The definitive ranked list of the best superhero board games. The ranking is meant to be games that are great that also happen to revolve around a known superhero and one that does its existence justice. A superhero is pretty simple, it is anyone with higher than a normal human ability who does heroic things. The “super” applies to the level of ability, not necessarily that the heroic feats are on a large scale.
This used to be very black and white, good versus evil. These days, heroes are darker and more three dimensional. Regardless of motive or circumstance, it is characters you know making the world better. These are our top 10 best superhero board games.
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#10 | Hellboy: The Board Game
Hellboy: The Board Game makes the list of the best superhero board games because it is a solid game with a solid hero. You are going to hear this explanation quite a bit here. Hellboy may be a tough SOB, but he sure comes in handy when the world is about to end. The game does his legend justice.
Players face off against some of the comic’s most famous foes. Up to four people take control of iconic BPRD members, such as Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Roger the Homunculus, then explore gothic locations and uncover ancient artifacts. The game features pre-assembled plastic miniatures that accurately capture the look and feel of Mike Mignola’s world famous comic series. For 1 – 4 players, go for around 60 – 90 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Hellboy: The Board Game on Amazon
#09 | Funkoverse DC Strategy Game
Funkoverse DC Strategy Game makes the list of the best superhero games because this is more than just a reskinning. The Funkoverse does a great job of bringing in known characters and centering the game world around them. It makes sense, Funko is one of the most popular creators of licensed products ever. Justice is certainly served here.
In the “funkoverse”, you combine your favorite characters and go head-to-head in four exciting game scenarios using your characters’ unique abilities to gain points and achieve victory. Each turn, you select one of your characters and perform two actions. Each character has access to basic actions like moving and challenges as well as several unique abilities that may be performed only by spending ability tokens. For 2 players, games last 20 – 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Funkoverse DC Strategy Game on Amazon
#08 | Dice Masters
As you can imagine, Marvel and DC are going to own this category, which makes perfect sense. There are some successful licenses (as you will see here) and some not so successful. Dice Masters (in their Marvel/DC efforts) makes the list of the best superhero board games because you choose a squad and go head to head using tons of unique custom dice. There are many different iterations of this, not just one “Dice Masters” game.
In this game, each player fields one of the superhero teams, with each hero — Captain America, Wolverine, etc — being represented by custom-tooled dice; each team must be composed of up to 20 dice, and a player can “purchase” dice only from his team. Each hero also has one or more character reference cards, which show the special abilities for the characters based on the die rolls. For 2 players, games run for approximately 1 hour.
FOR MORE: Buy Dice Masters on Amazon
#07 | Sentinels of the Multiverse
Sentinels of the Multiverse makes the list of the best superhero board games because it is basically a living comic strip. In this cooperative fighting game, a diverse cast of superheroes work together to foil the plans of evil villains. There is lots of story told across the different comic book hero games but there is plenty here and one great and unique experience.
Each player, after selecting one of the heroes, plays a deck of 40 cards against the villain and environment decks, which “play themselves”, requiring the players to put the top card of the appropriate deck into play on the villain and environment turns. On each player’s turn, they may play a card from their hand, use a power printed on one of their cards in play, and draw a card from their deck. For 2 – 5 players, games last 30 – 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Sentinels of the Multiverse on Amazon
#06 | Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter Game
Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter Game makes the list of the best superhero board games because it is more than just a skin of the fantastic and beloved Love Letter. Gameplay has slight tweaks that change the game and play into the theme perfectly. This game is one of the best in the communication meets strategy space and how they have adapted it to the Marvel universe is great.
The game features the elegant mechanics of the original Love Letter, re-imagined in a one-vs-many twist for thrilling team play. While one player takes on the role of Thanos on a crusade to change the universe as we know it, the other players must deploy iconic heroes to defeat him before he can achieve his aims. Throughout the game, players take turns drawing a card and playing a card, then executing its effect. For 2 – 6 players, games go for about 15 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Infinity Gauntlet: A Love Letter Game on Amazon
#05 | Batman: Gotham City Chronicles
Batman: Gotham City Chronicles makes the list of the best superhero board games because if you are looking for Batman action, this is one wonderful choice. Structured as a dungeon crawler, the game lets you take on the underworld one criminal at a time, getting better, stronger, and closer to saving Gotham City.
In this game, one villain faces off against a team of heroes across multiple scenarios. You have your own character, which you spend energy to control. Things such as ranged or melee attacks or defuse bombs, but you only recover so much so use wisely. Conflicts take place in iconic Gotham City with all is various levels of crime and corruption. For 2 – 4 players, games last 60 – 90 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Batman: Gotham City Chronicles on Amazon
#04 | Conan
Conan makes the list of the best superhero board games because it takes a fantastic universe of heroes and puts them into a physical combat showdown with plenty of twists, turns and homage to the series of stories it was based on. Play as your favorites and gather your crew to defeat the other side in a very action-packed game.
One player is the Overlord, playing the opposition forces, and the other players play as Conan and his companions: Shevatas the thief, Hadrathus the Priest/Sorcerer, Belit the pirate queen, Valeria the warrior, etc. Each game is scenario played on one of the four maps. At the beginning of each game players and the overload pick their crews and go head to head in large, traditional miniatures war games fashion. For 2 – 5 players, games will run approximately 90 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Conan on Amazon
#03 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past
The list of the best superhero board games would not be complete without the Teenage Mutant Turtles so thank goodness there is a wonderful title that does it justice. In a very fitting move, your crew of turtles embarks on an epic dungeon crawler game where they are taking to the sewers to take out the enemies from the generic masses to the big boss few. Great gameplay and theme is enhanced by the quality and cool components.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past, you battle your way through a series of missions that develop your strengths, fighting styles, and equipment along the way to create a lasting story arc. This all takes place in the iconic Turtles world with appearances from fan-favorites like Casey Jones, Alopex, Beebop and Rocksteady. For 2 – 5 players, games go for 60 – 90 minutes.
FOR MORE: Buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past on Amazon
#02 | Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building game makes the list of the best superhero movies because it brings together all your favorites in a manner that is fitting for the blockbuster action franchise. There are many different Legendary versions (Aliens, for example, is fantastic) but this is tailored just for this specific brand of storytelling and excitement. It is a great use of a deck building base.
Players choose a mastermind villain (Magneto, Loki, Dr. Doom, etc.), stack that particular villain’s attack cards underneath it, then modify the villain deck as needed based on that villain’s particular scheme. Everyone then chooses a number of hero decks – Spider-Man, Hulk, etc. – and shuffle them together to create a unique game showdown. Over the course of the game, players will recruit powerful hero cards to add to their deck in order to build a stronger and more resourceful deck. For 1 – 5 players, games go about 30 – 60
FOR MORE: Buy Legendary A Marvel Deck Building Game on Amazon
#01 | Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Marvel Champions: The Card Game takes the top spot on the list of the best superhero board games because it just might be the most well oiled and perfect board game machine to come out of the Marvel universe. Sorry, not sorry. The theme, the gameplay, the accessibility, the variance; it is all just such a good experience. Easily one of the most popular board games (not just superhero) of all time with audiences of all ages and intensity levels.
This epic card game throws you into the Marvel Universe where many options for good and the ability to take on the many options that are bad. Deep benches of superheroes and supervillains with different abilities and tactics lead to hours of fun. Your hand consists of characters or actions to take, but you also need to use your hand to pay for those cards. You have to make tough choices and work closely with your peers in this cooperative game to survive. For 1 – 4 players, games go for 45 – 90 minutes.
