Top 10 TV Shows that Should be Made into a Major Game

8. Boardwalk Empire

A good mob story can still cling to the romanticized view of underground life. In games, this means a glorification of evil deeds that otherwise fall out of society's moral grasp. Grand Theft Auto is king in the crime titles and its open world, do-what-you-want gameplay has inspired a generation of similar titles, which includes licenses like The Godfather and Scarface.

For Boardwalk Empire, however, it would be harder to revel fully on the rampage part. Given the show is centered mostly on the characters and the relationships within, the story is the paramount aspect. This series follows Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson, in the prohibitions times of Atlantic City and its surrounding areas. Nucky is a real-life figure and the entire crime ring hanging around features tons of historical characters, such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. Profits from illegal activities allow Nucky to control the city, while each faction operates their territory. Bootlegging and other nefarious deeds have never been as profitable as in the twenties, since society is heavily regulated, but masses still want to partake in their vices.

Greed leads to a ton of power struggles, which shifts alliances frequently. And yet, characters all get their respective limelight, making this conflict more important than the otherwise many violent results. As such, Boardwalk Empire could maybe make its set pieces shine best as a choose-your-own-adventure. Dependent on the choices, different scenes could open up, bosses could be dethroned, new pacts could be made and so on. Naturally, there would be a chunky conversational aspect to it, as a strong, silver tongue can subtly make waves like an assassination attempt could do in a blunter way.

With a branching progression that leads to different situations, it would also be easier to lock characters in certain tableaus, where rooms are optimally lit and camera angles are positioned sharply. Just like the show, these expert camera placements can be put to good use, to drive more interactive choices in the player's hands. Perhaps it'd be possible to still stab or shoot a few mobsters yet! Maybe some brothel scenes could be thrown in as well.