The Best Mario and Super Mario Board Games

Super Mario video games are amongst the best-selling video games in the world. Because of his incredible popularity, Super Mario entered the world of board games and he now has his own versions of most classic games. Here, you can discover all the best Super Mario Board Games!

Uno Mario Kart

Pros
✓ Maps immerse players in the Mario universe.
✓ The basic rules do not differ from those of the original game.
✓ A game suitable for everyone.
Cons
✕ The full rules are not available in French.
✕ Little children will need the help of an adult.

Characteristics
● Brand: Mattel Games
● Number of players: 2 to 10 people
● Age: 7 years and over
● Duration of a game: 15 minutes
● Game type: Chance, observation

The principle resembles that of the original Uno. It is all about placing a card of the same color or number as the one in the middle of the table. The player who has only one card left calls out Uno! to warn the others. A player wins the game by getting rid of their last card. A player’s points are tallied up according to the remaining cards in the hands of their opponents.

The 112 cards are divided into 4 suits: blue, red, green, and yellow. Each color has 19 cards numbered from 0 to 9, with two cards of each number, except for the 0. There are also eight Draw 2 cards, eight Reverse cards, and eight Skip cards. The main difference in this version of Uno is the four Wild Draw 4 cards, and eight Item cards specific to this version. Each Item card has a special power.

The player who draws the Mushroom plays another turn. If someone draws the Banana Peel, then whoever played the previous turn draws 2 cards. Whoever draws the Green Shell forces a player of their choice to draw a card. The Lightning indicates that all players must draw one card each, and whoever drew the Item card can play a second time.

Our opinion: The effigy of Super Mario and the Item cards remind us of the adventures of our lovable hero.

Monopoly: Super Mario Celebration!

Pros
✓ All of the contents resemble Mario and his adventures.
✓ The cube’s sound adds a touch of humor.
✓ You don’t have to be a Mario fan to play it.

Cons
✕ Coins are easy to lose.
✕ The game is aimed more toward boys.

Characteristics
● Brand: Monopoly
● Number of players: 2 to 6 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 90 minutes
● Game type: Trade, construction, humor

The board, tokens, properties, houses and hotels are all from the Mario universe. The objective remains the same as in the original game; to become the richest and force others into bankruptcy. Movement is done using a single die. Players will buy and sell properties, and build houses and hotels. Houses and hotels are replaced with Toad houses and Princess Peach’s Castles.

Each of the 6 tokens has its own characteristics. Money comes in the form of gold coins. Delfino Plaza, Bowser’s Kingdom, Rainbow Ride, and Yoshi’s Island are just a few of the properties available for you to buy.

A question cube plays the role of chance cards. When pressed, everyone will hear a sound, telling them what to do. Some players will earn money, others will lose some, some just pass. There are times when the cube just laughs.

Our opinion: This game combines humor and making investments. Even if a player goes bankrupt, they will have had many laughs along the way.

Mille Bornes Mario Kart

Pros
✓ Learning the Highway Code.
✓ The game matches the theme of Mario Kart.
✓ Quick games that won’t bore toddlers.

Cons
✕ The board is small, which is frustrating for those who like large spaces to race.
✕ Little children need time to memorize the function of each card.

Characteristics
● Brand: Dujardin
● Number of players: 2 to 4 people
● Age: 7 years and over
● Duration of a game: 20 minutes
● Game type: Chance, driving, strategy

The game consists of traveling 1000 miles, facing enemy attacks and other roadblocks. The first to reach the end wins the game. The 4 tokens are represented by characters from the video game: Mario, Yoshi, Peach, and Luigi.

Each player receives 6 cards and draws 1 more when it’s their turn. The distance cards allow you to travel the number of miles indicated after using a Drive card. Hazard cards are used to slow down other players who can use Safety cards to deal with them.

The Banana Peel Hazard card makes the road slippery which causes accidents. Players travel distances or attack other players depending on the cards in their hands.

Our opinion: For the game to be captivating, everyone must try to travel as fast as they can while also hindering their opponents. This causes the game to be thrilling, as every player will have to attack others while also trying to protect themselves.

Super Mario Labyrinth

Pros
✓ A simple game suitable for everyone.
✓ Short play segments.
✓ A fun game where you try to find Mario and his friends.

Cons
✕ Setting up the maze’s tiles is not obvious for toddlers.
✕ The game may become monotonous for older children.

Characteristics
● Brand: Ravensburger
● Number of players: 2 to 4 people
● Age: 7 years and over
● Duration of a game: 20 to 30 minutes
● Game type: Puzzle, treasure hunt

In this version of the Labyrinth game, characters from the Mario series take the place of the original items. Players will therefore have to find Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. To do this, everyone will modify the labyrinth by placing a new tile, then they will move their token to the place where the character they are looking for is hiding.

Every player must do their best to reach the character they’re looking for. Players are not allowed to pass through walls, even if they are near the character they want. A player cannot move, until they have changed the maze by adding a new tile. When a player finds the first character, they go on to search for another.

The first player who manages to find all of their characters is the winner. The game has 34 tiles and 24 character cards.

Our opinion: The game is exciting, but it is imperative that all participants respect the rules to avoid cheating. Remember that it is forbidden to jump over walls, no one is allowed to do that.

