The 15 Best Movies Based on Board Games, Ranked

Inarguably one of the best movies about board games ever created, Clue is a masterpiece that manages to simultaneously honor the source material while keeping things feeling fresh and fun. This classic murder mystery tale elevates board game movies to new heights with a phenomenal cast of characters, a fun and frantic environment, and a mystery that will keep audiences' heads turning from start to finish. Comedic, fun, adventurous, and spooky, the Clue board game-based movie is a shining example of what this lovely little sub-genre can do when everything is clicking.

Audiences' favorite nostalgic blast from the past, Jumaji is a movie based on a board game that managed not only to live up to expectations but surpass them in the most wonderful ways. Elements of the board game come to life beautifully with dice rolls and turn weaved right into the DNA of the story, but Jumanji manages to do something that very few movies about board games actually do, and that makes audiences feel as though they are right there in the action, playing along with everyone on screen.

Arguably the best Jumanji board game movie, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a shining example of how to honor the source material, while still keeping the story fresh, fun, and exciting. While the overall board game vibe of the film may be swapped out with more video game undertones, there is no doubting where the film came from, as subtle nods to the original film and subsequent board game are mentioned in waves. A fun and jaw-dropping adventure film with a true blue game-like quality, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is one of the rare nearly perfect movies based on board games.

A follow-up to the breakout hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level may not have quite lived up to its predecessor's incredible expectations, but it is still a wacky and fun time that the entire family can enjoy. A continuation of the board game movie parody and homage that was present in its predecessor, The Next Level offers up double the laughs and action but does lack in originality. For fans who simply want to see these incredible characters back together again for a fun romp through the desert, however, this film gives them everything they want and more.

For decades, Dungeons & Dragons has been one of the most revered, acclaimed, and beloved tabletop board games ever created, and fans finally have a masterful adventure they can watch on the big screen. With the potential to be one of the best movies about board games ever made, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves offers up fans of the franchise, both new and old, a rip-roaring adventure full of laughs, heart, and pulse-pounding action.

While the board game version of Battleship is all about cunning, strategy, and precise movements, the board game movie adaptation is quite the opposite, swapping out stealth and cunning for full-blown blockbuster action and adventure. Utter ridiculous from start to finish, the film sets out to achieve all the wacky and weird action it possibly can, and to its credit, it more that delivers a jaw-dropping time worthy of its over two-hour runtime. It is incredibly clear that everyone involved is having a blast, and audiences will too when they see the villain's battleship sink to the bottom of the ocean.

A jaw-dropping improvement over its predecessor, Ouija: Origin of Evil is inarguably the best horror movie based on a board game of all time. Using its titular game as a crux to cause all manner of terror and mayhem that will shock, appall, and delight fans. Typically, horror movie board games don't deliver the punch that many fans know they have the potential to, but Ouija: Origin of Evil is a superb exception to the rule that is a must-watch for both horror and board game fans alike.

Candy Land is one of the most beloved and adored children's board games ever created, and in 2005, a movie based on the board game got children's imaginations running wild with flights of fantasy. Naturally, this film isn't going to win any awards or set the cinematic world on fire, but Candy Land: The Great Lollipop Adventure is a fun and whimsical film for children that will help spice up the next family game night with stories and memories of the wild adventure depicted in this movie based on a board game.

A spin-off of the 2000s fantasy epic Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God is an incredibly faithful and intriguing adaptation of its source material that manages to be one of the best D&D adaptations of all time. This straight-to-DVD epic doesn't have the pristine shine that many mainstream Hollywood movies have, which in turn actually helps it feel more like a random Dungeons & Dragons campaign that friends would throw together and actually play. While it is by no stretch the best board game-based movie ever made, it is one that will make fans of the source material very happy and ready to go off on another adventure.

The first-ever live-action adaptation of the critically acclaimed tabletop board game Dungeons & Dragons may not have lived up to many die-hard fans' expectations, however, the film was a wild and wacky adventure in the vein of the board game it was based on that could easily have been a campaign written by any aspiring Dungeon Master. A film that keeps the fun and fantasy elements thriving in a 2000s fantasy film, Dungeons & Dragons is a cheesy and uberly fun B movie that will entertain fans of old and introduce newcomers to the franchise.

The first mainstream movie based around a Ouija board was aptly titled Ouija, andit was everything that made the early 2010s paranormal horror a hit. Showcasing a laundry list of jump scares and cool and hype characters that get brutally taken out, in PG-13 fashion, of course, the film is a very easy film to watch and a great gateway to showcase the board game it was based on. While it might not be the scariest horror movie ever made, it is still a frighteningly good time and one of the best horror movie board game movies.

Continuing the tradition of trying to make Dungeons & Dragons a mainstream movement in cinema, Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness is a brief and exciting campaign that is designed to get audiences prepped for their next campaign. With some fairly impressive performances and effects, The Book of Vile Darkness is plainly put a fantastic action movie that, if viewers simply turn their brains off and enjoy it for what it is, will offer an incredibly fun time.

Like so many classic “Ouija” horror movies, The Ouija Experiment is based on the true events of a group of friends who fall victim to the titular horror board game that ramps up the paranoia and terror with each passing second. An incredibly campy and cheaply made film, The Ouija Experiment is a straight-to-DVD film filled to the brim with jump scares and cheesy effects that is the perfect film for anyone die-hard horror fan to watch and get a good chuckle and a few spooky moments with.

The best horror movie board games almost always feature the Ouija Board in one way or another, and The Ouija Exorcism manages to mix tropes and trends of Ouija movies and exorcism movies to create a cataclysmic event of carnage and destruction. Showcasing numerous possessions and getting tons of use out of its titular board game, the movie is best viewed as a fun, if not cheap and lackluster time to fill the night with some spooky imagery and creepy times.

A follow-up to The Ouija Experiment, The Ouija Experiment 2: Theatre of Death continues the horror board game movie trend by showcasing the Ouija Board in all its terrifying glory in a B-movie that doesn't take itself too seriously and offers up a good time for fans of horror and camp. Showcasing the titular Ouija board game to perfection, while the film will not top anyone's list of best movies ever made, it is a fun and frightful little indie film that is great to have on in the background of a spooky party.