Rare Blade Runner Board Game Prototype Hits Auction Block for $500, But Discover Budget-Friendly Alternatives to Elevate Your Tabletop Experience
In 1982, the very same year Harrison Ford made his debut as Rick Deckard, his likeness appeared in low-fi grayscale on a guide for a board game adaptation that you’ve probably never experienced: Blade Runner.
There’s a genuinely valid explanation why you may not have encountered this game on any noteworthy board games list. According to legend, around 100 prototype copies were created before the project was halted due to licensing issues. Because of this scarcity and the film’s enduring legacy, eBay listings for the Blade Runner board game often reach several hundred dollars. For instance, an auction lot including one of those unreleased copies along with a film poster is currently listed at an astounding $500.
This is an undeniably extravagant price for a board game, and thus only a limited number of individuals have truly had the opportunity to sit down and enjoy it. However, the game documentation suggests that it incorporates social deduction elements and enables players to interpret VK video display readings to identify which member of their group is secretly a replicant.
If your current finances don’t quite allow for splurging half a grand on a segment of movie history but you’d still enjoy a generous dose of sci-fi detective vibes at your next game night, there are several affordable alternatives to explore.
If your idea of fun involves delving deeply into the finest tabletop RPGs, the folks at Free League have you covered. As outlined in our review of the Blade Runner RPG Starter Set, it stands as one of the most delightful and faithful tributes to the Blade Runner series. Set between Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049, it’s the ultimate way to fulfill your neo-noir fantasies. Utilizing the accessible yet rewarding Year Zero system, the Blade Runner RPG is suitable for everyone from beginners to seasoned veterans. How delightfully fortuitous is it that it’s currently available for $10 off? If this sounds like your style, you can grab the Blade Runner RPG Starter Set for $39.99 on Amazon.
If you’re simply seeking a quick board game that replicates the intense interrogation of Blade Runner’s Voight-Kampff test, Inhuman Conditions should absolutely be your go-to option. It’s a free two-player social deduction game created by the makers of Secret Hitler, where you assume the role of an Investigator and attempt to determine whether your suspect is a human or a robot by posing intriguing and subjective roleplay questions. Just print and follow the rules from the designers’ website (or purchase a physical copy on eBay if you fall in love with it) and start the meticulous work of interrogating your friends – or are they merely replicants who resemble your friends?
For more suggestions on what to add to your collection, why not check out the finest card games or best two-player board games?
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