Alright little ghouls, time to get your spooky board gaming on!
It’s fall and that means hot apple cider, indoor activities (like board games!), and getting into the halloween spirit. There are so many board games we could consider for this category because really, what theme isn’t halloween? We have aliens, zombies, westerns, haunted houses, ghosts, cthulhu…there’s a board game for everything.
But what if you really want to get in the mood? Here are 3 go-to games that bring the halloween vibes:
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Betrayal at House on the Hill:
Gather your friends (3-6 players) and enter the house on the hill. You’ll work together to explore new spooky rooms with every step, uncover chilling events, gather creepy items, and boost your stats as much as possible before the haunt begins. Every omen uncovered and collected is one step closer to triggering “the haunt” - essentially phase 2 of the game. When the haunt is triggered, the game changes and 1 of 50 possible scenarios is revealed (everything from a zombie attack to the house floating away to reuniting frankenstein with his bride). One player might become the traitor and the rest of the explorers work to thwart their evil plans!
We love this game because it’s quick to jump into, players work together and help each other at the beginning so it’s newbie friendly, and the scenarios are immersive and spooky! Strap in for a wild ride with Betrayal at House on the Hill and you’ll be rewarded with some great memories and stories for halloweens to come!
Check out Betrayal at House on the Hill
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Mysterium:
There’s been a murderrrrr! And the ghost of the deceased wants revenge. Players take on the roll of psychics tasked with deciphering the ghost’s visions. The ghost (one player) cannot speak, but must share abstract cards with the players in the hopes of pointing them each toward a set of person, place, and weapon. If all of the psychics are clairvoyant enough to uncover their individual sets, a final round occurs and players must deduce which of the full sets is the murderer, murder location and murder weapon!
We think this is a great game for halloween because murder and ghosts (duh!), but also because the conversation and debates around what each of the “visions” mean can be really fun! Getting into the mind of the ghost and trying to figure out what they mean makes this game thematic and entertaining! You’ll certainly have to debrief after!
Check out Mysterium
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Skull:
In Skull, each player receives a set of four disks - three flowers and one skull. On each player’s turn, they can either choose a disk and put it face down in front of them forming a stack or they can bid how many disks they think they can flip without revealing a skull. This is a game of bluffing, bidding, biding your time, and striking when you can! Win two rounds and you win the game!
We like Skull because of its simplicity but also because the bluffing nature of the game adds to interactions between players and immersion in the game overall. It’s quick to learn and quick to play which makes it a great game to add to your halloween to-play list!
Check out Skull
BONUS: Merchants of the Dark Road:
One look at the dark and spooky cover sets the scene perfectly for this eerie game. In Merchants of the Dark Road, players will be moving through town, gathering items, picking up townsfolk and preparing for their journey into the woods. You can either take the dark road or the well lit path (more expensive to do!) to venture out and deliver your goods and passengers. Becoming familiar with the woods and being able to make strategic deliveries will be crucial in being able to outmaneuver your competition!
We think this game deserves a place on this list because the artwork and overall premise give it a really nice eerie feel. It may not be the first game to come to mind for Halloween, but we think it’s worth mentioning if you want something a bit more strategic that still has that dark and twisty vibe!
Check out Merchants of the Dark Road
What are your go-to halloween games to get you into spooky season? Leave them in the comments below!
