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Halloween isn’t the only time to revel in all-things horror. A great scary board game can help you get your horror fix year-round.
There are hundreds of horror themed board games, even sub genres like zombie board games so it’s understandable how you can become overwhelmed when looking at which games to play.
In this article, I am going to introduce you to what I believe are the best horror board games and why – which I hope will make your next haunting game night a great success!
Best Horror Board Games
1. Eldritch Horror
Players: 1 – 8
Duration: 120mins – 240mins
Taking inspiration from a best-selling board game – Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror tackles H.P. Lovecraft fiction and Cthulhu Mythos. It’s fully cooperative, fast-paced, yet capable of lasting hours.
Although best to play with others, the game can also be played solo.
You dive into the role of investigator working relentlessly to solve mysteries, fight monsters, and protect the world from an Ancient One, an all-powerful being set on destroying the world.
Gameplay
The game starts with each player choosing one of 12 investigators. Each investigator has their own stats, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s important for your group to choose characters that complement each other as a good balance is best if you want to win.
The game has three phases: action phase, encounter phase, and mythos phase.
Action phase This phase is simply choosing the action for your character. This includes things like clue hunting, rumor solving, and more.
Encounter Phase This phase is when you’ll draw random encounter cards to dive deeper into the lore of the game and uncover bits and pieces about the overarching story and what is happening.
Mythos Phase This phase is a chance for the Ancient One to join the fray – I won’t get into too much detail so as not to spoil anything, but this is where the fun really begins!
Eldritch Horror is a hard game to win, so will require all players working together and leveraging each other’s strengths to emerge victoriously.
With over 300 cards, 250 tokens, and four Ancient Ones, there’s high replay value. The story, theme, art, and strategy mixed with luck makes for an intensely frightening game.
Pros:
- Level of details allow for great immersion.
- Plenty of options for high replay value.
- Requires cooperation to be successful.
Cons:
- Complexity and variables can make the game difficult for new players.
- Small amount of encounter cards.
2. Betrayal at House on the Hill
Players: 3 – 6
Duration: 60mins – 90mins
Like Eldritch Horror, Betrayal at House on the Hill is another cooperative horror board game requiring players to work together to beat the game.
However, unlike Eldritch Horror, you won’t be saving the world as you’ll be too focused on trying to escape a haunted house that you find yourselves trapped in.
Also, that “cooperativeness” with your fellow trapped players may not last (I guess the name gives it away a little bit)!
What’s fun about Betrayal is that it starts out slow and steadily builds up, just like those timeless haunted house horror films.
Gameplay
The second each character steps through the door of the mansion, the game kicks off. There are two phases: The exploration phase and the haunt.
As allies in the first phase, you explore a haunted mansion, growing the house with each tile you draw that leads you into a new room.
Each room is filled with different items, secrets, monsters, and omens. You’ll rely on each other as much as possible, gathering weapons and discovering secret passages before the “haunt” phase begins.
When the “haunt” starts, the house will turn one of you against the rest. Everyone else must discover who’s the traitor and band together to defeat them.
The game has separate books for both the traitor and the other players with different (secret) win conditions for both sides.
Betrayal is simply a brilliant board game that tackles classic horror tropes from zombies, to ghosts, and even cannibals. With 50 possible haunts and random drawing of room tiles, you can play a different game each time.
Pros:
- Features incredible traitor mechanism.
- Great variety in rooms and “haunts”.
- Engaging and fun story to follow along.
Cons:
- Too many rules for different “haunts” can be a bit confusing.
- Overall build of pieces seem low-quality.
3. Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition
Players: 1 – 5
Duration: 120mins – 180mins
Lovecraft is a popular inspiration for many horror-based board games, and Mansions of Madness is no different.
Another fully cooperative game, the horror is amped up as players are transported into the dark and bleak alleys and halls of Arkham.
What makes this game so unique is that it’s app-driven. You can download it on Android and iOS devices and tablets as well as on a PC and Mac. The app addresses the Keeper position; it keeps tabs on everything you’ve done in the game and adds a cool, scary atmosphere to your gameplay.
