Some might think board games are a dying breed due to new technology. After all, what’s the point in playing those types of games when the Internet and video game consoles exist? Well, let’s discuss the logic behind that. Board games have a material feel to them. It’s a lot more fun to physically move pawns instead of moving around some data. Rolling dice to figure out your next move is a lot better than touching a pair of dice on a screen and waiting for them to randomly stop rolling.
The point I’m trying to make here is that board games haven’t lost their touch, which is why they’re still around today. I mean, who wouldn’t be up for a game of Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders? Board games have been around for decades, and because of this, there’s quite a few out there that are extremely valuable. Some older board games are even worth thousands of dollars in value.
It could definitely be possible that some of these games on the list are ones you’ve played before. But you’ll probably have a better time making a cash grab if you find an old board game from the 40s in your grandparents’ attic. Yet even so, some of these games are more recent and you might even remember playing them when you were a kid. So here’s to hoping that something on this list will either kick in the nostalgia, make you filthy rich, or both. Both is good.
25 Risk 40th Anniversary Edition
24 3D Monopoly: New York Edition
Now I’m pretty sure everyone reading this has at least played one game of Monopoly before. It’s a board game about buying property and more or less becoming a rich person without going bankrupt. There are only 2,000 copies of the 3D Monopoly: New York edition, and on average, a copy sells anywhere between $500 to $1,000. That’s quite a bit of cash for a fancy version of Monopoly. It’s a very nice version, but personally I feel like if I bought it, I wouldn’t even want to play with it.
23 Star Wars: The Queen’s Gambit
22 War Of The Ring Collector’s Edition
War of the Ring is a game focused on the Lord of the Rings series. And surprising nobody, it’s a strategic battle game. One player controls the side that’s protecting the ring bearer, while the other controls the shadows that are out to reclaim the ring. Online the collector’s edition is valued at about $1,500, which is absolutely insane for a video game. But once again, if you’re a hardcore Lord of the Rings nerd, this might be something for you to consider looking into.
21 Swarovski Scrabble
Now I’ll admit that your odds of possibly owning this are extremely slim. As far I’m aware, there’s only one copy of this in the entire world. About 10 years ago, a Scrabble board was made with Swarovski crystals. There’s approximately 30,000 crystals involved in the design and is valued at about $25,000. That’s absolutely crazy, all for a Scrabble board game. Is it gorgeous? Absolutely. So I can understand the pricing, but that’s just something I can’t afford to have.
20 Outrage! Deluxe
Outrage! Deluxe is the holder of the Guinness World Record for “Most Expensive Board Game in the World.” What a title to have. This game involves players working to steal the crown jewels from London and escape without being caught. The deluxe version is extremely fancy, with the crown jewels being fashioned in solid gold and studded with rubies and sapphires. So it comes as no surprise that it costs about $25,000. And no, that doesn’t include the shipping price from the United Kingdom.
19 Smart Scrabble
Sure, you can play Scrabble on any phone or tablet, but have you ever wanted to own a very expensive high-tech Scrabble board? Yes, one actually exists. About five years ago, a Scrabble board game system with LED lighting was created. It cost about $30,000 just to make the game. Because of the cost of production alone, I’m sure we don’t want to know how much the creators are asking for this. It does make me curious to know why they decided to make one in the first place.
18 The Landlord’s Game First Edition
So from the research I’ve been able to do, it seems that The Landlord’s Game is basically the older version of Monopoly. And by that, I mean it’s what Monopoly used to be called. The very first patent for the game was given in 1904 to Elizabeth J. Magie. The name itself didn’t change until the 1940s. So if you or your grandparents somehow have The Landlord’s Game sitting around in good condition, you’re in luck, because you have something extremely valuable.
17 Disney’s Haunted Mansion Game
The Haunted Mansion is definitely a classic attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida. It’s so popular that not only was there a movie about it starring Eddie Murphy, but there was a board game for it that released in the 70s. I couldn’t really find a market value for this game. However, considering its age, it’s safe to say that this board game is also very valuable. Maybe you’ll be lucky and discover one in an attic or odd, mysterious chest.
