Most games are made to be played by more than one person so this post was brought to you by Jasmine Hodge AND Lili Feinberg.
Bookish peeps are often the most imaginative bunch out there, which means that we can keep up with the best of ‘em in imaginative board games. Fear not, for if you find more comfort navigating around your bookshelf than your game closet, we’re about to drop some helpful tips on you about where to start your board game explorations. Please note, Riveted by Simon Teen (and Lili and Jasmine, especially!) are not responsible for any falling out that may occur over any of the following board games. We also acknowledge that maybe we’re just a little competitive.
Let’s Play! Games to Pair with Your Favorite Books
Scrabble: Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
All’s fair in love and Scrabble! This heart-pounding thriller is set in the world of competitive Scrabble, where a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.
Ticket to Ride: Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
Okay, so this may be a road trip instead of a train trip, but bear with us! Travel is still amazing!
Hop on board this train with your ticket to ride as you explore Ireland with Addie in Love & Luck. Addie escapes to Ireland to attend her Aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding while trying to run away from her past, but her brother, Ian, won’t let her get away that easily. She embarks on a journey of a lifetime, exploring the Emerald Isle with her annoying brother and his cute friend Rowan with the trusty guidebook Ireland for the Heartbroken leading the way.
Pandemic: This Cruel Design by Emily Suvuda
Pandemic is a literal interpretation of the science fiction events in This Cruel Design, where the Hydra epidemic refuses to be conquered and keeps coming back to wreak havoc on the world as we know it. It is up to Cat to team up with the enemy to find a vaccine that can save the world when the odds are stacked against her. Let’s hope it’s not like Pandemic where it’s near impossible to win…
Clue: This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher
This classic whodunit board game was made for true crime readers in the making and lovers of murderous mayhem, which means it pairs perfectly with Chelsea Pitcher’s This Lie Will Kill You. Five teens were somehow involved in a deathly party one year ago, and none have told the truth until now. When they’re trapped in a mansion, lured there by someone bent on revenge under the guise of a college scholarship, the truth will be told and allow only one of them to be set free. AND bonus, this book was inspired by Clue!
7 Wonders: The Devil’s Thief by Lisa Maxwell
7 Wonders is all about traveling back in time and visiting some of the 7 Wonders of the World as we develop civilizations around them, and Lisa Maxwell’s The Devil’s Thief has some pretty kick-butt time travel to save the Maegus population who can wield magic–a dying art. Time travel and magic at lightning fast paces? Count us in for this board game and bookish combo!
Guess Who?: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
This hilarious and classic guessing game pairs perfectly with our new favorite sleuthing team in Serious Moonlight: Birdie Lindberg and Daniel Aoki. After an awkward first encounter, Daniel and Birdie soon realize that they are now co-workers on the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel. Lovers of mysteries themselves, the two quickly embark on a hunt for clues as they begin to unravel the identity of a world-famous reclusive author who may be meeting someone at the hotel. Can they guess who he is before he stops visiting? Only time will tell… and you can too when this amazing story hits shelves in April!
Codenames: The Perfect Candidate by Peter Stone
Codenames is a word association game that allows teams to see who can be more clever while also being be cautious. You have the get all the clues on the table before you opponent, but choose incorrectly and you might eliminate yourself before you have the chance to win. In The Perfect Candidate, Cameron Carter gets caught up in a political conspiracy while interning in Washington D.C. And Cameron must put the clues together, not only to solve the mystery of his fellow intern’s death, but to also save his own life.
Betrayal at House on the Hill: Light As a Feather by Zoe Aarsen
Light As a Feather has more witches than ghosts, but there are still creepy crawlies that come out in the night that want to mess up your evening plants. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a game where it’s all the players versus the game – seems easy right? Not so much. Cards make the games harder and harder, and as you explore more rooms in the haunted house, you are more likely to get spooked (or killed). Filled with twists and turns (and a bunch of different characters and story lines), this game and this book go perfectly together.
Battleship: Sanctuary by Caryn Lix
Even though Battleship doesn’t have any aliens in it (thought how cool would that be?) it does have strategy and a little bit of chance and, if you have the newer versions, cool sound effects of things exploding. Sanctuary is filled with action and strategy and teenagers trying to survive on a spaceship while avoiding some less than friendly creatures (ahem, aliens) that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Candy Land: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian
Everyone knows Candy Land! Stay Sweet is the perfect pair to this game, with its colorful, sweet story all while you are still competing to make it to the Candy Castle first. Amelia and her best friend go through some rough moments and some sweet moments in the book about World War II, ice cream, and growing up. AND Candy Land actually came out only five years after Meade Creamery was established!