Although digital gaming has taken a leap, travel board games are still one of the best modes of entertainment for people. They offer many benefits, including enhancing memory, problem solving skills and strategic thinking. They have also played a role in strengthening social modes among people.
However, carrying these board games has been a chore for people, like extra luggage inside their bags, which is why, with the evolution of technology, we can now see the digital adaptation of these games. They are available on every mobile device, tablet or laptop, with the feature of online rooms.
These new forms of gaming are on the rise and we can see almost all the traditional board games in an online digital form to carry on with entertainment and suit the changing technology. Let us take a deeper look to learn more:
Top 10 Travel Board Games in 2024
The top 10 travel board games, now also digitally available along with the Play Store and App Store links, are listed below:
| Name of the game | Game Company | Play Store | App Store |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snakes & Ladders | Gametion global | Snakes and Ladders, King | Snakes and Ladders, King |
| Ludo King | Gametion Global | Ludo King | Ludo King |
| Patchwork | Twin Sales Interactive | Patchwork | Patchwork |
| Qwirkle | Mindware | – | Qwirkle |
| Tokaido | Funforge Digital | Tokaido | Tokaido |
| Catan Traveler | USM | Catan UniverseCatan Classic | Catan Universe |
| Sagrada | Dire Wolf Digital | Sagrada | Sagrada |
| Jax Sequence Travel | Fox_Games | Sequence Card Game : Jacks | – |
| Sushi Go! | Lummox Labs Inc | – | SushiGO! |
| Forbidden Island | Button Mash Games, Inc. | – | Forbiddenisland |
1. Snakes & Ladder
The traditional board game Snakes and Ladders (Saanp Seedhi) can be played on your phone. It’s just like the board game where you roll dice, move your piece, and try to get to the end first. You can climb up ladders or slide down snakes. It’s fun and easy, and you can play with friends or by yourself.
Gameplay
Here, the players roll dice to move their piece on a board with 100 squares. If they land at the bottom of a ladder, they climb up to the top of it. But if they land on a snake’s head, they slide down to its tail. The first one to reach the last square, number 100, wins. It’s a simple, fun game that you can play with others or alone on your phone.
Digital Adaptation
It is a very common game and can be found with many variants on the app store and play store. One of the popular variants of this board game was developed by Gametion under the name Snakes & Ladders King and can be found in both the App Store and Play Store.
2. Ludo King
Ludo is a strategy board game of four. It is where they place their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single die. It is derived from an Indian game called Pachisi. The game has its own variations and is popular in many countries around the world.
Gameplay
Players roll a die to move their tokens around the board. A six is needed to start, and rolling it allows a token to enter the game or move six spaces.
A token’s move depends on the die roll, and landing on an opponent’s token cuts it and sends it back to the start. Same-colored tokens can form a block and prevent other opponents from passing.
Rolling a six offers an extra turn, but three in a row loses the turn. The safe zone is home, where tokens can’t be bitten. The aim is to get all tokens to the finish line, with the exact rolls that are needed to complete the journey.
Digital Adaptation
Digital Ludo takes the classic game online, offering multiplayer options and exciting features like faster game modes, cool visuals, and even in-game chat, making it a more social and engaging way to enjoy the strategy and fun of Ludo. Ludi Bheem and Ludo King are some of the popular digital adaptations of Ludo.
3. Qwirkle
Qwirkle is a fun game where you match tiles with different shapes and colors. It’s for 2 to 4 people and was made by Susan McKinley Ross. It’s a bit like Rummikub and Scrabble. In Canada, Outset Media sells it. MindWare, the company that makes it, says it’s their game that has won the most awards.
It even won the big game prize, Spiel des Jahres, in 2011. They also made a follow-up game called Qwirkle Cubes in 2009. It’s all about making lines of tiles that either have the same shape or color to score points. In the end, the player with the most points wins.
Gameplay
In qwirkle, the player lays down tiles and scores by building rows or columns with matching colors or shapes. The player draws tiles and tries to create them by scoring lines. The player gets a bonus for using all their tiles. f you use up all your tiles or make a line with six different tiles, you get a bonus (that’s a Qwirkle!).
The strategy is to place your tiles wisely, block your opponents, and swap tiles if you can’t make a move. The aim is to have the most points when there are no more tiles left to draw. It’s a mix of luck and smart planning.
Digital Adaptation
The digital adaptation of Qwirkle is available on the App Store, allowing you to play this award-winning board game on your iPad and iPhone. It features several modes, including Solo, Online, and Pass and Play for up to 4 players, and offers four levels of difficulty.
You can customize your experience with different backgrounds and tile colors, and enjoy exciting animations and playful music. The app also includes achievements and leaderboards through Game Center, making it a thoroughly engaging way to experience Qwirkle digitally.
Read Also:- Top 10 Traditional Games of Punjab
4. Tokaido
Tokaido is a digital board game that captures the beauty of ancient Japan. Players take on the role of travellers as they explore the East Road to collect unique souvenirs, savor local dishes and encounter fellow wanderers.
Gameplay
I It challenges players to make the most of their travel while enjoying the beautiful scenery and cultural experiences. Available on various digital platforms, Tokaido offers a peaceful yet competitive adventure, perfect for those who appreciate a mix of thoughtful gameplay and stunning aesthetics.
Digital Adaptation
A digital adaptation faithfully replicates the original gameplay, featuring stunning 3D visuals, a calming soundtrack, and solo or multiplayer options for online and local play.
5. Catan Traveler
Catan Traveler is a traver friendly version of the classic board game Catan. It has a core game play that offers a compact and secure setup for on-the-go play.
