Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer SFX
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The world's number one sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Disney Plus bundles
  • Best Sci Fi Movies
  • New Marvel TV Shows
  • New TV Shows
Don't miss these
The Coriolis: The Great Dark Core Rules stood upright on a wooden surface, against a dark background
Tabletop Gaming I've fallen out of love with Destiny, but this new tabletop RPG captures what I adored about it in the first place
Screenshot of a chess board with one piece getting blown up in an explosion with UI overlaid on the sides, from Passant: A Chess Roguelike.
Roguelike Games Everything in the world must be converted into a roguelike, and not even chess is safe with a new game "that changes all the rules"
A stack of board games on a wooden table beside Life in Reterra and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, all behind a GamesRadar+ logo
Board Games The best board games 2025, with over 25 recommendations tested, reviewed, and rated by experts
A press image shows the protagonist from Cronos: The New Dawn standing inside a dark engine room
Horror Games Bloober's Cronos: The New Dawn is like Dead Space in Hell, but it has a cool female protagonist because the devs say that's simply "more interesting"
a person in a leather coat leans against a telephone
RPGs I'm relieved to see the Disco Elysium successor is just as strange and dark – I've had my fill of fantasy RPGs for the year
D&D Player's Handbook laid out on a wooden surface
Tabletop Gaming Will romantasy be the next great crossover for Dungeons & Dragons? Fourth Wing could be the perfect D&D setting, if you ask me
A close up in The Alters
Survival Games "Yo this isn't Mass Effect, my guy, put the flirt gun down": Devs behind sci-fi survival game The Alters shoot down thirsty fans' requests to romance their clones
Star Overdrive screenshot showing protagonist Bios who has wide hair surfing across a desert plain as a sandworm peruses him - the Indie Spotlight logo is at the top right corner
Open World Games I've been hunting sandworms while doing hoverboard kickflips and keytar solos in this hypnotizing mashup of Breath of the Wild and Hi-Fi Rush
A woman turns to look at an unseen person while standing in front of crew mates behind a glass screen in Directive 8020
Horror Games Until Dawn studio's first sci-fi game is a body horror fest inspired by John Carpenter with tons of Lethal Company tension, and I've never been so excited to turn into a pile of sludge
Gloomhaven, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Life in Reterra boxes on a wooden table, with a GR+ logo sat between them
Board Games The best adult board games 2025, from newcomer Fate of the Fellowship to Gloomhaven
Keir Dullea in 2001: A Space Odyssey
Movies The 32 greatest sci-fi movie quotes
An alien spider crawling towards the camera in the movie, The Thing.
Horror Games After 43 years, one of the world's greatest horror movies lives on in so many games – from Among Us to Cronos: The New Dawn
a human in a space helmet with bright blue shards of crystaline protomolecule erupting from their mouth and visor
RPGs Sci-fi action RPG The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is taking inspiration from Mass Effect 2's suicide mission and making sure companions help even when they're left on the ship
The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time: pictures of Alien, Arrival, Terminator, Brazil and 2001.
Sci-Fi Movies The 30 best sci-fi movies of all time
A heavily-armored warrior with a bladed shield and morningstar stands on top of a pile of demon corpses, against a volcanic, medieval background
Board Games "A hell of a feeling:" Doom: The Dark Ages Arena board game is like "heavy metal chess" and dammit I'm so in
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Sci-Fi Movies

10 sci-fi game changers

Features
By Dave Golder published 2 April 2015

Why can't sci-fi and fantasy characters play something other than chess for a change?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Your Move

Your Move

Ever noticed that an awful lot of people in sci-fi and fantasy films play chess? Why cant they battle wits over something else for a change? We give them something else to play with

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Spock plays Connect Four

Spock plays Connect Four

Forget 3D Chess. This the is logical game to play

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
The Doctor & K9 play Mousetrap

The Doctor & K9 play Mousetrap

If they have a rodent problem maybe they should call in the exterminators

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Eldon Tyrell plays Guess Who?

Eldon Tyrell plays Guess Who?

Maybe this is how the big boss in Blade Runner decides what his replicants will look like.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
WOPR plays Scrabble

WOPR plays Scrabble

Why play WarGames when you could be trying to make a word out of X, Z, Q, Y, B, V and O?

