Unexpected Board Game Optioned for Movie

An unexpected board game was recently optioned for a movie. Terra Mystica, a resource management game about various groups of people terraforming their surroundings in order to gain land and power, was optioned for a movie by Cobalt Knight. The same production company previously picked up an option for Terraforming Mars, a similarly in-depth strategy about corporations who terraform Mars for profit. “We feel honored to be trusted with these beloved games, and we are excited to expand our efforts with the support of Rain. We will continue to work with the designers to ensure we remain faithful stewards of their vision throughout the process of adapting their worlds to the screen,” said Cobalt Knight co-founder Christopher Kaminski said in a statement announcing the option. 

While Terra Mystica is a popular board game (it currently has a top 30 ranking on BoardGameGeek), it’s hardly a traditional choice for a movie adaptation. The game has no named characters or even a strongly developed world – it instead involves around 14 groups of people (each of which thrive in one of seven different landscapes) who look to grow their territory and culture. Players can also have their chosen faction join a cult to further their goals, which might also factor into a future movie plot. 

Still, board games are one of the few underdeveloped genres that Hollywood hasn’t mined for IP. While the Dungeons & Dragons movie is out this weekend, there’s been few other movies based on either tabletop games or tabletop RPGs (the latter of which usually come with incredibly deep stories and worlds). Sure, there’s been movies like Clue or Battleship, but the tabletop industry remains mostly untouched compared to comics or genre novels. 

No release date, director, or actors have been announced for Terra Mystica.