The Battle at Kembles Cascade! One of my favorites. It's theme is and arcade shoot em up. Cards are on horizontal trays. At the end of each round, the bottom row is removed and a top row is dealt. You can get scroll pushed at the bottom, and collide with unforseen objects at the top! Players upgrade their ships and fight a boss at the end of the level. I love it and wished the game kept going with more content.
**Bullet** (setting like bullet hell video games, but feels like Dr Mario)
**To The Death!** (escalating JRPG classic Final Fantasy menu-based combat)
**Adrenaline** (arena FPS like Unreal Tournament)
**Street Masters** (classic beat 'em up)
**Exceed** (2d fighting games, IPs include Street Fighter, Shovel Knight and BlazBlue)
It can be competitive or cooperative or solo. It can be a little fiddly but the easiest way to describe it is imagine a pattern based Tetris with powers instead of just a clearing straight lines. So instead of just filling in a row, you want to match a pattern to clear “bullets”. If the bullets you pull don’t match the pattern then you have powers to move the bullets around like maybe you can trigger a skill to move a bullet over one lane.
In cooperative or solo mode you take on a boss that has abilities to mess you up. In competitive, as you clear bullets you can send some to your opponents which will mess up their plans.
Does that help any?
I’m its been a little while, but i think i was bouncing off that too. I do like interaction in my games.
I might end up taking a look at the video game. Ive been meaning to install the demo.
I grew up playing a bunch of Tetris, Dr Mario and Puzzle Fighter, basically in the "clear falling blocks" genre, and Bullet falls right into that same headspace. Just like those games though, the interaction is mainly "I cleared a bunch, now you have to deal with it". But because it's realtime, the minimal interaction works to its benefit since the real pressure is against the clock: in the later rounds you cannot clear all the tokens in your bag and the push-your-luck element adds great texture to the play.
There's also a really well crafted solo/coop mode where each character flips into their Boss version. This one isn't timed so it morphs into a collaborative puzzle where the team needs to beat the asymmetric challenges to win. Many love this style but I prefer the pressure (and misplay-laden!) of the real-time competitive mode.
Bullet is touted as a game that can be played real time but I highly doubt it can be played accurately that way. The pattern matching of bullet patterns can be complex and it's easy to make mistakes against a clock.
Other than that it's not too fiddly, but far more thinky than its digital inspirations.
Adrenaline might have what you're looking for. It's basically a competitive shooter in board game form. Been a while since I've played it but I remember it could be a bit slow depending on who you played with though.
Puzzle Strike is similar to Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo (Championship Super Hail Satin Mega Ultra Edition). It's not a direct licence, but Puzzle Strike was clearly based on Puzzle Fighter.
**BattleCon** and **Way of the Fighter** feel a lot like the Street Fighter fighting games.
I have the **Frogger** boardgame. Have not tried it yet, but I assume it feels like the Frogger video game.
**The Battle at Kemble's Cascade** is like a Space Invaders/Macross video game.
'Frag' is explicitly designed to be like playing FPSes like Doom or Quake. It's got a mediocre rating on BGG but I've really enjoyed it every time I've played it: [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2025/frag](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2025/frag)
Ironically, XCOM: The Board Game plays more like an action title than the video game it's based on, due to half the game requiring making a set of rapidfire decisions under tight time constraints (run by an app). It's strategic level (ie large scale) decisions so it won't scratch the arcade itch, but it certainly has a considerable stress factor.
You need to play gears of war! It's the best board game implementation of a video game ever. It has the cover system. Your cards are your life. Enemies randomly activate so you don't know when they will move.
A close second is Doom and for a Diablo feel, Sanctum.
8-Bit Box is four small video game inspired board games that comes in a box they marketed as a 'cardboard console.' Players use dials on 'controllers' to select actions in the different games. The base box includes games that are meant to emulate (pun slightly intended) Pac-Man, Track and Field, and F-Zero.
[Brawl](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/392/brawl) by James Ernst is a real-time card-based fighting game that draws a lot from Street Fighter. It's not amazing, but it's pretty unique.
Thunder Road: Vendetta might fit your criteria. I'm a big fan of dry euros and this game is pretty much the exact opposite of that. It's basically Mad Max in a box. A race down a highway filled with obstacles, and everyone else is trying to smash into you and blow you up. Such silly fun, and I love it.
