My Top 10 Most Thematic Games

Welcome to this week’s gaming post! This time I’m looking at my top 10 most thematic games. When identifying games for this list, I considered three main criteria: (1) how unique the theme is, (2) how well the mechanics integrate with the theme, and (3) how personally interested am I in the theme. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the list!

Honorable Mentions:

Before jumping into my top 10 games, let’s quickly discuss a few honorable mentions that made my shortlist. First off, for a sci-fi epic, Twilight Imperium’s world building is quite impressive given the lore, and the game feels like an epic struggle as players vie for control of the galaxy. Next, running a galactic cruise-ship company is quite entertaining in Galactic Cruise. While the game makes no concessions on its heavy-euro mechanisms, I appreciate the elements of theme sprinkled throughout, like the different ship rooms. Finally, Arydia’s vast open-world adventure is remarkable given the game’s scope, and I appreciate how much of the lore and world building is gradually introduced over the course of 60+ hours.

As the name suggests, SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is a game about searching for life traces beyond Earth. There are eight alien species when including the Space Agencies expansion, and I love the early discovering of which combination of two species will be in play for that game. Another fun thematic touch is that the board has rotating discs that simulate the planets rotating around the Sun.

Looking back, it’s hard to ignore how much of an impact Gloomhaven had when it burst onto the scene in 2017. Gloomhaven was one of the early big box, campaign-style games, and the base game alone comes with 17 playable characters and 95 unique scenarios. What I find most unique about its theme are the playable characters. Players take on the role of mercenaries who work together more out of necessity, with each character having their own retirement goal. When someone reaches their goal, they get to retire their character for the rest of the campaign, while simultaneously unlocking a new character to play as. There’s also a fair amount of world building, as you gradually learn more about the different races in the game.

Designer, artist, and publisher Ryan Laukat never fails to amaze me with his ability to craft unique and fantastical settings. Games like Near and Far, Above and Below, and Creature Caravan, which share the same setting of Arzium, a unique world that Laukat imagined, could have easily been considered for this list. However, if we’re considering just individual games, Sleeping Gods needs to be mentioned. The premise is that players stumble upon a mysterious world and must find a way to return home. An exploration game that is best experienced across multiple playthroughs, the game is an excellent choice for those looking for a thematic adventure. 

You could make the argument for a number of Vital Lacerda games, but I’m personally going to give the slight edge to Kanban EV. In the game, players take on the role of employees working in an automobile factory. Players have to manage their time and train in different departments, while trying to impress their ever-watchful boss Sandra. While the game is a heavy euro worker-placement game, the theme doesn’t take a backseat to its mechanics.

Chronicles of Crime is a cooperative, crime-solving game where players take on the role of investigators. What’s unique about the game is that it uses an app that allows players to scan locations, characters, and items. The app also has a VR feature that lets players examine scenes, making them feel like they’re in the actual crime scene. I always enjoy a good murder-mystery, and Chronicles of Crime is an excellent board game rendition of the genre.

Heat: Pedal to the Metal is my favorite racing game. The hand management is unique in that it requires players to manage their car’s top speed, while simultaneously avoiding overheating their car’s engine and spinning out. One of my favorite thematic touches is the inclusion of a Championship mode where players compete in multiple races across separate tracks to crown a Championship driver.  

While there is no shortage of Star Wars-themed board games, Star Wars: Rebellion epitomizes the original Star Wars trilogy in a board game. In this asymmetric two-player game, one person controls the Empire, while the other plays as the Rebel Alliance. The Empire’s goal is to find and destroy the Rebel base, while the Rebel’s goal is to survive long enough to complete enough objectives to topple the Empire. What’s really fun about this game is recreating iconic Star Wars moments like blowing up the Death Star or freezing Han Solo in carbonite. If you and your friend or partner are Star Wars fans and three to four hours of time on your hands, I can’t recommend Star Wars: Rebellion highly enough.

Speaking of asymmetric two-player games with a legendary theme behind it, War of the Ring set the benchmark for games like Star Wars: Rebellion to follow. This Lord of the Rings-themed game has one player taking on the role of Sauron and the Shadow Armies, while the other player controls Gandalf and the Free Peoples. The Free Peoples’ goal is to protect Frodo on his journey to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom, while Sauron and the Shadow Armies are vying for control of the Free Peoples’ strongholds like Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith. Just like Star Wars: Rebellion is the definitive Star Wars game, War of the Ring is the ultimate Lord of the Rings-themed game.

What’s most impressive about Arkham Horror: The Card Game, is its ability to excellently convey its dark Lovecraftian theme through use of cards alone. This cooperative deck construction game has players taking on the role of investigators in Arkham. While there are standalone scenarios, there are also many campaign expansions with branching decisions and different ways to approach scenarios. The writing in the game is excellent, and the game oozes with theme.

When I originally came up with the idea for this list, there was always one game that stood out from the rest – Hegemony. This political-economic simulation has players taking on the role of social classes: Working Class, Middle Class, Capitalist Class, and the State, each with their own set of goals. What makes this game stand out from the rest of the games on this list is both its unique theme, as well as how excellently intertwined the mechanisms and theme are. Complex real-world challenges such as taxes, immigration, employment, wages, and more are brilliantly distilled down into an equally exciting and thought-provoking game. There isn’t any other game in my collection where such a fascinating theme is better represented.

With that, I’ll wrap my top 10 most thematic games! What are your favorite thematic games and are there any games that I may have missed? Happy gaming!

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