Game controllers are expensive, and it's frustrating trying to dig out a bunch of them when you have friends over to play video games. Luckily, there are a whole bunch of great board games that don't require traditional game controllers to play!
Whether they're controlled by a phone, tablet, or laptop, or don't even require any type of controller, these five board games will engage your friends no matter how many controllers you have.
Packs Jackbox Party 1-6
The mad geniuses behind the Jackbox Party Pack were by no means the first to start the trend of phones as controllers, but they were definitely the people who popularized it.
Right now, Jackbox Party packs are de rigueur at most hip social functions, as is beer. And while games vary in quality (I can't remember the last time someone specifically asked if we could play Zeeple Dome), games like Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Fibbage, and of course the original party trivia game, You Don't Know Jack, are all near-perfect party games.
What's crazy is that Jackbox Games doesn't seem to be running out of ideas any time soon. Jackbox Party Pack 6 is the studio's strongest title yet, and they're already hard at work on the next one, which will feature another entry in the Quiplash series, the best game franchise they've ever created. It might be the best board game ever made.
And yes, these games are obvious picks, but they aren't the only ones out there either.
Keep talking and no one blows up
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a singular gaming experience that was, at launch, held back by requiring a virtual reality platform. Now it's available on all platforms (although if possible I recommend trying to play it in VR, even if it's only through Google Cardboard or a Gear VR system).
The bottom line is this: a player is tasked with defusing a bomb, but they don't know how to do it. Other players use their phone or tablet to access the bomb defusal manual to help them. As the timer counts down to the big kaboom (with an anxiety-inducing ticking), players must communicate as the bomb defuser cannot see the manual, and the other players cannot see the bomb.
How the bomb is defused depends on how the bomb looks, so it doesn't take long before the game turns into a hilarious and stressful game full of "cutting the red thread!" "WAIT, NO: CUT THE GREEN WIRE!" "Are you sure?" "No, actually, don't cut any threads!"
It's incredibly unique, and the tense nature of the game is maxed out if the bomb defuser is wearing a VR headset, effectively trapping themselves in a room with the bomb as it ticks, ticks, ticks away. If you're like me, this isn't a game you'll be able to play for more than 30 minutes at a time, but even still, that 30 minutes is incredibly fun.
Space team
Spaceteam bills itself as the original "cooperative shouting game" and that's pretty much the best way to introduce it. The game supports between two and eight players, all of whom are tasked with the near-impossible task of piloting the worst spaceship in the universe together.
Each player's phone displays a different collection of panels, dials, buttons, and switches, along with an action that must be performed to keep the ship running smoothly.
The trick is that most of the time you don't have the right button to press to perform the action your phone is asking you to. This is where the cooperative cry comes in.
Quickly, the game becomes extremely fast and fun, with just a hint of stress sprinkled in for good measure. And best of all, the game is 100% free, but if you like it, you can join Admiral's Club and support the developer's future projects in exchange for more content!
Obliterators
Halfway between Mario Kart and Twisted Metal, Obliteracers is a high-action racing title that allows for a bunch of control options, including keyboards and gamepads. However, it also allows up to 16 (!) Players to control their vehicles using a phone, tablet or even another laptop or computer connected to the same network.
The game itself is no slouch either: it's frenetic, responsive and sports a variety of game modes perfectly suited to any environment, whether you want more of a hardcore combat racing experience or whether you want to relax with a party mode. Don't sleep on this one.
use your words
Don't write Use Your Words like a Jackbox scam. Yes, it's a board game that relies on you and your friends to be funny, but Use Your Words sets itself apart with a distinct visual style and voice.
As with the Jackbox Party Packs, you'll control the game using your phone, but the minigames shown here are different, smaller, and better suited to casual play. part game, from a captioning contest to a wonderfully shameless parody of Family Feud.
The game supports between three and six active players, but up to 1 people can join the game's audience and participate as well! It's a shame that, despite its quality, it will always be compared to its beefier cousin at Jackbox. She deserves to be appreciated as such.
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That's it for our list of the best board games you can play with any controller, including a phone. Are there any missing items that should be on our list? Let us know in the comments below!
