Aside from board games, I love to read. I especially love the classics. I remember having the Secret Garden as a board game as a child, and was curious if there were other books that had accompanying games. Here’s what I found:

• Secret Garden: The Game
• Harry Potter: House Cup Competition
• Pride & Prejudice: The Game
• Lord of the Rings : Journeys in Middle-earth
• The Princess Bride: I Hate to Kill You
• Robinson Crusoe: Adventures of the Cursed Island

Secret Garden: The Game

I must have read the Secret Garden a dozen times and often dreamed what it would have been like to visit. It may have been a contributing factor for my love of flowers as an adult. 

As mentioned above, I had the Secret Garden game as a child, so chances are the only place to find this game is at a yard sale or on eBay. It’s rated for ages 5-12, and lacks the more difficult elements of many games. 

The object of the game is to reach all the treasures, magical objects and creatures first. The game board is colorful, as are the game pieces, colorful and appealing to look at. 

It’s a simple game of rolling the dice and moving around the board to collect your items. Your journey begins on the garden path, looking for moss covered spaces which when turned over reveal your magical objects.Collecting these magical objects will give you power and help restore the neglected garden. There are 12 objects to find in the garden. 

Players collect as many of these objects as they can before the other players do. Objects are worth points and at the end of the game, the player with the most points wins. 

While I don’t remember any magic in the book other than the magic of spring, the game is a nice reminder of the book and I feel like I could return to the garden and relive the magic of friendship and the beauty of a rejuvenated garden. 

Harry Potter: House Cup Competition

OK, I’ll be truthful. I’ve never read Harry Potter. I’ve had a resistance towards it simply because it seemed to be the only series anyone seems to read, and that bothered me because there are so many great books and series! A bit of a snob, I suppose.

There are dozens of Harry Potter licensed games, but among the Monopoly and Clue games, I found a beautiful board game named Harry Potter: House Cup Competition. 

In this game, players can reimagine their favorite books and pick their favored characters. Choose from Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Neville and begin the quest to win the House Cup for Gryffindor.

To play,  move your character around the board collecting cards to increase knowledge, skill and honor, necessary to grow your abilities. The more you grow, the harder your challenges become. 

Challenges are created from many of the Harry Potter films, which add an fun familiarity to the game. Completion of these challenges earn Victory points for themselves and Gryffindor.

When Gryffindor reaches 500 points, the player with the most points wins the game!

While I can’t say whether or not this game represents the books, it received many high ratings on game board sites. So if you’re a Harry Potter fan, this game might be for you!

Pride & Prejudice: The Game

Oh, Mr. Darcy! Based on Jane Austen’s loved novel, Pride & Prejudice, this sweet little board game steps back into another time.

Tea time, attending the ball and strolling through the gardens are just a day in the life of Elizabeth, Darcy, Jane and Bingly and your other favorite Jane Austen’s characters. 

How well do you know your literature? Test your knowledge, but don’t despair. The game can still be played by those who are unfamiliar with the book (it’s a great book, read it!) 

In spite of the simpleness of the board, there is strategy involved to get your twosome either together or separately around the board to collect the tokens.  

Then it’s off to the Parish Church to get married and win the game! Sadly, this game is also out of print, but likely you can find it on eBay. However, there’s another game dedicated to Mr. Darcy. While not a board game, but cards, it has great reviews. Try it out and let me know! Check out Marrying Mr. Darcy on Amazon

Lord of the Rings:Journeys in Middle-Earth

Have you always wanted to embark on a journey with the hobbit? Here’s your chance. 

A beautiful theme world awaits you in Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth. Winner of multiple awards, this cooperative, app supported game, invites you to become a hero of Middle-earth!

Unique in this game is the cross between your game board and a companion online app which guides you through your journey and chooses which enemies you’ll encounter. 

You and your companions will explore the land and battle the forces against you, and together you can win the victory in middle-earth. 

Choosing one of 6 familiar characters, you will grow your hero’s skills and special abilities. Choosing Gimli? He is beneficial in confrontations with Orcs. Bilbo? He has a clever mind, but doesn’t like the fight!

Adventure awaits you in this hybrid game. Because the app controls the enemies you’ll encounter, your focus is completely on you and your companion’s quest to defeat the forces of evil. 

The app gives each enemy it’s own unique behavior, so you’ll need to work together to strategize your response and slay the monsters. 

Ready to live the adventure? Gather your friends for a journey like no other! 

The Princess Bride: I Hate to Kill You

Inconceivable! This was my first thought when I discovered a board game for the Princess Bride! How could I not know about this classic book turned cult movie? 

The Princess Bride: I Hate to Kill You is a quick 2-player dice and card game that puts you directly in the sword fight scene. You can play as Inigo Montoya, Count Rugen, Prince Humperdinck or the illustrious Man in Black. 

Each player begins with 10 cards and 6 dice. On each turn, players roll their dice, then play a card. Cards can change the outcome of the dice, either in your favor or for your opponent’s.

To win the game, the player who is the first to score 5 hits wins the duel and the game. 

As you wish…make a wish for the I Hate to Kill You board game for your next game night.

Robinson Crusoe: Adventures of the Cursed Island

Ahoy, castaway! Welcome to the game that is almost as challenging as trying to actually survive on a deserted island! 

As a castaway, you’ll be faced with the trials of building a shelter,  finding food and protecting yourself from weather and wild beasts while trying to discover the secret of the island. 

How will you construct your tools and weapons? 

Whether you choose the cook, carpenter, explorer or soldier, you’ll need to create a shelter, weapons and find food while surviving against wild beasts and weather changes. 

While helping your fellow castaways, make a plan and put it into action. Decide together and make it happen! 

There’s a secret on the island. Will you discover it? Maybe you’ll find an underground city or abandoned village. Discover mysteries.  And what would an island be without a hidden treasure?

Let the adventure live through you!