What It Really Means When You Dream About Playing A Board Game

Did you wake up from slumber this morning scratching your head and thinking, "What just happened?" REM sleep is conducive to surreal fantasies that are vivid enough to feel real, and yeah, things can get weird, per Healthline. You might have dreamed you were in the Big Apple, jumping from skyscraper to skyscraper a la King Kong, or you might have baked a pie that turned out to be life-size. 

Or, maybe your dream wasn't that strange at all — just realistic. Sometimes, our most memorable dreams are those that transport us to a deep conversation with a loved one (especially one who's died) or that show us achieving an important goal. (Of course, nightmares exist, too. And if you're looking into the studies of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, those may be rooted in anxiety.)

As per NCBI, vivid dreams have functions for waking life. The outlet explains that Freud thought the conscious and unconscious mind were connected through dreams and that slumber could show someone's trauma more clearly than a run-of-the-mill therapist session. Meanwhile, other scientists see REM sleep as a way of "deleting" information from the brain in order to start fresh in the morning. And some see dreams as a dress rehearsal for life, preparing the dreamer for possible encounters. Moreover, those interested in spiritual pursuits see dreams as fortune-tellers. No matter your perspective, if you dreamed about playing a board game, you're in for a big surprise about what that may mean about you.

Whether you dreamed about playing several kinds of board games or aren't sure about which one you played, that has significance, too. While symbolism can be very specific for certain games, the general meaning of board games in dreams is pretty unexpected. Psychologist and dream expert Michael Lennox told Best Life that people who dream of board games take "a civilized approach to expressing competitive impulses and conflict-solving skills." Meaning, you're not one to pick a fight for no reason, you enjoy playing by the rules, and you have tons of ambition to achieve your goals — you just want to do it the right way. Messy brawls, backstabbing, and lies are not your thing; you play by a rulebook and believe winning is more satisfying when no cheating is involved.

Moreover, as explained by Dream Forth, dreaming about playing a board game signals a competitive nature. You're all about the daily grind, and just because you play by the rules doesn't mean you aren't hungry for power, money, and success. 

Still, it's important to think about how you felt in your dream while playing the game. Dream Stop says that feeling bored while playing a board game in a dream is a negative omen for conflicts in your life. On the other hand, getting ahead in the game and enjoying playing means you may be in for a dose of positivity soon.

If you dreamed about playing Monopoly, you might think it's all about your relationship to money in your day-to-day life. However, per Best Life, playing Monopoly in a dream might mean you despise fights and extreme displays of emotion. You prefer to live life even-keeled and may be accused of having an avoidant personality type. Monopoly is a board game that's all about paused strategy, so if you dreamed about playing it, you might enjoy its ambition-driven, linear perspective on life.

Female First says that dreaming of playing Monopoly might mean you are trying to edge someone out of the competition and might even feel intimidated by a coworker. In a similar vein, Dream Dictionary explains that this dream means you feel controlled by others who make you play by the rules. 

Still, per Aunty Flo, this dream can have economic significance and can tell you about your real-life relationship with money. The outlet says that seeing graphics on the board means you may be very lucky with money soon (yay!). But seeing the luxury or income tax space means you may have to pay some seriously-hefty taxes or fees. Went to Monopoly jail? Not to fret — that just means you're different from everybody else, and you should own your idiosyncrasies. And dreaming about tons of Monopoly cash doesn't necessarily mean riches. It could mean your decisions are more important than ever, so keep your eyes peeled for opportunities.

Ah, Scrabble: the pastime that reminds us of winter nights by the fireplace with family or game nights with friends accompanied by wine and sushi. Scrabble is one of the most cerebral board games out there because it involves so much vocabulary know-how, but it's still really fun, too.

Per Dream Dictionary, dreaming about playing Scrabble might mean you're struggling to define something, whether that's putting a label on a relationship or securing that raise with your boss. Words play a crucial part in our lives, and maybe that "girlfriend" title or that "senior" position will make a difference in your journey. The outlet also says that this dream means you might be in an idea tug-of-war with someone/ Do you and your partner feel a deep divide about how to raise your kids? Or is someone at work not seeing eye-to-eye with your vision?

It's no secret that Scrabble cames can run long. Per Female First, playing it in your dream may mean your goals will take longer to achieve than expected. As per the website, you should also think about the people you played the game with; there might be hidden rivalry between you in waking life or tension you didn't know existed. It's also important to analyze the words on the board if you can remember them. A word like "staycation" might be a sign to relax.