Level 8: Super Mario

Pros
✓ The cards contain all of our favorite Mario characters.
✓ A game that awakens children’s intelligence.
✓ The indicatory card makes it easy to understand the game.

Cons
✕ The indicator card must be well-cut.
✕ A game highly dependent on chance.

Characteristics
● Brand: Ravensburger
● Number of players: 2 to 6 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 45 minutes
● Game type: Chance, card combination, speed

The rules are exactly the same as those of the classic Level 8 game. The only difference is Mario and his friends are all over the design of the cards. The game consists of forming combinations of cards, as indicated on the Level cards. A game has 8 levels. The first player to place down all of their cards wins.

Each player receives a Levels card, a Level Indicator card, and 10 cards to combine. The latter are composed of cards of 6 colors, displaying numbers from 1 to 15. The Jokers can take the place of any number or any color to complete a combination. The player who uses a joker chooses which card it’s going to be.

The Level Indicator card is used to indicate the card combination required to complete a level. The Skip card is to be placed in front of another player, who will simply put it back at the bottom of the draw pile, and their turn is skipped. When this card is at the top of the draw pile at the beginning of the game, everyone returns their cards to form a new draw pile.

Our opinion: The game is simple, but it’s important to know all of its details, such as the bonus system which allows a player to skip a few levels; and the fact that players are able to use jokers to complete card combinations.

Super Mario Malefiz

Pros
✓ An interesting game that arouses the competitiveness of the players.
✓ The rules are simple, similar to those of the original game.
✓ Players represent Super Mario characters.

Cons
✕ Chance has a say during the gameplay.
✕ There is a chance that a game could last up to 3 hours.

Characteristics
● Brand: Ravensburger
● Number of players: 2 to 4 people
● Age: 6 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 to 90 minutes
● Game type: Race, chance, strategy

The tokens are represented by characters from the video game. This is different from the original game, where players advance their 5 regular colored marbles. The game is played on a board where each player moves their pawns and collects gold coins. The first player to reach Princess Peach’s castle is the winner of the game.

The course is full of barricades that will have to be overcome. These barricades can be used to prevent opposing players from advancing. When a player arrives with their pawn at a space where there is an opponent’s pawn, they capture that space and the opponent’s pawn is returned to their house.

On a barricaded space, the player has the choice between staying inside or capturing the barricade. By opting for the first solution, they risk returning to the first space if one of their opponents lands on the same barricade. A player should make their decision with the next move in mind.

Our opinion: This racing game requires speed in movement. You shouldn’t forget to place barricades in the way of your opponents to slow them down. What’s even better is to make them return to their house, so that they start the course from the beginning.

Super Mario Chess

Pros
✓ Mario characters represent the chess pieces.
✓ Players get to fight bad guys in this strategy game.
✓ The Mario theme makes little children love chess.

Cons
✕ It takes time to get used to the pieces.
✕ This is an English version.

Characteristics
● Brand: Abysses Corp.
● Number of players: 2 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 90 minutes
● Game type: Puzzle, strategy

In this chess game, the board is cheerfully colored. The pieces are represented by characters from the video game. The rules do not differ from those of the original game. The battle between the two players is quite real, as Mario and his team will have to face Bowser’s team. Just like regular chess, a checkmate wins the game.

In Mario’s team, Mario takes the role of the King, Luigi takes the role of the Queen, Peach and Daisy are the Bishops, Yoshi represents the Knights, and Toad the Rooks. The pawns are gold coins.

Bowser is the King of the other team, Bowser Jr. is the Queen, Kamek the Bishops, Birdo the Knights, and Goomba the Rooks. The green shells are the pawns.

The pieces are quite imposing, with a height of 3 to 6 cm each. Each player will progress by capturing the opponent’s pieces, while avoiding getting captured themselves.

Our opinion: The characters can make the game more appealing, as if it were a video game. However, the role of each character must be remembered, which could be a bit confusing, but only for a short while.

Jenga: Super Mario Edition

Pros
✓ A party game for Mario fans.
✓ The rules are not complicated.
✓ Appeals to each player’s spirit of balance.

Cons
✕ The plastic blocks are not very stable.
✕ Plastic can break easily.

Characteristics
● Brand: Hasbro
● Number of players: 2 to 4 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Game type: Skill, chance, construction

The game takes place around the Jenga Tower, which a player must climb using the blocks. Each level consists of 3 blocks. Then, by spinning the roulette wheel, each player finds out the number of blocks they need to remove from the tower. The players place each block they remove back on the top of the tower, making sure that it does not collapse.

Players earn points, depending on how high their characters are. If the tower collapses, the player who caused it to fall down loses and the other players count their points. Whoever has the most points is the winner of the game. If the tower remains standing the entire game, the player who reaches the top with their character is declared the winner.

In this version of Jenga, the characters are the heroes of Super Mario, namely Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. Besides the fight to get to the top, players will have to fight Bowser. The game has 45 blocks, 4 character pieces, 34 coins, and a wheel.

Our opinion: The games are fast, but while replacing the blocks, a player might need to hold their breath. The game can test the patience of some people if they cause the tower to collapse several times.

Comparison Table