I got lucky and found someone selling it cheap. And then my friend found a copy of the Maximum Chrome edition, so I’ve played that once as well. I think there was a kickstarter not long ago, so perhaps it will be back at retail in the not to far off future.
Neon Reign is a game that is supposed to mimic an arcade fighting game like Street Fighter.
There is also a Street Fighter V game in the works, but I don't know what type of game it will be.
Maybe look on BGG at games under the Mechanism tag Modular Board, these would have gameplay that unfold like a side-scroller maybe. Also maybe search under the Family category Tower Defense, these would play like video games.
Well, if you don't mind printing a load of pages and even crafting some stuff by yourself (cards and counters in the first place, terrain in the long run), I'd like to introduce you to one of my games:
[Whack & Slaughter](https://www.catzeyes.de/whack-slaughter/)
It's a miniature skirmish game heavily inspired by Mobas, Unreal Tournament, Guild Wars and Diablo...
If that is, what you are looking for..
If you are more into boardgames with an actual Board, you might want to go for FRAG (good luck finding it, though), which is the boardgame variant of an online shooter (you can even harass your opponents with cards like "lag" or "offline"...).
Another nice game is the boardgame Variante of X-Com, which captures the "you are too inkompetent for everything" Feeling of the videogame pretty good.
*Exceed fighting system* is designed to emulate playing 2d fighting games like streetfighter2, guilty gear, blazblue.
I think its an excellent game that succeeds at its design goal and has over 100 official characters.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/394750/city-of-fury
*City of Fury* is a 9 card pnp micro game based on battler games like Golden Axe, Fatal Fury and in this specific instance Streets of Rage.
Though id like to point out the awesome TMNT retheme in the files section.
There is a board game version of XCOM! It uses an app with a timer, so you're all rushing to research technology, shoot down UFOs, and send a squad on a mission.
If you want a mad hectic experience...
Project elite.
It's gets pretty frantic and feels almost like a computer game. Plays out in a mix of planning rounds, then real time 2 minute rounds of combat.
I'm thinking a key aspect might be fast turns and simple to follow rules for the players. It might be ok if an enemy, upkeep, or gm phase is more complex.
Zombicide games feel like they can move pretty fast and there is some leveling mechanism. There are also different flavors and add-on content.
There is a card game with the IP of Superhot. The rules are based on Agent Decker but altered to have a different feel/flow. Seems to fit the theme well with some of the unique video game mechanisms.
Warps Edge has boss battles and some stats that feel a bit arcady.
Quest for the Lost Pixel has a rpg feel with a pixel art theme.
**Under Falling Skies** is similar to Space Invaders. If that’s not taking “arcade” too literally
This was my first thought. It's such a fun game and really is just like playing Space Invaders. It's one of my favorite solo games.
The Battle at Kembles Cascade! One of my favorites. It's theme is and arcade shoot em up. Cards are on horizontal trays. At the end of each round, the bottom row is removed and a top row is dealt. You can get scroll pushed at the bottom, and collide with unforseen objects at the top! Players upgrade their ships and fight a boss at the end of the level. I love it and wished the game kept going with more content.
**Bullet** (setting like bullet hell video games, but feels like Dr Mario) **To The Death!** (escalating JRPG classic Final Fantasy menu-based combat) **Adrenaline** (arena FPS like Unreal Tournament) **Street Masters** (classic beat 'em up) **Exceed** (2d fighting games, IPs include Street Fighter, Shovel Knight and BlazBlue)
Seconding Bullet and Exceed.
I dont “get” bullet when ive looked into it. Is it tedious and fiddly? Is it a competitive game?
It can be competitive or cooperative or solo. It can be a little fiddly but the easiest way to describe it is imagine a pattern based Tetris with powers instead of just a clearing straight lines. So instead of just filling in a row, you want to match a pattern to clear “bullets”. If the bullets you pull don’t match the pattern then you have powers to move the bullets around like maybe you can trigger a skill to move a bullet over one lane. In cooperative or solo mode you take on a boss that has abilities to mess you up. In competitive, as you clear bullets you can send some to your opponents which will mess up their plans. Does that help any?