Let's say you found yourself in a bubblegum-dotted dreamscape, surrounded by chocolate waterfalls, gingerbread men, and rock-candy trees. No, you're not in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, although the scene is a dead-ringer for it. You're playing the classic board game Candy Land. While the dream might have been all rainbows and butterflies, the true meaning behind it is unexpected.

Before we get into the significance of the candy, this board game centers itself on finding King Kandy, who is lost in the lollipop-filled forest. Dreaming about being on a journey to find a missing person is deeply symbolic and can mean something is missing in your life, according to PsycholoGenie. Do you feel unfulfilled in your job? Have you been debating finally opening up that neighborhood café you've thought about thousands of times? Or do you feel like you're ready for true love? This could even be signaling a need for more spirituality or a quest to find the meaning behind your time here on the planet. Per Female First, dreams about looking for a missing person might mean there's a certain emptiness within you. Maybe you miss someone who recently left your life, or you might be rejecting an important part of yourself.

Apart from the significance of looking for King Kandy, being surrounded by sweets in your dream may mean you're craving more sweetness or excitement in your life, according to Dream Christ.

A dream about playing Pictionary might be unusual, but it's all about communication with others. As it's a game involving drawing figures for other people to identify, a dream about Pictionary might say more about your attitude toward social interaction than you might think.

Because Pictionary involves trying to communicate ideas through something other than words, a dream about this board game may represent social anxiety. Do you feel nervous around other people? Or do you feel more comfortable shielding yourself with words than using other forms of communication, like body language or passion-driven art? Moreover, if you've played Pictionary before in real life, and you're not a full-blown artist, you might have laughed along with friends at an elephant that looks more like a kitchen sink. For this reason, this dream may mean you feel like your ideas aren't heard, no matter how many times you repeat them or try to clarify them. This could be a problem you're facing at work, whether a marketing pitch or a scientific thesis or even a symptom of communication issues in your relationship.

Drawing in dreams is deeply significant, meaning you're feeling extra creative lately, and are attracting positivity to your life. According to Dream Stop, this kind of dream is a good omen and symbolizes that you will reach your goals soon. Keep driving forward, and leave your fears behind — you're "drawing" your roadmap for the future.

The Game of Life's premise is already loaded enough as it is, so it's no wonder dreaming about playing it is symbolic of the events at play in your day-to-day life. As Better Homes & Gardens explains it, the iconic game is meant to reflect life itself, taking players on a journey of decision-making from college to retirement. Because the winner is chosen by who retires first with the most savings, dreaming about The Game of Life means you have the future on your mind.

If you dreamed about playing Life, you should take this dream as a representation of your real-life anxiety and excitement about the future. Do you have a big decision to make soon? Whether debating what college to go to, popping the question to your partner, or taking the plunge on pursuing that singing career, playing Life in a dream means you're confused about the next road to choose. Because this is one of the few board games that touch on crucial subjects like marriage and children, this dream may also symbolize feeling pressured to take these next steps by family, friends, or society at large.

As per Aunty Flo, winning any game in your dreams is a good omen. If you won the Game of Life in your dream, you might find success soon or experience a random bout of luck.

So, you might be really into true crime Netflix documentaries, spanning all the way from obsessing over the board game Clue as a child. But dreaming about Mrs. Peacock, the candlestick, and the conservatory is much more significant than you could imagine, especially when it comes to the anxiety you may be experiencing at the moment.

If you played the board game Clue in a dream, you may be at a loss about an issue you're facing in real life. Are you struggling to find the reason behind all those arguments with your significant other? Or are you currently trying to solve a problem at work that's more difficult to manage than you thought? Trying to solve the murder at the center of Clue might just mean you need to come up with a solution to your main problem, stat. The good news? Per Tell Me My Dream, dreaming about clues might mean that a much-anticipated answer is coming soon.

As per Dreamsopedia, dreaming about clues could also point to a mystery within yourself that you're still discovering. Have you given every part of your personality the spotlight it deserves? Or have you kept certain desires or needs under wraps due to fear? Just like this board game is all about looking for the traces of a crime, you might be still seeking out parts of yourself to find deeper meaning in life.

Risk is a board game that's all about domination, centered on conquering different countries and territories, forming alliances and enemies, per Better Homes & Gardens. As a game centered on military muscle, it's no wonder dreams about playing Risk are linked to your relationship to power in real life.

Playing Risk in a dream could mean you're craving power and strength in your life and might be growing frustrated at being treated like a doormat. You want to show the world what you're made of, so conquering your biggest goals and ambitions is high on your priority list right now. You may have a chip on your shoulder with something to prove, so dreaming about conquering different territories is the epitome of showing your ability to lead with conviction. As explained by Aunty Flo, any dream related to gaining control of a country means you have a deeply-ingrained need for power in your life, but it may come with its fair share of conflicts down the line. This dream may also be a sign to be more confident and self-assured in your endeavors, especially in the workplace and when speaking out about your needs.