The goal of a Catan player is to be the first player to make a set number of victories (minimum of 10) by building settlements, cities and roads on Catan Island.
The game contains a portable case with all the pieces of the game board. It is made up of hexagonal tiles different from those in resource producing regions. Each player starts with two settlements and two roads.
Gameplay
Players roll dice to gather resources, which they use to build roads and settlements or upgrade cities. The game’s travel-friendly design includes a compact case and a dice shaker, ensuring no pieces or dice are lost on the move.
Strategic thinking in placement and resource use, along with development cards, can turn the tide in this portable version of Catan. It offers the full experience in a convenient and travel-ready format.
Digital Adaptation
There is a specific digital version named ‘Catan Traveler’, the classic Ctan experience is available digitally as ‘Catan Universe’. CATAN Universe is a digital platform where you can play the Catan board game and its card game version, Rivals for CATAN, with other versions on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Plus, there’s CATAN VR, which takes the game into virtual reality, so you can feel like you’re actually sitting at a table, building roads and cities in the world of Catan.
Both of these digital options give you all the fun of Catan without the need for physical pieces, making it super convenient to play whether you’re traveling or just chilling at home.
6. Sagrada
The Sagrada board game combines strategy and aesthetics. It is inspired by the stained glass of the Sagrada Familia Basilica. In this game, the players draft dice representing glass pieces to create patterns on their window board according to the color and number placement rules.
Proper strategic use of tools and careful planning are key to scoring points and creating the most beautiful window. It is a game that is both visually appealing and mentally stimulating.
Gameplay
You roll dice to pick colorful ‘glass’ pieces and place them on your board to make a pretty window. Each spot on the board has rules for what dice you can put there. You get points for making cool patterns and matching colors.
There are also special cards that let you break the rules sometimes. The player who makes the best window wins.
Digital Adaptation
The digital version of Sagrada takes the fun of the board game and puts it on your computer or tablet. Made by Dire Wolf Digital, you get to pick colorful dice and use them to make cool stained-glass window designs on your screen.
The game keeps all the original rules about where you can place your dice, and you also get special tools to help you out. You can play by yourself or with others online, making it super easy to enjoy the game whether you’re at home or on the go. ️
7. Jax Sequence Travel
Jax Sequence is a travel-friendly version of the classic sequence game. In this board game, players play with cards and place pegs on a board to form a sequence of four in a row.
The compact design makes it ideal for travel and gameplay mixes strategy with luck as players must block their opponents. They use Jacks as wild cards in this simple yet strategic game, its quick to set up and play, and it’s perfect for entertainment on the move.
Gameplay
In the game you use cards to put pegs on a board and try to make a row of four. You can block others or use Jacks to help you out. There’s no “Sequence” game app, but the travel version is small and easy to bring along, so you can play the card strategy game wherever you go.
Digital Adaptation
Jax Sequence Travel, doesn’t have a sequence game online to play on your phone or computer. However, there are plenty of games where you use cards and strategy to win.
Read Also:- Top 10 Games Like Candy Crush
8. Sushi Go
Sushi Go! is a card game that simulates the experience of eating at a sushi bar. The goal of the game is to score the most points by collecting sets of sushi dishes as cards are passed around the table.
The game needs players to think about what cards to keep for themselves, which ones to pass on to the next player and when to play power Up cards to increase their points.
Gameplay
Sushi Go! is a game suitable for 2 to 5 players and includes a bunch of 108 cards, with pictures of Sushi Dish. It is played in three quick rounds. In the game, the players select cards that have pictures of sushi dishes to place on their plates. Each sushi type has its own point value, and you can earn extra points with the special ones.
Digital Adaptation
The digital “Sushi Go!” game is like having a sushi bar on your computer or phone. You pick virtual sushi cards, try to get the best set, and score points.
It’s easy to play and has been around since 2016. You can find it on gaming websites like Kotaku. If you want to play online, check out BoardGameGeek for more information. It’s a fun way to enjoy “Sushi Go!” without the cards.
9. Forbidden Island
Fobidden Island is a cooperative travel board game where players work together to recover four treasures from a sinking island. The goal is to collect four main treasures, including the earth stone, the crystal of fire, the statue of the wind and the ocean chalice.
Gameplay
The players take on the role of different adventurers, each with unique abilities. The island is represented by tiles that are randomly placed to form the island layout. Players can move around the island, sharing resources and gathering treasures.
After collecting all the treasures, they must reach the helicopter pad to escape before the island completely sinks. The players who achieve this final step of the game win.
Digital Adaptation
The digital version of “Forbidden Island” is an app where you play on a tablet instead of a board. You still pick a unique adventurer and play on a map made of tiles. Your mission is to grab four treasures and get to the helicopter pad to win.
But if the island sinks too much, or if someone gets stuck, it’s game over. It’s all about teamwork and quick thinking, and you can play it anywhere.
10. Patchwork
“Patchwork” is a fun game designed by Uwe Rosenberg where you make a quilt out of different shaped pieces. You pick these pieces from a pile and use buttons to buy them. The pieces are all sorts of shapes, like in the game Tetris, and you have to fit them together on your board to make a complete quilt.
Gameplay
In Patchwork, you and another player take turns picking cloth pieces to sew into a quilt. Each piece costs buttons, and you place them on your board to fill it up. The game ends when both players reach the end of the time track. Whoever has the most buttons and the best quilt wins. It’s like a cozy race to make the coolest blanket.
Digital Adaptation
The digital version of “Patchwork” lets you play the quilt-making game on your phone or computer. You still take turns choosing patches and spending buttons to buy them. You try to fill up your board and get points for a nice quilt. The game ends when the time runs out. If you have the most buttons and the best quilt, you win the game.