There’s something about autumn with the crisp cool air that invokes a certain feeling. And no, it’s not the Pumpkin Spice everything that invades society like a cucurbits and cinnamon-inspired plague. Rather it’s as the days get shorter and leaves change color and fall from the trees, there’s a sense of decay and death. Winds softly rustling the leaves make you shudder from something unseen as well as the subtle chill as you glance over your shoulder feeling watched. It’s one of my favorite times of the year. It’s…
“Spoopy season!” Anna Maria joyfully declared.
*Sigh* It’s not spoopy season. It’s spooky season for those who don’t need everything cute and adorable as I cross Ghosts Love Candy Too off this list to find something slightly more creepy.
Below, you’ll find the horrific games the Board Game Quest team has pulled from dark pits of despair. Horror, monsters, and parties (?) await those brave enough to handle the spookiest (and probably spoopiest) games of the season.
Midnight Party
Chosen by Marcus:
Sometimes, the simple things in life are the best. This was a family game from the 80’s. The premise is simple: a party is being held at a mansion, but that mansion is haunted by a ghost named Hugo! Once Hugo arrives at the party, the guests need to scatter into the various rooms—but you can only move one direction down the circular hallway and only one guest can occupy each room! It is a very light game, but it has a charm about it. Hugo always moves three spaces when his movement icon is rolled on the dice, so it’s like a steady drumbeat as you’re trying to get away from him “Ah, one, two, three. . .”. It gets brought out every year for Halloween and even throughout the rest of the year.
2-8 Players • Ages 5+ • 30 minutes • OOP
Final Girl
Chosen by Austin:
Final Girl feels a bit like the low-hanging fruit here, but it does an incredible job of evoking its horror-movie roots. Horror as a genre tends to focus on isolation, loneliness, and paranoia, which makes a solo-only game like Final Girl work so well; there is no one else to rely on, and when the odds are so overwhelming and the killer is this unpredictable, you get closer to any other board game I’ve played to feeling genuine terror. Final Girl also has a ton of flexibility in the kinds of horror it can replicate, both in setting and in narrative—from nail-biting paranoia a la The Thing, to Leprechaun-esque shlock comedy, and everything in between. The tremendous amount of randomness can lead to the odd bit of narrative dissonance, but Final Girl hits far more often than it misses—and when it hits… *scary voice* it’s deadly.
1 Player • Ages 14+ • 20-60 minutes • $17
Blood on the Clocktower
Chosen by Brandon:
Invite a group. Grab your candles. Turn down the lights. Everyone can wear costumes, or not—a room full of cloaked and masked players would be great, but is not essential. Prepare for an evening of social deduction. Blood on the Clocktower ramps up the “ancient” game of Werewolf by giving all players a unique role as well as life beyond death. And after player introductions and a round of shifting alliances, everything changes. Now the town mayor is suspicious. People keep dying at night. The townsfolk are executing everyone under the sun. And evil lurks with a watchful eye, ever-present. This is an event game perfect for the spooky season. An excuse to gather during the fall evenings to celebrate within the framework of the game’s rules and the role you’ve been given. Do. Not. Trust. Anyone.
6-21 Players • Ages 14+ • 30-120 minutes • $165
Nightmare Productions
Chosen by Tony:
I was tempted to go with a fun minis game like Nemesis or Claustrophobia 1643, but I decided to go a different route and pick a more accessible game. Nightmare Productions has been around since 2000 and has been published under a variety of names. Designed by the great Reiner Knizia, it’s a game that drops you in the shoes of a movie producer trying to create the best (or worst) horror movie. You’ll bid on creatures, locations, directors, musical conductors, and others as you try to make the movie with the most star power. Like any good Knizia auction game, the economy is very tight with any winning bids getting split up among the other players. The rules are light enough that it can be played with almost anyone, and the art from Dug Nation brings home the schlocky horror movie feel.
2-5 Players • Ages 10+ • 60 minutes • $52
Mysterium
Chosen by Anna Maria:
Mysterium boasts a spooky (editor :D) ghost theme for the Halloween holiday, but the real charm of this beautiful deduction game is learning just how your friends’ minds work.
An amnesiac ghost communicates through illustrated cards through which the mediums must determine the who, where, and weapon (think the final reveal in Cluedo) of its murder. One player is the ghost and the rest are trying to solve the crime and put our ghostly visitor to rest. The gameplay mirrors games like Dixit. The ghost will give you clues via illustration, but you’ll need to determine what’s relevant. Does a picture of a cavalier running down a portrait-lined hallway indicate the killer? Is it the blade in the pursuer’s hand? Or is it something about the banana-shaped shadow on the carpet?
Put on your best ghost hunter costume, fill the candy bowl with mini Snickers, and figure out which one of your friends has the wildest imagination. (Ghosts not included.)
2-7 Players • Ages 8+ • 42 minutes • $34
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Chosen by Jacob:
Let’s lay our cards out on the table here. Betrayal at House on the Hill is not a great game. But when it comes to frequently silly and deeply thematic board game experiences, especially for those who aren’t entrenched in the hobby, there is no substitute. I have often dreamt of this perfect Halloween-themed double- or triple-date night idea: Spooky meal (maybe pasta worms? Beef tongue or brain tacos? I dunno, fill in the blanks), a game of Betrayal at House on the Hill, capped with a screening of a classic horror film. Sadly, that specific experience has not happened yet, but it will. I think the reason Betrayal resonates with me is because it so clearly doffs its cap to classic horror genre films and themes. It has haunts that touch upon so many horror tropes: Zombies, living dolls, mummies, werewolves, cosmic Lovecraftian terror, giant birds, alien viruses, and Voodoo curses. Fans of horror who are gaming neophytes love this game every time I introduce it to them, even though, again, as a game, it’s simply fine, an Ameritrash dice-chucker. It’s more about the experience, which is exactly what I look for in a horror game: a spooktacular experience.
