Six Sides Talks The Best Sports & Board Games In 2022

Here’s a genre that doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Cooperative games have been pretty big over the past few years (Pandemic, Arkham Horror) while old stand bys such as Settlers of Catan still generate a ton of interest.

The reality is that sports board games can be very fun! I often wonder if the lack of popularity stems from whether you enjoyed sports as a kid. One of the things that makes sports board or card games so good is that they’re familiar: who doesn’t at least kind of know how to play baseball?

Anyway, here’s a look at some great board games based on classic sports we all grew up with. Expect some surprise twists!

Jab: Realtime Boxing

Players: 2
Playtime: 15 min

A skill-based strategic card game, JAB focuses on boxing skills. You control your boxer’s fists directly, creating an experience as close to real boxing as possible without getting punched in the face. There is no turn system in this game.

Get a knockout by throwing devastating haymakers at your opponent until he eats canvas, or impress the judges with your beautiful technique to win the game.

By pushing players to make constant decisions rather than just recognizing patterns or calculating, JAB attempts to innovate the real-time genre. In addition to measuring your focus in a chaotic environment, the game also assesses your ability to calmly manage your emotions.

Time of Soccer

Players: 1- 4
Playtime: 120 Min

Time of Soccer allows you to manage a football team during one season. You have to sign football players and club employees, like coaches, scouts, community managers, in the game. As a club manager, you are responsible for the club’s finances, such as signing advertising and television contracts.

You compete in the city every week for the best football players, and then you’ll compete in a match according to the level of your team.

Something that makes this game interesting is the solo play vs the political-social madness that comes from 4 player anything. Time of Soccer is just as good for the recluse in you as it is the boardgame party animal!

Baseball Highlights 2045

Players: 1-2
Playtime: 45 min

When I was a kid, I used to play this Nintendo game called Base Wards. It was a futuristic baseball game where teams were comprised of androids with weapons. It was amazing. Baseball Highlights 2045 has that same robotic vibe to it and also happens to take play is the future! Two players build their teams as they play this quick and interactive game, which combines strategy (building your team) and tactics (playing the game) without any downtime. 

Players alternate playing six cards during each mini-game to mimic the highlights of a full game. Minigames include defensive and offensive actions, and you may use either defensive or offensive tactics in your single play. You can either block your opponents’ pending hits, go on the offensive, or use your best players to do both. 

The team that wins the most minigames in the series wins! Players purchase free agents after each minigame to improve their roster.

Thunder Alley

Players: 2-7
Playtime: 90 min

Ok so we’ve talked about some more traditional sports games but now let’s rev things up with Thunder Alley. This game has a rare selling point in that up to seven people can play! It’s not often you find games that have more than six players allowed.

The game includes drafting, teamwork, accidents, yellow flags, pit strategy, working to lead laps, and sprinting to the finish. Each player controls a team of between three and six cars (more players = less cars per player). As a result, most races are not only a contest to see who can reach the checkered flag first, but an effort to maximize the score for every car in your team. What this means is that while winning is important, you’re also being scored on how many of your cars make it across the finish line and in what order.

Just like in real life, your car will suffer wear and tear during the race. Tires will need replacing, while fuel will need to be topped up. Pit stops are a big part of the game and choosing when to pit is an important strategic element. Adding to the chaos is a sort of wild card, event deck. Expect changes in weather, track accidents, yellow flags and more!

This is a great game to play with the family and kids around the age of 10. It’s got a good pace, is very relaxed and hell, it’s race cars! What’s not to love.

BloodBowl

Players: 2
Playtime: 45 – 120 min

Blood Bowl is a game that’s actually been around since 1983 and has been steadily receiving updates and revisions ever since. For a game to get this much love and care, you know it’s gotta be good. In more recent years, there’s even been a video game spin off which is actually, really, really fun.

Regardless of the edition or era of Blood Bowl you’re playing, the rules are generally the same: It’s like American Football….but with the added twist of being able to knock your opponents out and sometimes straight up kill them. Fun!

The newer editions of the game feature squads from a ton of crazy, humanoid lineages: elves, dwarves, orcs, undead and more are all at your finger tips. Almost every action’s success is decided by the roll of a die: picking up the ball, passing, tackling and hitting all hinge on the luck of the gods. Fortunately, there are other factors at play that can help you get to roll more dice; thereby increasing your chance of succeeding.

This is not an incredibly easy game to learn but it is rewarding. I highly recommend playing the post 2016 editions but that’s just me. I like the squads, rules and general thematic element of the game. Anyway, that’s all I have to say about sports games. Check these out next time you’re looking for some new flavour at the ole gaming table.

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