Bookworms occasionally like to leave their cozy reading nook and hang out with friends. We kid, but often times readers are also big fans of board games and tabletop games. In fact, they especially love board games for book lovers. These are games with a literary angle, either based on famous works or utilizing the nerdy knowledge that book lovers often possess. These make great gifts for readers or even a good gift for yourself. Check out all the literary board games below.
Literary Board Games for Book Lovers
1. Bring Your Own Book
Book lovers never have a shortage of books on hand, which is the only other thing you need to play this fun party game. To play, grab your favorite book and select a card from the deck. The card will give you a prompt like “dating advice” or “a line in a ransom note.” You then search your chosen book for the best line that works. Think Apples to Apple or Cards Against Humanity, but with books instead!
This game never gets old since the books are always changing. You can even make it themed, having guests bring romance novels, outdated textbooks, cookbooks, or whatever interesting combination you want to play with.
Age Range: 12 years and up
Number of Players: 3 or more
Playing Time: 20 minutes
2. Literati Challenge Game
This is another party game that bookworms (and writers) love. You’re given five words and 90 seconds to write a story using all of those words. The challenge comes in the fact that you might not know the words you were given, so you have to bluff in your story to earn points. The result is laugh-out-loud funny stories that will create a memorable night of gameplay.
This is the kind of game that only appeals to certain types of people who are into creative thinking and challenging vocabulary. Most book lovers and writers fall into that category, so they’ll love this hilarious party game.
Age Range: 15 years and up
Number of Players: 2 or more players
3. 221B Baker Street Deluxe Edition Board Game
Perfect for mystery lovers and fans of the game Clue, this mystery board game features legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. The game comes with 200 cases for you to solve as you travel London (on the board) searching for clues.
This game is a great way to bring to life your love of mystery novels by solving your own case from the safety of your living room. Reviewers love playing it in teams, so this can make a great party game for mystery fans. This version of the game includes all of the expansion packs so you save money on buying extra cases.
Age Range: 12 years and up
Number of Players: 2 – 6 players
4. Liebrary
Similar to Balderdash, this is another game beloved to book lovers and writers alike. To play the game, the players are give a book title and a plot summary and then asked to write a first line for the book. Then the other players try to pick the correct first line to earn points. It involves a lot of creativity and a little bluffing to earn points and win the game.
The game design on this one is also top-notch. The box looks like a vintage hardback book and the card games look like library card catalog cards. Book lovers and literature nerds will love everything about this game. It’s a great party game or even fun for just a few friends hanging out together.
Age Range: 12 years and up
5. Game of Thrones Risk
Game of Thrones has become hugely popular thanks to the hit HBO show, but fans of the book and the TV show alike will enjoy this special version of the classic game Risk. This board game is as epic as the book series, with two different custom maps (Westeros & Essos), 3 ways to play (Skirmish, Dominion, or World at War) and over 600 unique game pieces. If you’re a fan of the game of Risk and the series Game of Thrones, this is a game you must add to your collection.
Risk is the kind of game that is liked by certain types of people, but others may find it boring. Luckily there are tons of other Game of Thrones board games available if Risk isn’t your type of game.
Age Range: 18 years and up
Number of Players: 2 – 7 players
6. Choose Your Own Adventure Game
This unique game captures the fun of a classic Choose Your Own Adventure book in a tabletop game. A cooperative adventure, this game captures the prose and style of Choose Your Own Adventure novels. Perfect for a party or playing in small groups. A variety of stories are available as their own board game, so you’ll never get bored.
Age Range: 10 years and older
Number of Players: 1+ players
Playing Time: 1 hour
7. Marrying Mr. Darcy Board Game
Jane Austenites are head over heels for this Pride & Prejudice card game. Utilizing characters from Jane Austen’s beloved novel, you step into the story by playing as one of the female characters. You want to earn the most points by collecting character cards for different attributes like Wit, Beauty, and Reputation. The amount of points you have for each attribute determines which suitor you will match with and a roll of the dice determines whether or not they will propose.
While this game can be played by anyone, even those who haven’t read Pride & Prejudice, big Jane Austen fans will really appreciate the references to the book. If you really get into the game, there are also expansion packs available to add on to the fun.
Number of Players: 2 to 6 players
Playing Time: 60 minutes
Check out more gifts for Jane Austen fans.
8. Scrabble Linen Book Vintage Edition Board Game
When I think of board games for book lovers, Scrabble always comes to mind. Readers love words, and games that let them flex their vocabulary are extra fun. This version of Scrabble doesn’t have a special literary theme. Instead, the game has literally been turned into a book. Instead of the normal cardboard box that Scrabble normally comes in, this special edition comes in a beautiful white linen vintage style book box. Stored inside is the vintage 1948 version of the classic Scrabble board game. When you’re done playing, it all goes back in the box which can be displayed on the shelf with your other books.