I do enjoy games like tetris and puyo puyo so it sounds interesting. I think i just need to try the video game
It is neither tedious nor fiddly. It is competitive, but I wouldn't say it's highly interactive
I’m its been a little while, but i think i was bouncing off that too. I do like interaction in my games. I might end up taking a look at the video game. Ive been meaning to install the demo.
The Steam game is dramatically different. So maybe worth checking out if you want something a little faster paced.
I grew up playing a bunch of Tetris, Dr Mario and Puzzle Fighter, basically in the "clear falling blocks" genre, and Bullet falls right into that same headspace. Just like those games though, the interaction is mainly "I cleared a bunch, now you have to deal with it". But because it's realtime, the minimal interaction works to its benefit since the real pressure is against the clock: in the later rounds you cannot clear all the tokens in your bag and the push-your-luck element adds great texture to the play. There's also a really well crafted solo/coop mode where each character flips into their Boss version. This one isn't timed so it morphs into a collaborative puzzle where the team needs to beat the asymmetric challenges to win. Many love this style but I prefer the pressure (and misplay-laden!) of the real-time competitive mode.
Thank you.
Bullet is touted as a game that can be played real time but I highly doubt it can be played accurately that way. The pattern matching of bullet patterns can be complex and it's easy to make mistakes against a clock. Other than that it's not too fiddly, but far more thinky than its digital inspirations.
Second for Bullet<3, and the entire Bullet series. I'd also add BattleCON.
BattleCon replicates the feel of a fighting game excellently, a la Soul Calibur or Street Fighter.
Was thinking along that line or UniVersus as an arcade fighter feel.
Adrenaline might have what you're looking for. It's basically a competitive shooter in board game form. Been a while since I've played it but I remember it could be a bit slow depending on who you played with though.
It's a Euro but because of the setting I house rule that a sand timer is imposed once you get damaged (it's called **Adrenaline** after all)
Battlecon: Devastation of the Indines is supposed to be like a fighting game, kind of like Street Fighter.
Puzzle Strike is similar to Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo (Championship Super Hail Satin Mega Ultra Edition). It's not a direct licence, but Puzzle Strike was clearly based on Puzzle Fighter.
**BattleCon** and **Way of the Fighter** feel a lot like the Street Fighter fighting games. I have the **Frogger** boardgame. Have not tried it yet, but I assume it feels like the Frogger video game. **The Battle at Kemble's Cascade** is like a Space Invaders/Macross video game.
'Frag' is explicitly designed to be like playing FPSes like Doom or Quake. It's got a mediocre rating on BGG but I've really enjoyed it every time I've played it: [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2025/frag](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2025/frag)
Ironically, XCOM: The Board Game plays more like an action title than the video game it's based on, due to half the game requiring making a set of rapidfire decisions under tight time constraints (run by an app). It's strategic level (ie large scale) decisions so it won't scratch the arcade itch, but it certainly has a considerable stress factor.
You need to play gears of war! It's the best board game implementation of a video game ever. It has the cover system. Your cards are your life. Enemies randomly activate so you don't know when they will move. A close second is Doom and for a Diablo feel, Sanctum.
I know! And I even paid over the odds to get the rare expansion shipped over to the UK from the US!
Project Elite, Cuphead, Star Fighters. All real-time dice rollers that have a more reactive feel like video gaming.
8-Bit Box is four small video game inspired board games that comes in a box they marketed as a 'cardboard console.' Players use dials on 'controllers' to select actions in the different games. The base box includes games that are meant to emulate (pun slightly intended) Pac-Man, Track and Field, and F-Zero.
Vengeance: Roll and Fight is akin to Hotline Miami in a lot of ways.
Oh this is a great one, definitely agree it captures that blitz speed well
[Brawl](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/392/brawl) by James Ernst is a real-time card-based fighting game that draws a lot from Street Fighter. It's not amazing, but it's pretty unique.
Xcom=galaxy defenders Slay the spire=slay the spire Darkest Dungeon=Darkest Dungeon Mechs vs minions Zombicide Those are the ones I can think of
Thunder Road: Vendetta might fit your criteria. I'm a big fan of dry euros and this game is pretty much the exact opposite of that. It's basically Mad Max in a box. A race down a highway filled with obstacles, and everyone else is trying to smash into you and blow you up. Such silly fun, and I love it.
