What are thematic board games?
Thematic games are driven by setting, story, characters, or atmosphere. They might still have great mechanics, but you can think of the rules being designed to best-support the theme. The priority is to make players feel like they are really surviving a crisis, running a business, or exploring a world.
Popular thematic games
War of the Ring, Nemesis, and Clinic are strong thematic examples because their systems reinforce the story and setting throughout play.