16 Trafalgar
You know what I just now thought of? Why are there so many games out that focus on battle simulation? What’s the appeal there? I get the fighting and strategy aspects, but isn’t there a way to go about creating board games without incorporating warfare? Anyway, before I get too off topic, Trafalgar is another game that’s worth a pretty penny. It also is a battle simulator that features ships that all played a part in the actual Trafalgar battle.
15 Dark Tower
Okay, but Dark Tower sounds like a game that would be right up my alley. Yet it’s no wonder that I’ve never played it before because it was released in the 80s. Players go on a quest to retrieve a magic scepter from an evil king. If that doesn’t sound cool to you, I guess you can just stick with Candy Land. This game is currently priced at about $375. That’s not as crazy in comparison to other items on this list, but that’s still a triple digit number.
14 Fireball Island
13 The Campaign For North Africa
I’m sure you’ve probably read the Kotaku article on this game. The gameplay and devices within The Campaign For North Africa make the game extremely lengthy to play. If you’re lucky, it would only take you about 1,500 hours to play and finish a game session. Sorry, but I don’t really think anyone has the patience for this campaign. They’ll probably just stick with Dungeons and Dragons instead. Even though it’s rarely played, this game is also worth a fortune because of its complexity.
12 Jati
All right, so you know this game is definitely worth something when only 100 copies have been produced. Unfortunately, most have been destroyed, but there are a few Jati board games still in existence. Jati is a tile placement game. It’s okay. I hadn’t heard of it either until today. The game was eventually republished in the late 80s, but the copies that first released in the 60s are the ones of value. I am curious to know why some of the older copies were destroyed.
11 Agent Of Change
Agent of Change is a board game with a very interesting concept. The objectives players must complete is linking eastern coastal cities in the UnitedStates to the Ohio River and also be the first one to collect $250 million. The game was a limited edition created for a museum’s art exhibit. And surprisingly, this is actually a very competitive game. I’ll be honest, though. I had never even heard of it until today, and I couldn’t find any information on its value.
10 Lost In Space 3D Action Fun Game
If you hadn’t figured it out already, the majority of games on this list are older for a reason. With antiquity comes greater value. Lost In Space 3D Action Fun Game is based on the early 60s television series. It’s a spin and move game, with the game board actually being three levels high. So the board itself is structured in an interesting manner. Because of its age and material it’s based off of, it’s a rare item and has a high value.
9 The Elvis Presley Game
Now I know that every nerd out there must be giggling in excitement because they have the 1957 Elvis Presley board game locked away somewhere nice and safe. Yes. That’s sarcasm. After all, I’d be extremely surprised if you had this somewhere. It’s one of those board games where players answer questions in order to progress on the board. So it’s simplistic in gameplay, but come on. It’s Elvis. If you’re yearning for some burning love, it’s time to see if you can snag yourself a copy of this game.
8 Swift Meats Major League Baseball Game
In the 1950s, a meat packaging company came up with the idea of including a board game with their product in order to encourage children to eat meat. Talk about the strangest marketing strategy ever. The board itself is worth about $900, and the cards that were included with the board game are worth about $400. So for a couple pieces of cardboard that came with some meat, that’s a pretty rare deal you can’t cook up with your typical board game.
7 Fortune
With Fortune, players make money by buying materials that they can use to make goods. To make a long story short, it’s a game about economics and business. How fun is that? Sorry, but as a writer, it’s not really a board game that intrigues me, and I’d say it’s a safe assumption that none of you would be interested either. But hey, it’s an oldie, so if you have an older copy of the game, you’re looking at some pretty decent money.
6 Haunted House
Spooky games are horrendously fun to play, whether they’re with a gaming controller in your hands or a pewter piece on a board. In 1962, the gaming company Ideal came out with a board game simply titled Haunted House. Honestly, I’d say this is one of the coolest games to make this list because the game board is an actual miniature “haunted house.” How cool is that? With its uniqueness factor and age, it’s definitely worth something that might scare your wallet just a bit.