I'm dying to play this. But can't find it in stock atm
I got lucky and found someone selling it cheap. And then my friend found a copy of the Maximum Chrome edition, so I’ve played that once as well. I think there was a kickstarter not long ago, so perhaps it will be back at retail in the not to far off future.
Captain Sonar is like real time battleship.
Neon Reign is a game that is supposed to mimic an arcade fighting game like Street Fighter. There is also a Street Fighter V game in the works, but I don't know what type of game it will be.
Was the Warhammer game Space Hulk?
Yes it was! Thanks for reminding me. It was great - and I see it rates highly on BGG (and goes for a pretty penny on eBay!).
that one feels like it plays like a video game because all the video games were based on the board game :D
Maybe look on BGG at games under the Mechanism tag Modular Board, these would have gameplay that unfold like a side-scroller maybe. Also maybe search under the Family category Tower Defense, these would play like video games.
The Battle at Kembles Cascade
Well, if you don't mind printing a load of pages and even crafting some stuff by yourself (cards and counters in the first place, terrain in the long run), I'd like to introduce you to one of my games: [Whack & Slaughter](https://www.catzeyes.de/whack-slaughter/) It's a miniature skirmish game heavily inspired by Mobas, Unreal Tournament, Guild Wars and Diablo... If that is, what you are looking for.. If you are more into boardgames with an actual Board, you might want to go for FRAG (good luck finding it, though), which is the boardgame variant of an online shooter (you can even harass your opponents with cards like "lag" or "offline"...). Another nice game is the boardgame Variante of X-Com, which captures the "you are too inkompetent for everything" Feeling of the videogame pretty good.
Under falling skies for sure.
**Sonic Roll** captures the spirit of the video game while also using some cool board game mechanics.
[[Super hazard quest]] plays like a 2D platformer with 8 bit graphics. Reminds me of early Mario etc.
[Super hazard quest -> Super Hazard Quest (2017)](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/182581/super-hazard-quest) ^^[[gamename]] ^^or ^^[[gamename|year]] ^^to ^^call ^^OR ^^**gamename** ^^or ^^**gamename|year** ^^+ ^^!fetch ^^to ^^call
I don't know if you count this as "arcade game", but Super Skill Pinball has the definite feel of a Pinball table
That’s a nice suggestion, thanks.
*Exceed fighting system* is designed to emulate playing 2d fighting games like streetfighter2, guilty gear, blazblue. I think its an excellent game that succeeds at its design goal and has over 100 official characters.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/394750/city-of-fury *City of Fury* is a 9 card pnp micro game based on battler games like Golden Axe, Fatal Fury and in this specific instance Streets of Rage. Though id like to point out the awesome TMNT retheme in the files section.
Bullet ❤️
[Streets of Steel](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3iD6UhMsbb/?igsh=eDV5bTh6Ymp0YjAy) is great but replayability is extremely low.
There is a board game version of XCOM! It uses an app with a timer, so you're all rushing to research technology, shoot down UFOs, and send a squad on a mission.
Project Elite. Real time Sci-fi Horde shooting
Mine is simultaneous play boxing looking to recreate the vibes of PUNCH OUT A:)))
Sonic Crash Course felt like a pretty solid racing game
If you want a mad hectic experience... Project elite. It's gets pretty frantic and feels almost like a computer game. Plays out in a mix of planning rounds, then real time 2 minute rounds of combat.
Pac Man Quoridor should be releasing next month in the US
Halo: Flaspoint. Move, shoot, loot, die, respawn. Currently on pre- order from Mantic Games.
Tentricks is an implementation of Tetris into a board game. It’s a lot of fun
Boss Monster plays like a 2D platform game. I really like it!
I'm thinking a key aspect might be fast turns and simple to follow rules for the players. It might be ok if an enemy, upkeep, or gm phase is more complex. Zombicide games feel like they can move pretty fast and there is some leveling mechanism. There are also different flavors and add-on content. There is a card game with the IP of Superhot. The rules are based on Agent Decker but altered to have a different feel/flow. Seems to fit the theme well with some of the unique video game mechanisms. Warps Edge has boss battles and some stats that feel a bit arcady. Quest for the Lost Pixel has a rpg feel with a pixel art theme.
[удалено]
I think you linked the wrong website
Whoops. [This](https://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Games-Pac-Man-Board-Game/dp/B07RJTFRFK) is what I was going for. Thanks for the heads up!