If you ask your parents, one of their main entertainment activities during rainy weekends or cold winter days was playing board games. He may have also joined them as they tried to carry on the family tradition. But now there is an even more exciting way to enjoy these games. VR table games are now the best option for those days when going out to have fun is not an option.

Why are developers working on virtual reality board games?

With all the first-person shooters, dystopia, world-building, and esports titles, why do VR content companies consider board games worth it? The answer is because they are fun and involve multiple players. In addition, they unite generations, allowing grandparents, parents and children to have fun together.

Nobody ever gets tired of board games, especially those that involve strategy and collaboration between teams to win. There are also timeless classic games like chess that are now getting the virtual reality treatment and will definitely keep the new generations interested in learning the rules and developing their skills.

The best virtual reality board games you can play right now

After the introduction, let’s get down to business. These are the virtual reality board games you can play with your friends and family right now:

1.VR Chess Club

Chess is probably the oldest board game in the world. Historians traced its roots back to 6th century India. Like the modern version of chess, its predecessor, chaturanga, required an 8×8 grid to play, and the game pieces resembled those used today.

In the modern era, chess became a competitive sport, with tournaments followed by fans and hefty prizes for the winners. The best chess players, like the late Bobby Fischer, are on par with the best athletes and baseball players in terms of fame.

That’s why it’s no surprise that chess is one of the VR board games on our list. Developed for Meta Quest, Chess Club supports hand tracking and touch controllers. As for the environments, you can choose between a classic hall of the Grand Palace and Stonehenge.

2. VR Checkers

Checkers is another very popular board game. It can be played on a chessboard and features round, flat black and white pieces. Each player aims to capture the opponent’s pieces, until only their own remains on the board. Since many chess players are also familiar with checkers, this is our second recommendation for VR board games.

Checkers VR takes you back to the Wild West. Your character walks into an old-fashioned tavern, dressed as a typical cowboy, and sits down at a table to play with a friend. The atmosphere is rustic and relaxed, encouraging you to focus and play your best game. It is available in Meta Quest 2, Meta Rift, SteamVR, and Pico.

3. Tsuro – the Road Game

Now let’s move on to the exotic side of VR tabletop gaming. Tsuro is an Asian board game, which consists of creating paths with your stone, using various tiles. Your opponents can foil your stone, put it the wrong way, or even send it off the table.

In virtual reality, the game takes place in a beautiful and relaxing temple garden. The developers paid special attention to visuals, creating a serene world where you will enjoy every second. The game is available on Meta Quest and Steam, and supports touch controllers and hand tracking.

4. Catan VR

Catan, one of the most popular board games, is a multiplayer board game for 2 to 4 people who have to build settlements, roads, and towns on the island of Catan, acquiring, trading, and using the available resources carefully.

As the last of the VR board games on our currently available list, we want to focus on beautiful visuals. Each player can choose their own avatar skin to represent them in the game, from cat and dog to fox, wizard and viking. Also, you can play alone against personalities from Catan or against other players online that you don’t know personally.

Catan VR is available for Meta Quest, Rift, Go, Samsung Gear VR, Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Microsoft Mixed Reality.

5. Work in progress: All aboard! virtual reality platform

All aboard! The VR platform promises to bring at least a dozen VR tabletop games to Meta Quest and SteamVR compatible devices. The team has partnered with some of the most popular board game creators to bring their board games to VR, including Black Rose Wars, Escape the Dark Castle, Sword & Sorcery, and Steamwatchers, along with eight more games to be released. Available on launch day. .

All aboard! is currently in the crowdfunding phase on Kickstarter until August 11. However, it seems that it has already exceeded the amount of funding needed, so we hope that it will become a reality as soon as possible, along with other virtual reality tabletop games.