9 Best Interactive Story Board Games Ranked

Embark on adventures woven with strategy, suspense, and critical decisions in our roundup of immersive story-driven board games.
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Tales of the Arabian Nights coverAbove and Below coverGloomhaven cover

Embarking on a quest for the ultimate story-driven experience, we’ve scoured the board game universe for tales that transform game night into epic adventures. We seek games that not only engage us with a rich narrative but require our input to drive the storyline forward. These selections promise more than entertainment; they offer a doorway to becoming heroes, sleuths, and survivors. Woven with choices that echo through their far-stretching plotlines, teamwork and strategy are key, guaranteeing each session is as fresh as the first play. Immerse yourself with us in the enchanting realms of the 9 best Interactive Story board games out there.

Games on this list:

9 Tales of the Arabian Nights

Tales of the Arabian Nights cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 1-6
  • Play Time: 120+ minutes

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When we gather to delve into an immersive story experience, ‘Tales of the Arabian Nights’ is often our go-to. The reason it secures a spot in the discussion of the 9 best interactive story board games is because of its unbelievable ability to make us feel like we’re part of a living, breathing Arabian fairy tale. Players embark on quests filled with choices that trigger unforeseen consequences, making each game a unique narrative adventure.

8 Above and Below

Above and Below cover

  • Age Range: 13+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 90 minutes

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As storytellers around the board, ‘Above and Below’ has us thrilled with its combination of village-building mechanics and narrative storytelling. Each turn we get to explore mysterious caves, with the outcomes varying from witty to sombre, leaving a mark in the 9 best interactive story board games for how it blends resource management with a richly woven tapestry of tales.

7 Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 1-4
  • Play Time: 60-120 minutes

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Within our circle, ‘Gloomhaven’ has become something of a legend. Its well-earned place among the 9 best interactive story board games is won not just through its deep tactical combat, but how its story unfolds intricately with our decisions, allowing us to change the city’s future and carve out our own tales within its persistently evolving world.

6 Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game

Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game cover

  • Age Range: 16+
  • Players: 1-5
  • Play Time: 120-180 minutes

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Among the very best in narrative-driven gaming, ‘Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game’ captures our imaginations as a fusion of interactive storytelling with a strong theme of crime-solving. The integration of online databases to investigate pushes it high on the 9 best interactive story board games list, ensuring each session is as engulfing as it is brain-teasing.

5 Betrayal at House on the Hill

Betrayal at House on the Hill cover

  • Age Range: 12+
  • Players: 3-6
  • Play Time: 60 minutes

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Thrilling and unpredictable, ‘Betrayal at House on the Hill’ has us engrossed with its emerging narratives each time we explore the haunted mansion. Drawing acclaim as one of the 9 best interactive story board games for its unique haunts that throw us into different scenarios, it proves that a good story can even surprise those who tell it.

4 Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 1-8
  • Play Time: 120-240 minutes

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In our pursuit of spine-chilling excitement, ‘Eldritch Horror’ stands out with its globe-trotting adventures against untold cosmic horrors. Securing a spot among the 9 best interactive story board games, it tasks us with solving mysteries and surviving encounters amidst rich Lovecraftian myths, offering a truly cooperative, story-driven gameplay.

3 Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective cover

  • Age Range: 14+
  • Players: 1-8
  • Play Time: 60-120 minutes

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There’s a consensus among us that ‘Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective’ is quintessential when discussing narrative depths in gaming. Being one of the 9 best interactive story board games, it empowers us to walk the Victorian streets, ponder over newspaper clippings, and outsmart the sleuth himself in deduction gameplay. It’s seamless storytelling wrapped in intellectual challenge.

2 Mice and Mystics

Mice and Mystics cover

  • Age Range: 7+
  • Players: 1-4
  • Play Time: 60-90 minutes

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Beaming with charm and heroics, ‘Mice and Mystics’ brings about an aspect often overlooked in great tales: heart. Slotting into the prestigious lineup of the 9 best interactive story board games, it enchantingly spins a yarn about tiny heroes on a huge quest. With every cheese and sword raised against malevolent roaches, it tugs at our communal heartstrings.

1 Time Stories

Time Stories cover

  • Age Range: 12+
  • Players: 2-4
  • Play Time: 240 minutes

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First among equals, ‘TIME Stories’ unequivocally captures the apex in enlarging the board game storytelling vault. Its chronology-warping escapades allow us to embody diverse avatars and voyage through time, creating unique synergies. Every looping pursuit sharpens the narrative’s intrigue, rendering it as the finest within the 9 best interactive story board games due to its unparalleled approach to decision making and consequence.

Jamie in his proper element: With all of his board games
Jamie Hopkins

With years of dice-rolling, card-flipping, and strategic planning under my belt, I've transformed my passion into expertise. I thrive on dissecting the mechanics and social dynamics of board games, sharing insights from countless game nights with friends. I dive deep into gameplay mechanics, while emphasizing the social joys of gaming. While I appreciate themes and visuals, it's the strategy and camaraderie that truly capture my heart.