12 Board Games from the Past That Didn’t Survive
These 12 board games were once popular but slowly disappeared due to changing tastes, designs, or poor gameplay.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
Board games were a big part of home entertainment before digital games became widespread. While some classic games are still played today, many others have faded away. These forgotten titles struggled to stay relevant or were replaced by better alternatives.
1. Mall Madness (Original Version)
Philafrenzy on Wikimedia Commons
The original Mall Madness game had players racing through a shopping mall using an electronic speaker for instructions. It was focused on spending money and shopping, appealing mainly to pre-teen girls. Later updates failed to hold interest as tastes changed. Eventually, newer versions replaced the original entirely.
2. HeroQuest
The MasTer on Wikimedia Commons
HeroQuest was a detailed fantasy adventure game with miniatures and a modular board. It required several hours to play and a dedicated group of players. Though it had a cult following, it became too complex for casual gamers. The game went out of print until a re-release decades later.
3. The Royal Game of Ur
Szilas on Wikimedia Commons
Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, The Royal Game of Ur is one of the oldest known board games in the world. It used a set of dice and a unique board with 20 squares to move pieces in a race-like format. The game was rediscovered in the 1920s and briefly reintroduced for educational and historical interest. Despite its legacy, it never gained lasting popularity with modern players.
4. Latrunculi
Raimundo Pastor on Wikimedia Commons
Latrunculi was a strategy game played in ancient Rome, often compared to chess or checkers. Players used a grid board and moved pieces to surround and capture the opponent’s pieces. It was seen as a game of skill and military thinking. Despite its historical value, it faded from use and was never widely revived in the modern era.
5. Battleships (Paper Version)
Actam on Wikimedia Commons
Before it became a plastic board game, Battleships was played using pencil and paper. Players drew grids and guessed coordinates to locate enemy ships. It was simple, portable, and easy to play anywhere. Once the boxed version with pegs and grids was released, the paper version was mostly forgotten.
6. Electronic Detective
Joe Haupt on Wikimedia Commons
This crime-solving game included an electronic audio unit that gave players clues through sound and code. Players moved around the board collecting information to solve cases. At the time, the electronic component was a major attraction. As newer detective games with apps and updated themes appeared, this version became obsolete.
7. Stay Alive
Alishag1590 on Wikimedia Commons
Stay Alive was a marble-dropping game where players moved sliders to make their opponent’s marbles fall into holes. It had a simple but tense mechanic that relied mostly on physical positioning. The game was easy to learn but offered little depth. It was discontinued after a few years, though it still has some nostalgic value.
8. Green Ghost
Mliu92 on Wikimedia Commons
Green Ghost was marketed as the first glow-in-the-dark board game and featured spooky elements like trapdoors and spinning wheels. It was designed to be played in low light. While innovative in design, the game had weak replay value. It was eventually overshadowed by other horror-themed games.
9. Battling Tops
Shibata Zeshin on Wikimedia Commons
In Battling Tops, players wound up spinning tops in an arena, trying to knock out the others. The outcome was mostly random and based on physics rather than player decisions. It was fun for short bursts but lacked depth. It faded in popularity as electronic and strategy-based games took over.
10. Crossfire
crossfire game on Wikimedia Commons
Crossfire was a fast-paced tabletop game where two players used spring-loaded guns to shoot small metal balls at a puck, trying to score in the opponent’s goal. It was marketed as a high-energy game of speed and accuracy. The action element made it popular for a time, especially during its 1990s revival. Over time, concerns about safety, noise, and its limited gameplay depth led to its decline and removal from stores.
11. Fireball Island
Brian Michael Napoletano on Wikimedia Commons
Fireball Island featured a 3D island board where players raced to capture a jewel and escape while dodging rolling “fireballs.” It became a cult favorite for its unique design and physical elements. The original game was discontinued due to high production costs and breakable parts. A modern reboot was released years later, but the original version never returned to shelves.
12. Shark Attack
Lallint on Wikimedia Commons
This battery-powered game featured a motorized plastic shark that chased player tokens around a circular board. Players had to outrun the shark before getting eaten. It was exciting at first but repetitive and almost entirely luck-based. The motor often broke, and the game was discontinued after a short run.