Ever heard someone talk about a board game theme and wonder what that is exactly? It can get a little confusing, but I’m going to explain just what a board game theme is. So, let’s get to answering what is a board game theme!
A board game theme is what the game is all about, what it makes you feel like you’re doing. It’s a lived-in experience. For example, in Clue the theme is you’re an investigator trying to solve a murder mystery.
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What Is A Board Game Theme?
Defining what a board game theme is can be tough. In part, that’s because it’s a term that gets used often but is not defined that often. That might also be because it is so hard to define, haha.
So, what is a board game theme? Well, let’s start with some examples first:
- Clue‘s theme is that you and the other players are investigators trying to solve a murder mystery.
- Tokaido‘s theme is that you and the other players are travelers trying to get the most out of traveling the Tokaido Road.
- Colt Express‘s theme is that you and the other players are bandits trying to steal from a train.
So, in short, a theme is what the game is trying to make you feel, the experience it’s trying to immerse you in. The better the theme is integrated with the mechanics and components of the game, the more you’ll feel like you’re actually there doing what it’s telling you you’re doing.
The reverse is also true.
Why Is A Theme Important For A Board Game?
Themes are important to board games because they elevate board games beyond just rules and mechanics. So, with that in mind, imagine what a Star Wars game would be without the Star Wars theme. Now imagine what a war game would be without the war theme.
In truth, all board games need to be playable and are solid mechanics. Things like playing cards, rolling dice, moving pieces around, using special powers, and so on. But that’s only one part of what makes board games what they are.
Board games are like movies, video games, comic books, books, art, and music in a way. Board games with solid themes that are integrated well with the mechanics transport you to another world, and really make you feel like you’re doing whatever it is the board game is telling you you’re doing. You can get lost in them.
That’s another part of what makes board games so special. They can literally give you the opportunity to experience some awesome, cool, crazy things.
What Is A Pasted-On Theme?
If you ever hear the term, “pasted-on theme” or hear someone say a theme is “pasted on” that just means the mechanics and the theme aren’t well integrated. That doesn’t mean the game is bad, it just means that you could replace the theme with another one and the game doesn’t really change.
A good example of this is Small World. Small World is a great classic game, but you could take the fantasy theme and replace it with sci-fi, the Wild West, or something else entirely. The game would largely feel the same.
Does Every Board Game Need A Theme?
Look at games like Uno. What’s Uno’s theme? There isn’t one!
And yet, even in spite of that, Uno was and still is wildly popular today. Sometimes all a game needs are good mechanics and a wide audience to be a good and successful game.
What about One Night Ultimate Werewolf? There are so many themes you could use there. All you would need is two teams of opposing forces and you’re good to go (just look at the variant editions featuring the resistance, vampires, aliens, superheroes, and super villains).
Even with that in mind, One Night Ultimate Werewol is an amazing and fun game. Plus, even though the theme could be replaced and has been replaced by lots of other themes, that doesn’t mean the werewolf theme is bad. In fact, even if it is pasted on, I’d still say it does add something to the game that other themes don’t.
In short, not every game needs a theme and sometimes it doesn’t matter how well the theme is integrated with the mechanics. Sometimes it’s just about sitting down and playing a game with friends and family.
What Are Some Examples Of Board Game Themes?
This list is almost endless, but I’ll put what we have as our list right now:
- Abstract
- Ancient civilization
- Animals
- Anime
- Archaeology
- Art
- City building
- Civilization
- Colonial
- Comics
- Construction
- Crime
- Detectives
- Dinosaurs
- Dreams
- Environmental
- Exploration
- Factories
- Fantasy
- Firefighters
- Food
- Gambling
- Ghosts
- Gothic
- Heist
- Historical
- Horror
- Hunting
- Intellectual property
- Mafia/gangsters
- Martial arts
- Medical
- Medieval
- Movie/TV Show
- Mystery
- Mythological
- Nautical
- Noir
- Other
- Pirates
- Plants
- Police
- Political
- Post-apocalyptic
- Prehistoric
- Racing
- Religious
- Robots
- Sci-fi
- Science
- Slice of life
- Space
- Spies/secret agents
- Sports
- Superheroes
- Supernatural
- The Wild West
- Time travel
- Trading
- Traveling
- Victorian
- Video games
- Vikings
- War
- Workplace
- Zombies
- Zoos
Are these all the themes ever? No! There are tons more, and I’m sure we’ll be adding to this list as we go along.
That’s one of the great things about themes: there are so many of them and they add a lot of variety to board games!
How Do I Know If A Board Game Theme Is Good?
Firstly, do you like the theme? Secondly, does the game feel like it would change in some way without it? Thirdly, does it elevate the game in some way?
Still, even with these questions in mind, I would worry less about the game’s theme and focus more on do you think you’ll have a good time with the game. If the answer is yes, it doesn’t really matter how well the theme is integrated into the game.
Did You Know?
(Each time you refresh the page you will get a new “Did You Know” fact!)
Did you know the original version of Clue was called Cluedo? That version is still published today in many countries around the world. It’s still just as popular if not more so than Clue.
Conclusion: What Is A Board Game Theme?
So, there you have it. That’s what a board game theme is. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, I think so too.
Anyway, what are some board game themes you like or want to try out? Let us know what they are and why in the comments below!
And, as always, keep on gaming, you maniacs.
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