The 10 Best Tie-In Board Games (That Actually Work)

Our Review of Best Solo Licensed Games

Introduction: Why Most Licensed Games Suck

Licensed games can almost universally be described as bad. They tend to be cash grabs for game companies looking to capitalize on another company’s well known/franchise. People are typically paying for the license instead of quality. We all know this. The people have spoken – licensed games are systems for making money off of something without actually having to make a good game.

Okay, that sounded a little harsh. Let’s be real – there are plenty of developers out there making kick ass licensed games. Games that cater to how the IP would translate into a game. Games that make you feel like you’re living in the movie/TV show’s world. Games where the mechanics are shaped around the theme and vice versa.

There aren’t very many games that do all of this, but they exist. So we decided to rank our top 10 games that do cheque all of those boxes.

Creating this list was almost conceptual enough to start its own debate flame war right among the staff at Meeple Power. Instead of arguing about which games were better than others, we could all agree on the games that would be on the main list. However, when it came to trying to decide what makes a good licensed game… that is when things got crazy. William wanted mechanics that felt like the theme above all else. Janet thought accessibility mattered more than theme considerations. Evelyn only wanted games that utilized pure strategic depth. Nicholas was looking for games that could support long campaigns. Billy just wanted games he could play with his friends.

After about a month of going in circles (because everyone was right), we compiled together a list that we could all agree on; games that master the mechanic, the theme, and the fun factor. Games that don’t just slap a license on as an afterthought. These games use the license as the foundation for the game. These are games where, if you enjoy the license, you will enjoy the game because they go hand in hand.

Why Licensed Games Fail (and why these don’t)

Okay, so yeah. A lot of licensed games fail. And the main reason for this is because developers don’t take the time to build a game around the license. They build a generic game system, then maybe slap some thematic references to the license onto the game. “We built a cooperative game LAST YEAR… About ghosts….and then we decided to go with the Ghostbusters license!”

Licensed games succeed when designers use the license as the basis for their game. Designers should ask themselves “what makes this movie/show unique?” “What would a game about this license be?” From there they design the mechanics to represent those ideas.

Alien: Isolation is great not because it has aliens. Alien: Isolation excels because the hidden movement mechanic emulates the feelings you got from Alien – isolation. Feeling scared. Knowing that there is an alien out there, but you don’t know where it is. Watching your back at all times because you know the alien could appear from anywhere. The alien acts as the hidden movement part of the game and it works incredibly well because of it. Star Wars: Rebellion is fantastic not because it has star wars names for the units. Rather, it works so well thematically because the mechanics of information asymmetry and lack of player knowledge emulates perfectly the Rebel’s vs. Empire conflict. Back to the Future is memorable not because it brings back nostalgia (although that doesn’t hurt). Back to the Future has great gameplay because you are playing with time – a central theme to the movies plot.

This list is comprised of games that could not exist without their respective licenses. Not games that simply have a license featured in the game. Games that if you removed the license, the core game would not feel the same.

Who Should Read This List

So you enjoy playing games about your favorite movies/TV shows. But you grow tired when a lot of games simply cheque a license as a checkbox. You want games that weave the license into the gameplay. Games that make mechanical sense with the license theme. Games where finishing a successful campaign lets you relive the movie/TV show’s story, not read a description of it.

You also tend to play a lot of games solo. We understand tie-in games are typically designed with a multiplayer experience in mind. So we decided to focus on games that have outstanding solo experiences as well.

Criteria for Solo tie-in games

As you look through our list, here are a few things to look for that we focused on:

Theme Authenticity: Do the game mechanics truly embrace what makes the license great? Or did they just throw in the license as an after thought?

Solo Friendly: Does the game offer a robust solo mode? Can you play the game with ease solo? Does playing solo change the entire experience of the game?

Mechanics Serve the Theme: While you are playing, do you feel immersed in the story? Or are you just shuffling pieces around a game board?

Accessibility: Are the rules easy to digest and play? Or does the game require you to read through the rulebook a dozen times.

Replayability: Will the game feel just as good the 5th time as you did the first? Or is it a once through because of the story.

