par Eric Price
The Best Anime Board Games to Play With Friends
It’s no secret that board games are a great way to bring people together.
You’ve probably been doing it since you were a kid — you and your friends crowd around a table, pressed shoulder-to-shoulder as you discuss various strategies and laugh over the mistakes you make on the way to victory.
But nowadays, there are so many types of board games out there that it can be difficult to know which one to choose…
So keep reading to learn about your board gaming options!
Types of Board Games
Tabletop Games
Tabletop games are exactly what they sound like: games that you play on a table, usually with a group of people. Most tabletop games include physical components such as a playing board, cards, and dice.
These types of games can be played face-to-face or, and don’t require any electronics or technology, so they’re easy to set up and play pretty much anywhere with a flat surface available.
Additionally, many tabletop games are also available online. This makes them a perfect option for game enthusiasts who want to play with friends and family who may not live close by.
Digital Board Games
These games are digital equivalents of physical board games.
Unlike regular board games, which are typically played on physical boards with physical components like cards or dice, digital tabletop games are played on computers or tablets.
One of the great things about digital games is that they allow you to play with several people at once, all from remote locations. You can have someone playing from their computer at work (yes, we see you!) and another person playing from their home gaming room across the world — all you need is an internet connection and some free time!
Deck Building Games
In deck-building games, each player starts with a small deck of starter cards, adding new ones to their hand as they progress through the game. With each turn, players pull cards from a central pool, building their decks around certain characters and themes. The ultimate goal is to create the strongest deck, and to use that deck to gain advantages over other players in the game.
These kinds of games usually have multiple players competing against each other, but they’re also great for playing just one-on-one, because they’re fairly easy to learn and fast-paced enough that you don’t have to worry about getting bored as you wait for your turn.
Many deck-building games put you in the role of an adventurer, enabling you to use the power of your creativity to explore vast worlds of magical kingdoms and slay monsters. So if you’re an imaginative thinker who’s looking for something with a bit more depth than traditional tabletop games, deck-building games are a great option for you!
Popular Anime Board Games
If you like gaming, you’ll probably enjoy the world of anime board games.
Anime is a Japanese animation style, known for its unique character designs, detailed costumes, and action-packed storylines.
With games like Dragon Ball Z, Tokyo Ghoul, and Sailor Moon Crystal featuring characters from popular anime series, anime is a huge part of the gaming industry, to say the least.
Now, you can immerse yourself further into the vast world of gaming by playing anime-themed board games.
Anime-themed board games bring the passion of anime directly to you through a fun and unique experience that allows you to delve deep into the worlds that you know and love — or explore brand new ones.
If you’re looking for something that you can play with friends, here are four great anime board games that will get your heart racing as soon as you start playing them!
Heart of Crown
Heart of Crown is a deck-building game designed for 2-4 players. The premise of the game is simple: you are an influential figure in an empire rife with conflict, and must quickly lay claim to the throne to unify and bring peace to the continent.
The task itself, however, is no easy feat. You must nominate a princess for the title, amass support from the community, clash with rival candidates, and rely on your skills to get your princess her rightful place on the throne.
Each player begins with the same deck of cards. You strengthen your personal deck by incorporating and playing cards according to your own unique strategy. Throughout the game, players take turns to gain Succession Points. These points represent the support of your subjects and other powerful figures in the empire. The first player to obtain 20 Succession Points wins the game!
No table, no problem! Play Heart of Crown on your computer — available for purchase on Steam!
Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade
The best anime board games will often give you the opportunity to play as your favorite characters. While you can watch the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop and see Spike Spiegel in his element, it’s a whole other experience to play alongside him as you hunt criminals across the solar system in Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade.
As a player in this deck-building game, you take on the role of a crew member of the infamous spaceship Bebop, travelling from planet to planet as you bring down criminals from all across the galaxy.
Each round, players add to their deck by obtaining new abilities and characters. These cards let you fuel your spaceship and travel between planets to capture wanted outlaws and earn rewards. Rewards for these bounties earn you points of Renown, until the final confrontation with your most dangerous foe, Vicious.
The player with the most Renown at the end of the game will win and prove to their fellow crew members that they are the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.
Tanto Cuore
Tanto Cuore is another competitive 2-4 player deck-building game that you’ll want to check out!
As a player, you act as the Lord of a mansion and hire maids to fill your house, trying to become the best Master of the House around.
The goal of the game is to acquire the most Victory Points, by employing a range of maid cards that give you different strategies when you play them together. With every turn, you can hire more unique and skillful maids, and use their powers.
But watch out for your opponents — they can make your maids sick or give them bad habits, which will lower your Victory Points in the long run!
Want to play Tanto Cuore with your friends around the world? You can purchase it on Steam!
Anime 5E
If you’re already a hardcore anime fan, then Anime 5E is the game for you.
This 2-5 person fantasy roleplaying game is set in the vast world of anime and manga. With the endless capabilities of your imagination, you can explore dungeon depths, tame dragons, and discover paths that take you to entirely new realms.
Anime 5E is just the beginning of your journey — and the captivating elements found in anime and manga will bring your biggest fantasy adventures to life.
So hold on tight!
Closing Considerations
Board games are a fantastic way to spend time with friends, family, and loved ones. There’s something about friendly competition that transcends the barriers between people and brings them closer together, regardless of where they are in the world.
Whether you want to create the magic of your favorite anime, or you just want to find an exciting board game to play with others, look no further than the ones on this list!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Japanime Games Brings Japan To You
For over a decade Japanime Games has been dedicated to bringing you the finest games from Japan and beyond! We're committed to uniting the wonderful world of anime with the classic comfort of tabletop games — a fusion that brings the best of Japanese culture right to your table.
Become a Japanimaniac to get behind-the-scenes details on all our ongoing projects, our upcoming releases, access to our private discord channels, a monthly gift card for 10% off all purchases, free shipping over $50, one-of-a-kind variant covers, promo packs, and much more!
Did you enjoy this article? Good news - it was just Act 1.
For more tabletop wisdom, roll a D6:
1-2: Japanime Games, Crunchyroll & ZU Studios Partner on ZU Tiles and Fruits Basket
3-4: The Domina Anthology 2: Now on Kickstarter!
5-6: Japanime Games & Farside Games Partner on Epic Seven Arise