3-6 Players • Ages 12+ • 60 minutes • $37
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Chosen by Tahsin:
Those who know me will see this recommendation as a broken record. I know this is a big game to recommend and that getting into this horror-scape will require time and investment, but to me, it is extremely worth it. Arkham Horror: TCG does two things masterfully. First, it envelops you in the H.P. Lovecraft lore and other-worldly horror like few other games. Second, the mechanisms of card play and challenges mesh wonderfully with the story and cooperative group dynamics just as a roleplaying game would. I would happily play this any month, day, or hour of the year. I was skeptical before getting it, but based on the recommendations of quite a few people, I think I found the game that feeds my storytelling needs along with deep, interesting strategic and tactical thinking. If you’re unsure, the core box is not expensive if you’re just looking to try out the system. If the Cthulhu Mythos is not your thing, I would also say to try something else on this list.
1-2 Players • Ages 14+ • 60-120 minutes • $19
Atmosfear: 30th Anniversary Edition
Chosen by Bailey:
VHS Games used to be a popular medium for the consumer board gaming market. Atmosfear is the style of game where the VHS tape runs in the background the whole time while you’re playing. While you’re taking a turn, there’s a chance you will be called out by The Gatekeeper! When he calls on you, you must respond “Yes, my Gatekeeper!” and follow his instructions. It’s a chaotic roll-and-move game with a simple objective to collect six keys, but the fun of the game is with the campy, uproarious interactions with The Gatekeeper. Oh, and don’t worry: with newer editions of the game, and its Tabletop Simulator mod, you no longer need a working VCR.
3-6 Players • Ages 12+ • 60 minutes • OOP
The Night Cage
Chosen by George:
So this one isn’t a massive hobby game that you would expect me to recommend, but this game is absolutely terrifying. This is a strategic tile-laying game where you and whomever you have the misfortune of being trapped with a wander through the dark tunnels of the Night Cage slowly laying tiles to try and find keys to escape. All the while monsters roam through the darkened tunnels. The longer you take to find the keys and escape the more your candle burns down, and you don’t want to be in the dark with the things living in these tunnels. With a new expansion dropped and customizable for how difficult you want the game to be, it is surprisingly modular and flexible for the skill group of those you are playing with. Would highly recommend it for parties of 3-4 players.
1-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 40-60 minutes • $39
Castle Party
Chosen by Emma:
If your preferred Halloween vibes trend more towards The Monster Mash than Freddy Krueger, Castle Party might be right for you. The Pumpkin King is hosting an Autumn Ball, and all of the most famous monsters are invited. They gather together in groups throughout the castle, but word has gotten out about the party and it’s getting crowded! Some guests might just end up in the moat. Castle Party is a “flip and write” game. Players flip over cards with polyomino shapes, then play monster cards from their hands to try to guide what order in the shape the monsters are standing in. Each shape the group creates has to fit onto their castle whiteboards, hopefully in a way that maximizes points. The art for all of the monsters is cutesy and sweet, and there’s just enough going on with scoring and placement to make the game challenging without being overly cerebral. It’s a perfect filler game for a game night where you’re looking for something spooky but not scary.
2-4 Players • Ages 8+ • 30 minutes • $20
Cthulu: Death May Die
Chosen by Brian B.:
Since Austin took the low-hanging fruit in Final Girl, I will throw my second favorite horror-themed game in the proverbial ring: Cthulu: Death May Die. This is a cooperative dungeon crawler for one to five players. Oh, and it is by CMON, so the minis are abundant. What sets Cthulu: Death May Die apart is the modularity (you can use any Great Old One in any scenario), the large pool of investigators, and balancing going mad, which gets you more dice and skills, without going insane. Finally, the four seasons and two Kickstarter exclusive boxes provide enough content to keep you busy for several years. I really love this game!
1-5 Players • Ages 10+ • 90-120 minutes • $87
Lobotomy II: Manhunt
Chosen by Brian W.:
This co-op survival horror game for 1-5 players is a sequel to Lobotomy. Players are patients trying to escape a mental asylum while the staff tries to prevent them. The theme is unique and as you play you will be at times doubting that you are really insane or are the monster staff and horrific surroundings are all in your head. Players have special powers and can improve weapons and equipment as they move toward their personal and overall goals. The game has story-heavy scenarios with a modular board but also a sandbox mode that ups the replayability. Overall, a disturbing but fun dungeon crawler that will mess with your head.
1-5 Players • Ages 12+ • 60-120 minutes • OOP
Scooby Doo the Board Game
Chosen by James:
Last time we did a list like this in 2021, I picked Folklore the Affliction which is still a game I like to play around Halloween but today I wanted to pivot away from pure horror to a game that has some family-friendly creepiness: the Scooby Doo Board game by CMON. In this game, the Scooby Gang is setting traps to capture one of their iconic villains by gathering resources from different locations around the board. Each villain scares people away from the area they visit and some cards activate a special ability that makes each feel different from each other as they move around the board. The locations are reminiscent of the original cartoon and the miniatures all look fantastic (the Kickstarter had pre-painted miniatures and more villains which are cool but not $300+ cool). Scooby Doo the Board game is slightly spooky looking but, like the source IP, is more silly than scary which makes it great for families.
1-5 Players • Ages 10+ • 30 minutes • $48
Source: Board Game Quest
