The top five ways to bring the tabletop experience on the go

If you are a fan of tabletop adventures, and who isn’t, then you might be pleased to hear that the Starfinder x Warframe collaboration is out now. Operation: Orias puts in in the shoes of either Arthur, Amir, Aoi, or Lettie from Warframe: 1999 in a neat little standalone adventure. There is also a set of Warframe dice available to pre-order that looks stunning.

Now, two reasons we are talking about this. First, I personally love tabletop games and Warframe, so I want to share this with the world. Second, it got me thinking. Sometimes, it is not feasible to get your friends together and sit down for an in-person game. So, we have put together a list of the best mobile games from across the spectrum of tabletop experience.

Pathfinder Adventures boils the RPG experience down to card form

Since we have already mentioned RPGs, let’s kick it off with Pathfinder Adventures (Android/iOS). This isn’t a one-to-one rendition of a tabletop RPG because, let’s face it, you can’t emulate the chaos.

Instead, Pathfinder turns the classic pastime into a card-based affair, where you choose your class and build your character as you normally would at the table, but on your phone. It comes with a solo mode or a pass-and-play multiplayer for those days when you don’t have the space for dice or character sheets.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is incredibly popular so you will always find an opponent

What if you want to play with cards, but in that classic mono-amono way across the table? There are a lot the choose from, however, we would recommend the Pokémon TCG Pocket (Android/iOS).

It is still relatively new, so it doesn’t have the biggest pool of cards, but it is remarkably popular, so you won’t struggle to jump into a match. You can also test your decks against the computer, which is harder to do with the physical version. Pocket is the obvious choice, but for good reason.

Munchkin is a hilarious way to spend an evening

I could not put this list together without mentioning my all-time favourite tabletop game, Munchkin (Android/iOS). I absolutely adore this. It is a faithful adaptation of the original card game where you kick in doors, kill monsters, and grab loot on your way to level 10. The twist is that you can work together with the other plates to help each other vanquish difficult enemies.

It is a charming tale of friendship, right up until someone hits around level 8 or 9, then everyone turns on the players and plays their trap cards to make them lose battles and levels. It is so vile backstabbing, and so of the best fun you can have with your mates.

Ticket to Ride is perfect if you want a longer session with a tactical twist

If you told me that a game where you made a railway line would become one of the most iconic board games there is, I would have called you mad. And yet, Ticket to Ride (Android/iOS) achieved this acclaim, and for good reason.

It is a fantastic game that has you trying to get the most points by building the biggest train empire, effectively. It can take a while to play, but the mobile version has asymmetric multiplayer to fit around your busy schedule. And as we all know, a busy schedule is the bane of all tabletop groups.

Game of Life 2 is the best traditional dice game for mobile

Finally, let’s settle on a traditional dice-type board game. Yes, it uses a spinner, but you know what I mean. For this, we are choosing Game of Life 2 (Android/iOS) for one simple reason: Monopoly is just too damn long. Also, it is always amusing to see someone roll taxes five times in a row.

Here, you move along the board making a series of decisions that affect three stats: money, knowledge, and happiness. When the game ends, the player with the highest score in these categories gets points, so you need to plan ahead based on what your opponents are doing.

Alternatively, just make millions of dollars and win that way, just like real life.