Top Ten List

1. Alien: Isolation (2014)

Designers	John Yianni
License	Alien franchise
Solo Playtime	60-90 minutes
Complexity	Medium-High
Setup Time	10 minutes
Automa Quality	N/A (Hidden Movement)
Rules Overhead	Moderate

When you play Alien: Isolation you know you’re playing a game about being alone. There is one human player (who is solo playing) and the alien is a hidden movement piece that moves around the board (aka the Nostromo).

Players (in solo you) work to complete objectives while avoiding the alien. The alien will slowly make its way through the ship hunting you down. The longer you take to finish your objectives, the more likely you are to encounter the alien on your way to completing your objective.

Aliens enjoy you. They will rip you apart. If you encounter the alien, you will likely die.

The beauty of Alien: Isolation is you never know where the alien is on the board. You know that it is out there…. Searching for you. You know that it is climbing through the vents to get to you. You hear it… Creeping up behind you. You will know EVERYTHING about the alien except for its location.

The hidden movement mechanic is what will truly sell you on Alien: Isolation. When the alien does find you, you know that you are doomed. But not because you made a mistake, rather because the alien made YOU make a mistake. The alien is perfect. It is playing optimally. There is no dodging its attacks unless you are hiding when it is searching. Other than that, you WILL be found.

Is it still good solo? : YES. Don’t let the hidden movement mechanic fool you into thinking this will be a strategic powerhouse. Alien: Isolation is one tense game because you NEVER feel safe.

[William’s In-Depth Analysis Of Alien’s Thematic Integration and Terror Design →]

2. Star Wars: Rebellion (2016)

Designers	Michael Kiesling
License	Star Wars
Solo Playtime	120-180 Minutes
Complexity	High
Setup Time	15 minutes
Automa Quality	Good (AI plays as the Empire and makes logical decisions)
Rules Overhead	Moderate/High

Welcome to the Rebellion my friends. Star Wars: Rebellion is a battle of wit. Empire vs. Rebels. Who will out play their opponent?

Star Wars: Rebellion is an asymmetric game where one player controls the Rebel Alliance and another player controls the Galactic Empire. The Rebels objective is to survive. The Empire’s objective is to find you and destroy you.

Before we get too deep into the actual game, Star Wars: Rebellion is great mechanically. The Rebels have limited resources, but they have movement and information about the empire. The Empire has an entire fleet at their disposal but they have no idea where you are… unless you slip up and reveal your location.

Playing solo, you are the rebellion. The empire is played by AI that follows predetermined rulesets on searching the galaxy. The AI knows exactly how much information it should know, no more and no less. The AI plays very well.

Is it still good solo? : YES. Even though you are only playing one side, the asymmetric nature of the game allows for very different experiences if you decide to play both sides.

[William’s Review of Asymmetric Narrative Design in Star Wars: Rebellion →]

3. Back to the Future: Dice Through Time (2016)

Designers	Nathan Hajdu
License	Back to the Future
Solo Playtime	45-75 minutes
Complexity	Medium
Setup Time	10 minutes
Automa Quality	Score Based
Rules Overhead	Low

Dice Pleasures! Back to the Future: Dice Through Time shines with its ability to accurately capture what its like to travel through time. Players will be cloning dice to ensure that key events within the three movies occur when they should.

You’re controlling time people. Not only do you have to ensure that your dice are in the right place at the right time, but you have to avoid creating paradoxes that could collapse the time-space continuum. Anyone know where my DeLorean is?!

Back To The Future: Dice Through Time excels because the game mechanics FORCE you to think about both when and where your dice need to be. Dice determine what events will happen, but if you don’t have the correct dice in the correct spot at the correct time… well then you find yourself cloning dice and trying to avoid screwing up the time-space continuum any further.

Playing solo you are matching your score on the board. Like most coop games against a randomizer, Back To The Future: Dice Through Time doesn’t punish you for not meeting your goals. It was just tougher encounter.

Is it still good solo? : YES. While Back To The Future lacks the thematic intensity of our top choices, dice games are accessible and the theme of time travel is incredibly strong in this game. The game is essentially about playing the most with the fewest amount of dice – everything is as it should be.