Scrabble is a great game, loved by readers and writers alike because it allows them to utilize their vocabulary skills. This version makes an excellent gift that any book lover will enjoy.
Age Range: 8 years and up
Number of Players: 2 to 4 players
Check out more gifts for Scrabble lovers.
9. Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle: A Cooperative Deck Building Game
Thanks to the popularity of the Harry Potter book and movie series, there are tons of Potter-themed board games available. This one is a must-play for die-hard Harry Potter fans. Hogwarts Battle is a cooperative deck building game that actually features 7 sequential games that progressively become more difficult. Reviews for this game are outstanding, though the gameplay is a bit too complicated to explain here (especially with 7 different games).
If you enjoy co-op tabletop games like Forbidden Island or deck building games like Dominion and are also a Harry Potter fan, you should get this game immediately. You can also hack it to play as a one player game if you want to take on the challenge solo.
Age Range: 11 years and up
Number of Players: 2 to 4 players
10. Art of Conversation Literary Card Game
If you’re looking for board games for book lovers and willing to count cards as a board game, you’ve gotta check out this game. These cards put a literary spin on the Art of Conversation game. The purpose of the original game is to inspire conversations among groups of people, whether it’s family, friends, or business associates. This version of the game focuses on questions about books, allowing players to share their experiences reading various types of books and to gush about their favorites.
This card game is great for book clubs or just book nerds together at a party. The questions cover all types of book, from literature and poetry to other genres like science fiction and mystery. Every reader will enjoy this game. It’s also adaptable for all ages, so children and adults can play together and share the love of reading.
Number of Players: 2 or more players
11. Dick: A Card Game Based on Moby Dick
Here’s another book-themed card game you may enjoy. Dick takes the concept of Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples and combines it with the famous Herman Mellville novel Moby Dick. To play, you pick a question card and the other players select one of the 375 answer cards which are taken word for word from the text of the book. What follows is hilarious rounds of selecting the best answer. While fans of the book will really appreciate this game, anyone will enjoy this fun twist on the classic party game CAH.
As you may guess by the name of the game, there’s a lot of, ahem, puns in this game. So it’s not for kids, but great for adult gatherings. Reviewers do say that it’s not as low-brow as Cards Against Humanity, so academics and lit nerds will enjoy it.
Number of Players: 4 or more players
12. Booktastic! Modern Literature Edition
This is the only board game for book lovers I’ve seen that models the gameplay after one of the most fun parts of being a bookworm–buying more books! To play the game, you move your pieces around a board of a small town, occasionally stopping in the bookshop to buy more books. To earn money, you have to answer trivia questions in 3 categories–including casual reader questions so even non-book-nerds can enjoy the game.
This version of the game focuses on modern best-selling fiction, with titles up through 2004. Bookstastic is not currently being manufactured, so getting copies of this game is becoming progressively harder. If you’re interested in this game, buy a copy now!
Number of Players: 2 to 4 players
13. Bards Dispense Profanity: Shakespeare Card Game
Here’s another literary take on Cards Against Humanity. This one focuses on the works of William Shakespeare. Game play is the same as Dick and CAH: you draw a card and the other players put down answers that are lines from 24 of Shakespeare’s plays. The reviews for this game indicate it is hilarious and fun, no matter how familiar you are with the original texts.
Again, this game is an adult party game so it’s not meant for kids. Since Shakespeare is so widely read in schools, this is a game even non-readers will enjoy. It’s great for parties of literature snobs and laymen.
Number of Players: 4 or more players
14. Classic Paperbacks Puzzle
This isn’t technically a board game, but this puzzle will delight literature nerds. This 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle features many classic paperback book covers from the 1960s and 70s by artist Richard Baker. Many readers will recognize famous covers for The Great Gatsby, A Clockwork Orange, Breakfast of Champions and more.
The completed puzzle measures 25″ x 20″.
15. The Lord of the Rings: Board Game
This is the ultimate game for fans of JRR Tolkien’s beloved trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Based on the book, you play as a hobbit journeying through the classic landscapes of the book in the quest to destroy the One Ring. The game features beautiful graphics and details that will delight superfans.
While this game is great for fans, it is not one for casual gamers as the rules are complex and take a little while to learn. If you’re looking for a party game or something non-fans will be interested in playing, look elsewhere.
Age Range: 12 and up
Number of Players: 2 to 5 players
Playing Time: 60 – 90 minutes
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