In writing Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll—a mathematician by trade-- created a game. Evidence for this included his reliance on cards and chess to provide his settings with characters and structure, with no rules or logic, open to the interpretation of the players. With Carroll’s game structure in mind, I am of the opinion that, just as there is a game to suit the tastes of any given human, there is an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland and/or Through the Looking Glass that caters to the sensibilities of any given human. If I could insert a trendy Buzzfeed Quiz here called “What version of Alice in Wonderland are You?” I would. But I hope you settle for this analog version instead, featuring a randomized and non-exhaustive collection of Alice-inspired media:
Do you prefer “classic” board games with simple rules like Candy Land, Sorry!, or Chutes and Ladders? Well, Disney’s “classic” animated Alice in Wonderland, released in 1951, might be what you’re most into.
Do you have darker sensibilities, and prefer a whodunit like Clue, ending in a restoration of order? You may enjoy the recent Disney produced Tim Burton adaptations of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. In these retellings, Alice slays the Jabberwocky and puts the White Queen on the throne of Looking Glass Land.
Are you a fan of words who places value in tradition, enjoying games with words that have stood the test of time like Scrabble or Taboo? You may enjoy Johnathan Miller’s 1966 TV play, available through the BBC, featuring a Victorian setting and prominent British actors of the era including Michael Redgrave, Peter Sellers, and John Gielgud.
Do you value games in which players (ideally) work cooperatively like Pandemic or D&D? Well, there’s a version of Alice for you too! Check out the one-season Once Upon a Time in Wonderland—a spinoff connected to ABC’s 7 season Once Upon a Time. Once Upon a Time, like many cooperative games, tabletop games, and video games, is focused on world building as the characters from many classic fairytales collide in the fictional town of Storybrook.
If games involving artwork—like Pictionary--are more your speed, you may enjoy some visually unique adaptations of Alice including the Japanese anime Fushigi no Kuni no Alice or manga version of Alice in Borderland—in which the protagonist’s final game is to play croquet with the Queen of Hearts.