We all remember when the Pokémon Trading Card Game came out; we spent a few days really trying to figure out how to play it, and then just devolving into seeing who can collect the coolest cards. That was October 1996. February of that year, Pokémon Red and Blue came out, and who here can tell me playing an almost incomprehensible trading card game was more fun than playing a Pokémon video game for the first time?
With Pokémon Sword and Shield released for a while now, you might be looking to take a break from the constant pokémon running out of the grass at you. There’s no guarantee you’ll like an old board game more than Sword and Shield, but, if you want to stay in the Pokémon universe while scaling down your gameplay, here are 10 Pokémon board games to keep you occupied and maybe send you back down memory lane.
10 Guess That Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl
This game, manufactured by Pressman toys, harkens back to both Guess Who by Milton Bradley and the Who’s That pokémon segment from the anime. In this game, you ask questions of your opponent that describe a pokémon using yes or no questions, trying to narrow down the board until there’s only one left.
Literally it’s Guess Who with Pokémon. This would be a good game if you want to hone your identifying skills, or if you’re babysitting a kid who knows their Pokémon really well.
9 Pokémon Yahtzee Jr.
Manufactured by Hasbro and Milton Bradley in 1999, Pokémon Yahtzee Jr. is the same as regular Yahtzee Jr., just with Pokémon characters. The object of the game is to roll as many dice with the same pokémon on it and setting aside matching dice to roll the remainder.
The Pokémon are Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and Jigglypuff, and Ditto is considered “wild.” Rolling all five of the same pokémon is a “Yahtzee,” and rolling five Dittos is a “PokémonYahtzee”. So, once again, it’s just Yahtzee with Pokémon. Still fun if you love Pokémon.
8 Monopoly: Pokémon Edition
Personally, we love Monopoly, and it makes us sad because no one ever wants to play it with us. It’s like there’s some universal hatred of Monopoly that we don’t understand.
Themed Monopoly is the best; released by Parker Brothers and Hasbro in 1999, Pokémon Monopoly focused on the Red and Blue versions of the video game and the anime. The object of the game was to travel from gym to gym battling pokémon and trainers to build the strongest Pokémon team. “Trainer Battle” and “Professor Oak” cards replaced the “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards, and Poké Marts and Poké Centers replaced hotels. If you like Pokémon and Monopoly, this one actually sounds like a good time.
7 Monopoly: Pokémon Kanto Edition
In this version of the Pokémon Monopoly game, everything is mostly the same except it focuses on the Kanto region. This iteration takes inspiration from Fire Red and Leaf Green plus Pokémon Origins, as opposed to Red and Blue and the anime like the original version.
As a remake, it still has the Trainer Battle and Professor Oak cards, as well as the Poke Marts and Centers. The object is still to battle your way through all eight gyms and become the strongest pokémon team. Great if you like exclusive editions of things.
6 Pokémon Battle Dome
From Milton Bradley and Hasbro comes Pokémon Battle Dome, a pinball-like game where the object is to have the least amount of energy balls in your pokémon’s scoring tray. It’s basically the anti-Hungry Hungry Hippos. Currently, I can’t find any listings for this game, not even on eBay. Unsurprising, as it came out in 2005 and probably didn’t spark a ton of joy. If you really must have this game, there are two for trade on boardgamegeek.com.
5 Pokémon Battle Chess
Like the name implies, Pokémon Battle Chess is similar to a classic chess game, just with less pieces and a concept of power. Each player starts out with two Patrat, two Zoroark, one Serperior, one Emboar, one Samurott, and one Egg containing Victini. The object of the game is to beat the other player’s Vicinti, who hatches from the Egg after being damaged three times.
When a pokémon is damaged, its tile is flipped over; when it is damaged a second time, the tile is removed. The game is won when someone’s Vicinti is defeated. Pokemon Battle Chess was released in 2011 by The Pokémon Company, but only in Japan, and the game never saw an international release.
4 Pokémon Champion Island
3 3. Pokémon Master Trainer (1999)
Here’s a game I had as a child that I had absolutely no idea how to play. It’s basically the video game in board game form. The object of the game is to travel through the Kanto region collecting and training pokémon until you reach Indigo Plateau and battle one of the Elite Four members. It’s safe to say I never got that far, which is weird because I played the video games as a kid.. so why couldn’t I figure out this board game?
At the beginning, you’re given one of six starter pokémon to take on your journey. All the first generation pokémon are available to be caught along your route except for Mewtwo. The game is won when you beat either Gary Oak or a randomly chosen Elite Four member. If you lose, you have to go back to Pallet Town and start over from the beginning. If you like the video games, this sounds like something to really invest in.
2 Pokémon Master Trainer (2005)
The 2005 version of Pokémon Master Trainer is a completely different game from the 1999 version. The object of this game is to make it through your journey with the most Pokémon Chips (PCs), which are like currency. Along the way, you catch pokémon and participate in battles. The game uses a spinner and includes Pokémon Cards, Rare Pokémon Cards, Gym Leader Cards, Item Cards, Event Cards, and Smile Loan Cards, which allow you to borrow up to 100 PCs from the bank that you must pay back before you come to the end of your journey.
1 Pokémon Trading Card Game
The classic, the mack daddy of Pokémon games, the original trading card game. While not quite defined as a board game, if you’re bored of the video games, sitting down to learn how to actually play the trading card game after so many years should at least be spiritually rewarding. A bit of a pat on the back to your elementary school self who never really learned.
The trading card game was based on the video games and anime and was released in 1996. It’s similar to the video games in that you play a pokémon that attacks your opponent’s pokémon until they are knocked out. The active pokémon is always a Basic Pokémon, and, if you have no Basic Pokémon, you must draw a new hand from the deck. Now that I’m writing about it, it doesn’t seem so difficult. Time to dig out my old Pokémon cards and get playing.
NEXT: Pokémon: 5 Reasons Why Dynamaxing Is Better Than Mega Evolutions (& 5 Reasons Why Mega Evolutions Are Better)
