Sometimes, you want to be transported to a different time while playing a board game. And sometimes, that time is around the mid to late 1800s England where balls were held often and gossip was the best way to pass the time, like in Pride and Prejudice or Bridgerton.
If you’re looking for a board game to capture the more fanciful times of this era, there are quite a few games available to you. We scoured the Ton of the best games around, looking for those that fit the bill for fashionable society.
Splendor
See at AmazonSherlock Holmes Consulting Detective - Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures
See at AmazonBridgerton The High Society Board Game
See at AmazonVictorian Parlour Games
See at AmazonBridgerton Love Letter Card Game
See at Amazon- See More
Marrying Mr. Darcy Board Game
See at Amazon
Splendor
Attract nobles with your gemstones
Type of Game Resource management Age Recommendation 18+ Number of Players 1-4A competitive resource management game for players who love gemstones and nobles, Splendor combines strategy and a constantly changing economy with a classic Victorian era feel.
Pros & Cons- Quick and snappy games are varied every playthrough.
- Beautiful art and firm play pieces make for a tactile experience.
While not explicitly set in the Victorian era, Splendor captures the vibes of this era with its charming artwork and almost aristocratic feel to its gameplay. Games are relatively quick, lasting around 20 to 30 minutes, but are almost always varied due to the different decks and cards you can find.
Much like an eligible young person at the time, your goal is to attract a noble visitor to your board, and do so through collecting various cards with a unique gemstone. Splendor is pretty easy to learn and can get competitive at times, despite being a seemingly straightforward game.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective - Jack the Ripper & West End Adventures
You too can be Sherlock Holmes
Original Release Date 2016 Player Count 1-8 Age Recommendation 14+ Length per Game 90+ minutes Franchise Name Sherlock Holmes Consulting DetectiveSolve some of the most dangerous adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Watson as they explore Victorian England. You get ten different cases to solve, each one taking you on a detective journey through London's underbelly.
Publishing Co Space Cowboys Weight 4.19 lbs Size 2.56 x 12.2 x 9.25 inches Pros & Cons- Six cases are unique and independent, while four are all tied around Jack the Ripper.
- Lets you dive into the world of Sherlock Holmes for a challenging puzzle to solve.
The Sherlock Holmes detective games are a cooperative game that combines storytelling, deductive skills, and classic Sherlock Holmes stories together in an adventure you have to unravel.
These games can be played by yourself or with up to eight players, though given the nature of the game, you really can only play the scenario once since once you solve it, you’ll likely always know how to solve it in the future. There is a bit of a learning curve with Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, so if you’re looking for an easy and chill board game, or one that won’t take too long, you might want to look elsewhere.
Bridgerton The High Society Board Game
Become a member of the Ton
Length per Game 30 minutes Franchise Name Bridgerton Publishing Co Mixlore Weight 1.51 pounds Size 2.5 x 7.75 x 0.1 inchesIf you've dreamed of attending balls, dancing with eligible romantic partners, and sabotaging your fellow aristocrats with a stray rumor, you will love the Bridgerton The High Society Board Game.
Pros & Cons- Lets you play as various characters from the show as you attend balls and romance prospects.
- Also lets you be incredibly cutthroat and use Lady Whistledown from the show.
If you’ve ever wanted to join the cast of Bridgerton as you hunt for a new courtly partner in a world of rumors, sabotage, and scandal, then you’ll want to pick up a copy of Bridgerton The High Society Board Game.
This game has you attending eight different events with various members of the Ton to try and learn everything you can about your potential suitor. But Lady Whistleton is always on the lookout for a new scandal can cover, and if you catch a competitor in the act of some scandalous behavior, you can sabotage their plans and help put you on top. The Queen is looking to pick a diamond this year, and it could be you with this game.
Victorian Parlour Games
Tons of games for the Ton
Publishing Co Clarkson Potter Weight 1.44 pounds Size 5.52 x 1.6 x 7.41 inches Designer(s) Thomas W. Cushing Player Count 2+What's better than one game from the Victorian era? How about fifty of them? This collection of party games are ones that actual members of the Ton would play back in the late 1800s, and are more fun than you might expect.
Number Of Cards 52 Pros & Cons- A great collection of different skill-based games.
- Requires little set up and can be taken with you on the go.
If you’ve watched any film based on the works of Jane Austen or have marathoned every season of Bridgerton, you might have noticed that the characters play various games to pass the time, especially once the party has died down a bit.
This collection of Victorian Parlour Games brings 50 different games together in one box, with all the rules you need to play. Given the nature of many of these games, you don’t need any outside items other than maybe a deck of cards to get going. There are games like What’s In Grandmother's Trunk? which is a memory-testing game where you have to try and remember all the items other players have mentioned. There are also rules for charades, which the cast of the latest season of Bridgerton played at Penelope and Colin’s engagement announcement.
Bridgerton Love Letter Card Game
Uncover Lady Whistledown, if you dare
Publishing Co Z-Man Games Weight 3.52 ounces Size 0.98 x 4.49 x 0.1 inches Number Of Cards 15Dearest Reader, do you want to unmask Lady Whistledown yourself? Then you'll want to pick up a copy of Love Letter, but this one has a Bridgerton twist to it. The game is just as snappy and quick as the original game, and has some new rules to keep the game unique.
Pros & Cons- Includes a new card, The Queen, which comes with her own set of rules.
- A quick and easy-to-learn game that's perfect for those unfamiliar with more involved board games.
Love Letter is one of the greatest games you can play that fits right in your pocket. This iteration of the classic game has players trying to discover the origin of Lady Whistledown, but otherwise has all the same rules of the original game.
Each card depicts a different character from the show, replacing the roles of the original game. The one exception is the introduction of the Queen Charlotte card, which has special rules unique only to her. While not the most in-depth game around, Love Letter makes a fantastic gift for anyone looking hunt for Lady Whistledown on their own. A great touch to this game is the little diamonds you get for winning a round, replacing the tokens of affection from the original game.
Marrying Mr. Darcy Board Game
The board game Jane Austen would have loved
Weight 15.2 ounces Size 1.6 x 8.5 x 5.5 inches Player Count 2+ Age Recommendation 12+Mr. Darcy is the most eligible bachelor around, and it's up to you to marry him. Build your character up with skills and abilities to become the most desirable suitor of the era.
Pros & Cons- You can make yourself more desirable to suitors through skills and by playing cards
- Is great to play while watching Pride and Prejudice or with a spot of tea.
Drawing inspiration from the book Pride and Prejudice, Marrying Mr. Darcy has you stepping into the role of one of the female characters from the book, each one with a unique skill and preferred partners to romance.
You spend time building up your character until the deck runs out, moving players from the courtship stage to the proposal stage. If you’ve built your character up the right way, you can try and marry your love. Even if you don’t quite have what it takes to woo Mr. Darcy, there are always backup partners to try and romance or to just earn points by being such a catch.
