Highly Regarded Sports-Themed Games
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
The desire to compete being one of the motivating forces behind game-playing, it's natural that sports-themed games can sometimes have an especial appeal.
A similar impulse lies behind the attraction to wargames. But wargames can often tend towards the highly complex, and are for some an unattractive subject matter.
The ingenuity of much recent Eurogame design lies in the designer's ability to take the competitive drive at the core of sports and other competition, and to render it more subtle and indirect. This is usually done by using another theme entirely.
Still, for me, sports games offer their own unique allure. They remind me of why I like to play games in the first place; they simulate the sorts of clashes that turned me into a spectator sports nut, and which also had me out there as a kid with my friends, casually trying every sport imaginable.
There is something very much fun about seeing this type of competition play out in a boardgame. I wish that more of the outstanding designers would turn their talents towards simulating sports, and away from building and financial games.
I've fantasized on occasion about how the "auction" format would be wonderfully compatible with a sports-themed game in which players play baseball GMs, but that's a discourse for another day.
Here are some highly touted sports-themed games, at least according to the BGG ratings. Feel free to add your own favorite.
-
1.
Board Game: A Gamut of Games
[Average Rating:7.72 Unranked]
[Average Rating:7.72 Unranked]
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Among the better games in this collection are Sackson's simulations of bowling and baseball.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
No doubt that one of the reasons I love this is simply watching the cars maneuver their way around the track. I'm not an auto racing fan in the least, but it's just fun to watch a race on the board. Sure, the hand management aspects of this game are wonderful, but it's made more wonderful by the thrill of watching clever play result in your car zooming across the finish line.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Wasn't sure whether to include this, but it seems like a sort of racing simulation.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Gets good reviews. Not sure what to make of this -- seems to be part sports, part fantasy, perhaps even part war. But it allegedly simulates a sort of football.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
The baseball classic. I like PTP better as a simulation, but this is the one on which I spent all the hours as a kid. Addictive in the way only a baseball sim can be.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Clearly, racing themes lend themselves to board games -- there are highly-rated auto, horse, and bicycle racing games. I'd had this one on my "to buy" list for a while, but for some reason lost interest in it. Perhaps I should take another look at it.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
We go from "Blood Bowl" to "Peace Bowl." This doesn't look that peaceful to me, and I can't even tell what it's about, but it seemed as though it might fit the list.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Another racing game, this time with bicycles. Seems like a winner.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
This game as well as its multiple expansion sets seems to be very popular. I wonder if I should check it out given my love of Daytona 500, or whether it appeals to a different mindset entirely.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Never really noticed this one until I made this list, it seems like another fine racing game.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
This one's at the top of my "to-buy" list right now.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Another horse racing game.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
I own this cute little soccer sim. Haven't played any stuffed bears, though.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Have never tried a truly statistical football sim. This one gets good ratings.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Appropriately, another racing game to round out the group.
-
-
Tony
United States
New Jersey
Pour Away,Mein Host
-
Played this one to death as a kid. Still play the computer version of it to this day. Very statistically accurate, and a whole lot of fun. Plus, with the current state of the NHL, this may be the only hockey any of us gets for a while.
-
-
17.
Item is no longer in our database
Chris Flynn
United States
Lakeville
Minnesota
-
This game has a bit of a learning curve but I find it to be superior to Strat-o-Matic. The downside of longer playing time (about 45 minutes for a single game) is mitigated by the way this game stimulates the imagination with over the shoulder catches, hot liners getting past the shortstop etc. Each season this game has a deeper selection of current and past seasons. It is obvious that the creator understands and loves the sport.
-
-
Randy Cox
United States
Clemson
South Carolina
1024x768 works just fine - Don't Wide the Site!
Missing old BGG
-
I'm a bit biased. But there is a sizable group out there who, like me, spent a goodly portion of their formative years playing this game head-to-head (though one can play solitaire just fine, but I've never seen any real allure of a solitaire sports simulation). Maybe I should upload a photo of the most recent charts?
-
-
Craig Artl
United States
New Berlin
Wisconsin
-
I played Strat-o-Matic for years but APBA is now my game of choice. I am currently 400+ games into a replay of the 1969 National League. The game is quick and exciting and the stats are great.
-
-
Mark Saya
United States
Los Angeles
California
-
A stunningly good fencing game. Amazing what can be done with 25 cards!
-
-
Aaron Sapp
United States
Columbia
Missouri
-
This is a nice little sailing simulation.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
Another highly rated adrenaline-rush football variant.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
I'm more tempted by this racing game than most. It's from the old 3M line, for which I have a sentimental attachment. And it gets the right kind of positive descriptions for my taste.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
So many highly rated racing games! The theme just lends itself to boardgame mechanics, I guess.
-
-
Chuck Uherske
United States
Rockville
Maryland
-
A very popular old soccer game -- finger-flicking good, they say.
-
-
|
|