Gameplay
Once you setup the board and app, you’re good to go with the game. There are four initial scenarios, but you can purchase three additional ones through an app DLC.
You and other players take over an investigator role as you have to solve the variety of mysteries in Arkham. This takes you to numerous areas in the city from mansions to alleyways to find clues and perform different actions.
The cooperative aspect comes in with players sharing what they’ve learned and putting their heads together to solve the mystery at hand. Scenarios differ from simple mysteries to horrifying life or death situations.
Luck is a factor, but it’s also important that players operate with one mind as you need each other to survive or solve the mystery.
Pros:
- Plenty of campaigns and randomness for multiple playthroughs.
- Incredible detailed to stick with Lovecraftian theme.
- Fun companion app makes the game more interesting.
Cons:
- Hard to fit minis into their stands.
- Scenarios can be too difficult and extend their stated runtime.
4. Mysterium
Players: 2 – 7
Duration: 40mins – 60mins
Ever wonder what it would be like to add ghosts to the classic Clue game? Well, Mysterium does all that and more.
The games story is set 30 years in the past, where a servant met an untimely and deadly fate in their employer’s mansion. This servant still haunts the mansion to this day.
Players play as a group of mediums that come together to perform a séance to unravel the mystery of the servant’s death.
This séance can only be held on Halloween, and the mediums must discover who killed the servant, where, and with what weapon before the night ends.
Gameplay
Ultimately, Mysterium is a cooperative game that involves working together to find the murderer, the murder weapon, and the murder location. By the end, you’ll not only solve a murder, but also free the mansion of its supernatural presence.
There are two main roles: medium and ghost. One player is the ghost, and the others play as the psychic mediums.
The ghost hands out vision cards to the mediums throughout the rounds. Each card features no words, but they’re incredibly detailed with gorgeous art.
Mysterium is wonderful in the sense that it desperately needs cooperation amongst the mediums to win. Even more fun is that the ghost is supposed to be mute, so visual cues are vital. You can have more fun and up the haunting aspect by knocking on the table for “yes” or “no” at the end of each round.
Pros:
- Beautiful artwork throughout.
- Timer makes it fast-paced with a sense of urgency.
- Fun and intense co-op play.
Cons:
- Can have an excessive wait time for the mediums.
- Randomness of outcomes can make the ending anticlimactic.
5. Nyctophobia the Hunted
Players: 3 – 5
Duration: 30mins – 45mins
Nothing is quite as horrifying as trying to escape a maze in the dark. Add in a crazed killer, and you’ve got yourself Nyctophobia.
This game spins traditional board games on their heads as the majority of players are blinded and left to wander around in the dark while the hunter player sees all.
Designed by Catherine Stippell, who in turn was inspired by a blind relative, this game creates accessibility for people who normally couldn’t enjoy common board games.
It’s a unique twist that induces spine-chilling suspense as players try to survive until help arrives.
Gameplay
You’re either the hunter or the prey. Hunted players must wear blackout glasses to “blind” themselves.
As the hunted, you’ll fumble around the tactical maze to find the car and wait for the police to swoop in and rescue you.
For the hunter, you can choose to be either an axe murderer or a mage.
The axe murderer slashes through the woods to reach the hunted players.
But the mage is where the mind games come in. The mage can control the forest, moving trees and manipulating the hunted characters’ minds, leaving them terrified and confused.
No matter how you play, Nyctophobia is an incredibly horrifying game that leaves players with a true fear for their lives as they’re left in the dark and at the mercy of the hunter.
Pros:
- Minimalist and beautiful design layout.
- Great deal of suspense for all players.
- Two different hunters to choose from.
Cons:
- Blackout glasses may be too small for some players.
- Rulebook isn’t easy to read.
Final Thoughts
Horror board games are a great way to bring a sense of suspense and spine-tingling fear to game night.
I have picked the games above as they are what I believe to be the best horror board games available and each bring something unique to the table.
There are incredible touches of horror included in each board game and when playing you’ll encounter various supernatural creatures like ghosts, or find yourself in a deadly cat-and-mouse chase with a deranged killer.
No matter the case, each board game simply reminds us why we’re horror fans in the first place.
