether you can cast a spell or not: when all players are ready, reveal your card, your target (with given magic wand) and the result. action: spell cast, “Protecto” protection or pass. The one that hasn’t been dazed of their opponents will be able to share reward cards in the middle of the table. At the end, the respective scores are tallied and the house with the most points wins the tournament (full video rules available here). A game of betting and flattery in the magical universe of Harry Potter, with luxurious equipment. For fans of the universe created by JK Rowling.
From 8 years old – 4 to 8 players – Games approx. 30 min. Publisher: Rest production.
Hero Quest
Few geeks of the 1990s did not experience Hero Quest. A board game released in 1989 in France by MB, whose advertising went worldwide and the big box (with a clone of Conan), around the gaming tables. As such, there can be a barbarian, dwarf, elf or enchanter, orchestrated by a Game Master, exploring a dungeon full of monsters and treasure. Now, it’s Hasbro’s turn to release a modern version of theHero Quest with the same goal: to offer hours of epic adventure in dungeons inspired by Heroic Fantasy and filled with dangers. In addition to the basic material of a classic game (board, cards, dice, etc.), 70 figurines that allow your adventure to take shape before your eyes and a booklet with 14 quests, enough to survive some hours of gaming. And to extend the experience, there are also expansion packs – three have been released. A truly playful air of nostalgia that new generations will discover.
From 14 years old (10 accompanied) – 2 to 5 players – Games approx. 1-2 hour(s) Publisher: Hasbro.
Detective – Batman: It’s All a Lie
In Gotham City, some cases are sometimes so difficult that Commissioner Gordon is forced to call in consultants: in this case, you. In this cooperative narrative investigation game, you will have to walk the dark streets of Gotham in search of information and clues, to solve complex cases to better fight crime. The four sealed envelopes contain the four cases and their objectives, while the clues found have to be placed on a dedicated website to explore them. Between the investigative game and the vintage comics, a perfect title for Dark Knight lovers. Our advice: take notes! And if you like the game system, there are several themes, including one in Frank Herbert’s universe: Dune: Buried Secrets…
From 14 years old – 2 to 4 players – Games approx. 2-3 hours. Publisher: Iello.
Squid Game
For those who haven’t been caught up in the wonder Squid Game on Netflix, it’s a story of ordinary people trapped in a terrible ordeal. This board game uses the basic principle of the series (promotional video here), except that you don’t play one character but a team of twelve participants. These poor unlucky people have to survive “One, two, three, days”, the “Tug of war”, the “Glass bridge”… Six deadly trials that will eliminate the competitor. The last team to run wins the jackpot, unless one player reaches the end of the ultimate “squid game”! For public knowledge and, more importantly, a game to literally play if you don’t want to risk pissing off your friends.
From 16 years old – 3 to 6 players – Games approx. 45 min. Publisher: Mixlore.