[Nicholas’s Review of Back to the Future’s Timeline Mechanics →]

4. Terminator Genisys: Fall of Skynet (2016)

Designers	Corey Konieczka
License	Terminator Franchise
Solo Playtime	90-120 minutes
Complexity	High
Setup Time	15 minutes
Automa Quality	Very Good (Skynet AI plays perfectly)
Rules Overhead	Moderate

You’re fighting for your life. AGAIN.

Terminator Genisys: Fall of Skynet is a tense tactical combat game where you and fellow resistance fighters are trying to prevent Judgment Day. Like all games in the Terminator series, you’re trying to survive. Nobody knows this better than Skynet.

Skynet escalates on you as the game progresses. Turn 1- Skynet is easy to manage. Turn 20- Skynet is getting pretty tough, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. Turn 50- Welcome to Screwed. You’ve probably made many mistakes on your way to turn 50, but Skynet does NOT make mistakes. The AI is perfect. It’s playing optimally and by turn 50, Skynet is brutal.

Like in the movies, Terminator Genisys escalates to a point where you’re fighting for hope. You’re not playing to win against Skynet, you’re playing to not lose hope.

Playing solo, you take control of your group of fighters. Skynet follows pre-set rules that escalate the larger the battle gets. You know Skynet is coming for you because each turn it gets more aggressive. What you don’t know is WHERE Skynet is.

Is it still good solo? : YES. Terminators are tough, but everyone knows that. What makes Terminator Genisys: Fall of Skynet so great is that you have to be PERFECT to beat the AI. Once again, you’re not playing to win against Skynet, you’re playing to survive.

[Evelyn’s Analytical Review of Terminator’s Resource Management →]

5. Eldritch Horror (2013)

Designers	Kevin Wilson
License	Lovecraftian/Cthulhu Mythos
Solo Playtime	90-120 minutes (Per Scenario)
Complexity	Medium-Heavy
Setup Time	10 minutes
Automa Quality	N/A (Cooperative Game)
Rules Overhead	Moderate

No good challenge comes easy, do the researchers a favour and prepare to have your minds blown.

Eldritch Horror places you as one of the investigators working to stop the Eldritch horrors from tearing the world apart. You’ll travel to new locations, discover clues, and do your best to prevent the awakening of the Ancient Ones.

Lovecraft’s work shows up in almost every aspect of Eldritch Horror. From location cards having secrets and tactics to uncover them. To investigators themselves having flaws that can worsen as your sanity decreases. Even the encounter cards will work to mentally break you or knock your body apart.

There is a constant feeling of panic in Eldritch Horror. You’ll feel hopeless as everything that can go wrong does… During every playthrough. ELDRLICH HORROR WANTS YOU TO CRUSH YOUR SPIRITS. As investigators, you’re scrambling to find clues and work together to see one more turn. But the game is bigger than you, and it doesn’t give a shit about your feelings.

Playing solo you control 1-4 investigators, depending on the player amount stated on the box. The difficulty scales up or down depending on how many investigators you choose to play as. The wonderful thing about Eldritch Horror is that you’re NEVER playing against the other players. You’re playing COOPERATIVELY against the game. So when you lose… you lose because you ran out of options. Not because Edward from down the street happened to roll better than you.

Does it still hold up Solo? : Yes. Between the amazing scenario design that constantly throws new locations and enemies at you. The game will always feel fresh. The encounters also do a wonderful job of creating tense moments because you just don’t know what’s going to happen.

[Nicholas’s Deep Dive into Eldritch Horror’s Investigation Mechanics →]

6. Ghostbusters: The Board Game (2019)

Designers	Duane Maxwell
License	Ghostbusters Film Franchise
Solo Playtime	60-90 minutes
Complexity	Medium
Setup Time	10 minutes
Automa Quality	N/A (Cooperative Game)
Rules Overhead	Low

When Ghosts Attack.