Of course, this board game has a definite military component, and dreams about war are symbolic of mental or spiritual turmoil, per Female First. This can point to conflicts with your partner, friends, or family, or trauma related to hostility in real life.

Much different than political strategy or diplomacy, Apples to Apples is all about fun. Still, dreaming about playing the classic Friday night laugh-fest has a meaning you would never expect.

If you played Apples to Apples in your dream, you probably found yourself matching randomized nouns to adjectives, with hilarious results. If you dream about this board game, try to remember the phrases you created. As per Check My Dream, words in dreams are symbolic for real-life situations, with positive expressions related to surefire luck in the future. On the other hand, a foreboding phrase means difficulties or health issues, while nonsensical sentences mean you should watch out for unexpected speed bumps in your life soon. If one of your playing cards happened to show a word in another language, that most probably means you have problems trusting others, or feel like you don't often communicate your feelings well, explains Nelamoxtli.

Moreover, Apples to Apples is a game designed to lead to lots of laughter with pals. According to Aunty Flo, dreams related to humor symbolize success in the future, making a new friend soon, or a need for comfort if going through tough times. While dreaming about laughing at someone in a condescending way can be a negative omen, Apples to Apples tends to be all in good fun, so this type of dream is usually positive.

If you dreamed about playing Battleship, you have much more on your mind than ship-shaped game pieces. Battleship is about playing blind, attacking your opponent's fleet without knowing how they're placed on a hidden board, per Better Homes & Gardens. Similar to Risk, dreaming about this game is related to your true-life perspective on power and dominance, but may also symbolize overlooking something.

Playing Battleship in a dream might mean you are unaware of something crucial going on in your life right now: an underlying health issue, your significant other feeling like they need distance, or even something positive like an acceptance letter you haven't received yet. No matter what it is, this dream means you have your blinders on when it comes to something significant that's about to happen in your life. Because Battleship is all about using strategy to figure out the missing links, this dream is a sign to delve into any lurking tension in your life and confront it. In this way, you can go on to lead a powerful, happy existence with utmost clarity about your surroundings.

The symbol of battleships in dreams is significant, too. Per Find Your Lucky, battleships represent roadblocks in your life that you haven't quite figured out yet. They can also signal a stubborn personality. As per the outlet, dreaming about playing Battleship could mean you need to be more strategic with your actions.

A dream about playing game-night-favorite Taboo might have been all about hilarious antics. Still, the symbolism behind it can point to negativity in your life. If you dreamed about playing Taboo with pals, you probably remember joining up with a partner and trying to guess words through certain clues. Because the one giving the clues is barred from saying a list of "taboo" words, dreaming about this game might mean you feel trapped or controlled by others.

Taboo's rulebook means players are prohibited from saying certain words. While this might be an innocent-enough premise in a board game, dreaming about it might mean you feel censored in your daily life, as well as watched or dominated by family, your friend group, a partner, or society at large. Do you fantasize about running wild and free through plains and pastures? Or grabbing your car and driving to an unknown land, far away from prying eyes and gossip? You may have always craved total independence and freedom, but haven't been able to grab a hold onto total liberty yet. Playing Taboo in your dream means there are still words you feel you can't say, or actions you know will be frowned upon by those surrounding you.

Because Taboo is word-based, that aspect of the game also carries its fair share of symbolism. As per Dreamsopedia, this might mean there is a hidden aspect of your psyche that you need to express.

Lastly, you might have dreamed about playing the most intellectual of board games: the family-loved classic, Trivial Pursuit. This game consists of countless questions about every subject under the sun, ranging from Henry VIII to the surface qualities of different planets. While dreaming about this game shows your cerebral interests, there's more to it than first meets the eye.

Dreaming about Trivial Pursuit could mean you're on a quest for knowledge no matter where you go, and your curiosity knows no bounds. While this game is already nerve-wracking for most of us mere mortals, dreaming about it means you welcome any opportunity to learn about new, fascinating subjects, and challenge yourself at every turn. Still, dreaming about the trivia game might mean you feel at a standstill in your life. Maybe you recently stopped traveling, or you might feel like you're striking up fewer conversations with interesting strangers. This dream means you need more from life and are on a brand-spanking-new journey to feel stimulated by the world again.

According to Female First, dreaming about trivia can mean you're too focused on the "small things" instead of the big picture. This dream may also point to the untapped talent you might not even know you possess — you might be in the wrong field and should resolve to find your true passion.