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Xavier and Eric play Buckaroo

Xavier and Eric play Buckaroo

Professor X is First Class at this game. Magneto wishes it wasnt all made of plastic.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Xavier and Eric play KerPlunk

Xavier and Eric play KerPlunk

Professor X likes the way the straws form multiple X shapes. Magneto wishes it wasnt made of plastic

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Frank Poole plays Pac-Man

Frank Poole plays Pac-Man

Still popular in 2001 for when you get fed up with HAL beating you at Chess all the time.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Andy and Kenneth play Battleships

Andy and Kenneth play Battleships

If you were separated by streets heaving with zombies during the Dawn Of The Dead, a bit a binocular-aided Battleships will help pass the time.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Number Six plays Cluedo

Number Six plays Cluedo

Imagine if this formed the Village green in The Prisoner rather than a giant chess set? Seems more like one of Number Twos interrogation schemes to us.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Death plays Jenga

Death plays Jenga

After chess in The Seventh Seal and Twister, Cluedo and Battleship in Bill and Teds Bogus Journey, he needed to find a new challenge.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
PRODUCTS
Blade Runner Star Trek the seventh seal
Dave Golder
Dave Golder
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
The Coriolis: The Great Dark Core Rules stood upright on a wooden surface, against a dark background
I've fallen out of love with Destiny, but this new tabletop RPG captures what I adored about it in the first place
 
 
Screenshot of a chess board with one piece getting blown up in an explosion with UI overlaid on the sides, from Passant: A Chess Roguelike.
Everything in the world must be converted into a roguelike, and not even chess is safe with a new game "that changes all the rules"
 
 
A stack of board games on a wooden table beside Life in Reterra and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, all behind a GamesRadar+ logo
The best board games 2025, with over 25 recommendations tested, reviewed, and rated by experts
 
 
A press image shows the protagonist from Cronos: The New Dawn standing inside a dark engine room
Bloober's Cronos: The New Dawn is like Dead Space in Hell, but it has a cool female protagonist because the devs say that's simply "more interesting"
 
 
a person in a leather coat leans against a telephone
I'm relieved to see the Disco Elysium successor is just as strange and dark – I've had my fill of fantasy RPGs for the year
 
 
D&D Player's Handbook laid out on a wooden surface
Will romantasy be the next great crossover for Dungeons & Dragons? Fourth Wing could be the perfect D&D setting, if you ask me
 
 
Latest in Sci-Fi Movies
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars fans are discussing what makes Palpatine such a good villain: "He's just evil. And it is damn entertaining"
 
 
Mark Hamill admits he thought Luke Skywalker returning in The Force Awakens "would be a mistake" at first
 
 
John Boyega in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
John Boyega wants to appear in the sequel to Star Wars parody Spaceballs: "Let me make Spaceballs legit"
 
 
Mark Hamill in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Mark Hamill says Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are "speaking the same language that George [Lucas] did," in a way he "questioned in the sequels"
 
 
Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson in The Long Walk
Mark Hamill says the "major change" in The Long Walk made him "nervous," but Stephen King loved it: "I thought, oh good, I've done my job correctly"
 
 
Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson in The Long Walk
The Long Walk ending explained: Who dies? Who wins the contest?
 
 
Latest in Features
Man of Tomorrow concept art showing Superman and Lex Luthor teaming up superimposed over a group of heroes from the cover of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
Almost 90 years after Superman was first called the Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn is reviving the name for his big sequel
 
 
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
Pokemon Pokopia: everything we know about the Pokemon game that looks a lot like Animal Crossing
 
 
A taurus-shaped robotic figure with flaming innards, against a dark background with rocks visible
Helsmiths of Hashut review: Fear this new Warhammer Age of Sigmar army, because it's gonna kick ass
 
 
A screenshot of the upcoming Switch 2 game, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave with a character using a purple energy blast
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave – Everything we know about the strategy game's Switch 2 debut
 
 
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Downton Abbey helped me through the toughest times, but The Grand Finale feels like the perfect time to wrap things up
 
 
Upcoming video game movies: Mario, Princess Peach and Toad in The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Super Mario Galaxy Movie release date, cast, plot, and everything else you need to know about The Super Mario Bros. sequel
 
 
  1. Gwent: The Legendary Card Game box on a wooden surface, with cards visible in the background
    1
    There's now a real version of the Witcher Gwent card game, and it's just as engrossing as the original
  2. 2
    Borderlands 4 review: "Undeniably an excellent looter shooter, but one that requires a bit of tunnel vision to fully enjoy"
  3. 3
    This enormous exploration board game won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in narrative and sandbox gameplay
  4. 4
    Hollow Knight Silksong review: "Worth the wait and then some, this isn't just more Hollow Knight but an evolved, spindly beast all its own – even if it's fiddly at times"
  5. 5
    Cronos: The New Dawn review: "An unabashed mash-up of survival horror greatest hits, from Dead Space to Silent Hill, with plenty of its own gory ideas"
  1. Vera Farmiga as 'Lorraine' in The Conjuring: Last Rites
    1
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  2. 2
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  3. 3
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  4. 4
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  5. 5
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  1. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Wednesday season 2 part 2
    1
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"
  2. 2
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  3. 3
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  4. 4
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"
  5. 5
    King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...