Ghostbusters is a fantastic cooperative game where you and your fellow ghostbusters work to trap ghosts. Each player will manage their own ghostbuster. Making sure they are equipped with everything they’ll need (Proton Packs, Traps, ect.) and work together to trap as many ghosts while limiting the chaos they cause.

Ghostbusters is fun because it implements the theme very naturally into its mechanics. Sure you have to think about where to position your ghostbusters around the board. But you also have to manage your resources (Proton Pack Ammo, PKE Metre, ect.).

Solo you control all of the Ghostbusters. Ghost encounters can be difficult, but Ghostbusters offers many options to alleviate tough situations. Ghostbusters won’t punish you for making mistakes. But it will punish you if you don’t think about your strategy.

Does it still hold up Solo? : Yes. Ghostbusters has an amazing theme and it translates excellently into the game mechanics. Ghostbusters also happens to make for a great gateway into cooperative gaming.

[Janet’s Analysis of Ghostbusters’ Accessible Design →]

7. Jaws (2019)

Designers	Kevin Lanzing
License	Jaws Film
Solo Playtime	90-120 minutes
Complexity	Medium
Setup Time	10 minutes
Automa Quality	Good (Sharks follow a Card rule set)
Rules Overhead	Moderate

You’re gonna need a bigger boat.

Jaws is an amazingly fun asymmetric game where you’re either hunting a shark or are the shark. But the fun part about Jaws is that when you’re solo, the shark is CONTROLS BY A SIMPLE SET OF CARDS that determine where it will travel and attack.

The best part about Jaws being asymmetric is that it truly captures the battle between man and shark that is presented in the movie. The shark is a large, fast predator. Man is small and weak. But man is also intelligent and when they work together, even a shark can be taken down.

When your hunting solo, you’ll be frantically searching for that shark you know is out there. When you’re the shark in multiplayer, you will be strategically lurking around hoping the humans don’t find you.

Does it still hold up Solo? : YES. Great asymmetry always allows for you to have two different emotional experiences when you play both sides. Jaws nails the theme of the movie perfectly.

[Billy’s Investigation of Jaws’s Asymmetrical Conflict →]

8. Zombicide (2012)

Designers	Raphaël Guiton & Jean-Baptiste Laplanche
License	Zombie Media / The Walking Dead
Solo Playtime	60-120 Minutes (Per Scenario)
Complexity	Medium
Setup Time	15 minutes
Automa Quality	N/A (Cooperative Game)
Rules Overhead	Low

Brain craving Brain….

Zombicide is another fantastic cooperative game where you and fellow survivors are working together to scrape by another day in a zombie infested town. Each player will control their own survivor. Like any good zombie game, you’ll all have to work together to manage your ammo, smartly position yourselves, and survive the increasingly difficult zombie mobs.

The theme of Zombicide shines through its mechanics. Every decision you make will have consequences. Where you move determines where the next round of zombies will spawn. What you shoot determines if you have ammo for later. What objectives you choose to pursue will make surviving easier or harder.

Zombicide also does an amazing job of creating panic. Not only does your heart feel like it’s going to pound out of your chest when the nazi zombies show up, but your mind will feel overwhelmed as you realise just how many zombies there are.

On solo play you control an entire team of survivors. Zombies are tough, but never feel unfair. Zombicide rewards you when you strategically place your survivors and conserve your ammo, but won’t punish you if you don’t.

Does it still hold up Solo? : YES. Zombies are something we can all enjoy soloing. Zombicide creates escalating tension through its mechanics and is very rewarding in long form campaigns.

[Nicholas’s Campaign Analysis of Zombicide’s Long Form Survival →]

9. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (2016)

Designers	Andrew Wolf
License	Harry Potter
Solo Playtime	45-75 minutes
Complexity	Medium
Setup Time	10 minutes
Automa Quality	N/A (Cooperative Game)
Rules Overhead	Low

It’s leviOsa okay?!

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is a really fun cooperative deck-building game where you are the student witches and wizards attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Students will travel through all 7 years of school collecting spells and building up their deck of magic. But watch out! The difficulty catches up with you as you progress further.

