Board Review: Tabletop Video Games With Physical Pieces

The Core Story

This innovative mashup of digital and physical gaming worlds is a tabletop tablet designed to get family and friends playing together in the same room. It’s a fresh take on gaming that ships with a diverse lineup of games featuring cute physical pieces you slide around on the touchscreen. We’ve had some fun with it over the past few weeks, but is there enough here to justify the shocking $700 price once the novelty wears off? Board features a 24-inch touchscreen display, but it’s not just a giant tablet; there’s a gently curved, removable magnetic frame with a wood-effect finish and fairly powerful built-in speakers beneath. This is a big, heavy device designed to sit on a dining table or maybe a large coffee table. It has to be plugged into the wall, and the cable isn’t very long, which creates an unfortunate tripping hazard. (One of my teens immediately tripped over the cable when we played at the dining room table.) Each game comes with its own set of physical plastic pieces in labeled ziplock bags. The range is impressive, including simple arcade shooters, cerebral strategy, frantic co-op action, and platform puzzlers. While the tabletop form and physical game components are reminiscent of board games, the titles you play on the touchscreen feel very much like video games. Board comes with 12 free games. The makers promise at least 10 more in 2026, but you’ll have to buy the new titles.

The biggest hit in my household by far was Chop Chop, a take on one of our favorite couch co-op games, Overcooked. Working in a digital restaurant using tiny physical cleavers, sponges, and spoons to deliver orders to hungry customers was a blast, though, just like its inspiration, a harmonious kitchen takes planning and agreement. This game can cause arguments when folks go for the same tool and task. My kids also enjoyed Save the Bloogs, an obviously Lemmings-inspired platformer, where you use the pieces as ladders, bridges, and canons to guide the cute wee Bloogs away from impending death. Board Arcade is the only one that reuses pieces, with spaceships and robots adding physical controls to versions of classics like Snake and Asteroids. Most of the games are marked as age 6 and up, and I’d expect young kids to love this. The dull digital pet Mushka is clearly aimed at wee ones. Sadly, a couple of the more interesting titles, international mystery Spycraft and strategy face-off Thrasos, are still marked as “coming soon.” The Tetris and Chess-inspired Strata is a bit more challenging and makes for a fun two- to six-player battle for territory. I also quite liked the sushi-themed Omakase, a head-to-head battle to build the best bento boxes. The quality and depth of the launch titles vary, but they feel more like examples of what you could do with the tech than must-have games. It’s telling that the best of the bunch are clones.

It will be interesting to see what third-party developers might come up with. While I applaud the lack of a subscription, it’s not yet clear how much the 10 new incoming titles will cost, when they will land, or how many more might follow. You’ll be able to download the titles digitally, and the physical component packs will be shipped. I really like Board, but my teen kids (13 and 16) weren’t impressed. They both found Board’s games boring. Other family and friends had similarly mixed reactions. We play a lot of video games and board games, but I was the only one pushing Board over the holidays. It lacks that killer addictive hook that keeps you coming back for more. I suspect it would go down a lot better with younger kids (6 to 10). Board is big, and I struggled to find a spot to store it. While it has survived mostly unscathed so far, I can’t help wondering about long-term durability, as the frantic nature of some games could lead some, especially younger kids, to be a bit rough with the screen. It has already sustained a faint scratch from a wayward cat claw, as one of my cats has the unfortunate habit of sitting on board games when we gather to play.

The Wi-Fi connection is just for downloading titles and updates (there’s no online multiplayer). I love the ethos of getting folks together, but online play would add considerable value, because many titles are multiplayer-only. Issues aside, there isn’t anything quite like Board. Arcade1Up’s Infinity Game Table offered digital board games, but it is no longer available. Board reminds me a bit of Osmo’s educational toy kits, which combine physical pieces with a camera that attaches to your iPad or Fire tablet. If you could buy the games and use them with your existing tablet, it would be an easier sell, but the developers told me they’d need access to the touch controller on the hardware. Board can handle multiple fingers and pieces simultaneously, whereas most tablets are capped at a few digits. A new console or platform is a tough sell with so many well-entrenched big players. I had similar worries about Nex Playground, yet it seems to be thriving, though it’s far cheaper than Board. Speaking with the makers about Board’s future, there was mention of content updates for existing titles, software development kit access for developers, and even the possibility of homebrew projects and 3D-printing pieces. I hope Board has legs—I enjoyed my time with it—but it’s a gamble for buyers today. Any platform lives and dies by its game library, and it’s too early to tell whether Board will be worth the outlay.

Key Analysis & Details

Future Implications

Conclusion

To summarize, this event marks a significant moment in the industry. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.