Fans of Harry Potter will enjoy Hogwarts Battle because the theme is presented super cleanly. Not only are you learning spells and acquiring new cool gear, but you get to build your deck with that gear. Each year of school reflects a different level in the game. Providing a true sense of progression.

Playing solo you control multiple students. Gameplay does an excellent job of scaling based on how many students you want to control. There is no real opponent in Hogwarts Battle you’re simply playing AGAINST THE GAME. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is very beginner friendly and has a fantastic campaign.

Does it still hold up Solo? : Yes. Hogwarts Battle actually holds up REALLY well solo. Anyone who enjoys the Harry Potter series will love Hogwarts Battle because it feels like playing Hogwarts.

[Janet’s Accessibility Analysis of Harry Potter’s Gateway Design →]

10. Marvel: Crisis Protocol (2021)

Designers	Eric M. Lang
License	Marvel Universe
Solo Playtime	60-90 minutes
Complexity	Medium-Heavy
Setup Time	15 minutes
Automa Quality	Moderate (You will need to use Opponent AI)
Rules Overhead	Moderate/High

Wanna battle it out with the best of the best?!

Marvel: Crisis Protocol is a tactical superhero fighting game where you command teams of marvel heroes across the battlefield. Combat is fought on a small grid where you’ll position your characters and use their abilities to outmaneuver your opponents. But be wary, your opponents are… superheroes.

Marvel: Crisis Protocol truly embraces it’s superhero theme. Each character has amazing abilities that feel exactly like they do in the comics. Positioning is key. Using your characters special abilities is satisfying and actually provides some tactical advantages. Scenarios are fully modular allowing for a wide variety of tactical situations.

Marvel: Crisis Protocol does require you to use AI if you’re playing solo. AI fairly replicates what you would expect a human opponent to do. Position themselves, use special abilities, try not to over extend, etc.

Solo you will once again be commanding a group of superheroes.Marvel: Crisis Protocol doesn’t hold your hand solo. Expect to die a lot… but fighting off world threatening crises when dealing with superheroes is something we are all used to I’m sure.

Does it still hold up Solo? : Yes. Marvel: Crisis Protocol is chaotic and absolutely shines if you’re a fan of the license. Pushing your heroes together will create some incredible team moves that you can only do with your heroes’ specific abilities.

[Evelyn’s Tactical Analysis of Marvel’s Combat Systems →]

Games That Almost Made the List (And why we hated each others ideas)

We were able to weed out quite a few licensed board games that played solid mechanically, but did not fit the theme of the license very well. Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu did a great job of pulling off the lovecraft license (but didnt compare to Eldritch Horror). Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Board Game is fun and implemented the theme of the show really well. Game of Thrones: The Board Game had some super fun and complex mechanics, but might be difficult for the casual gamer.

All of our opinions were valid, but because this was our top 10… we had to make some tough decisions and purge some ideas. William believed we needed to showcase games that tied closer into the story of the license. Janet believed we should focus on easy to access games. Evelyn was only ok with games that had serious tactical depth. Nicholas only wanted games that allowed for long campaigns. Billy only cared if we could play the game with his friends.

In the end we decided that these 10 games hit every aspect we wanted. If you’re a fan of the license these games come from, you will enjoy playing these games. These games master the mechanic, the theme, solo playability, and allowing you to feel like you’re living inside your favorite movie/TV show.

If your favorite movie/TV show tie-in didn’t make the list, please don’t @ us. Like any Top Ten List of the best whatever, somebody is going to be upset that their favorite game didn’t make the cut. There are literally hundreds of tie-in games out there. So clearly, there is a lot of games that could have been on this list. Comment down below what you think should’ve made the list. We’ve spent way too much time arguing about it already.

TL;DR

Like we said in the beginning, not all tie-in games are crap. But the ones that are, fail for a reason. When designing a tie-in game; designers should be thinking about what makes their license stand out above other franchises. Instead of wondering how they can make a game about ____, think about HOW ____ would play a game. Design around that gimmick and you’re golden.

We truly believe every game on this list shines solo. Each game has a link to an individual review of the game below, researched and written by the person who loves the game the most. Because when a game properly honours its license… it deserves recognition.