6 Best Horror Board Games
If you are a fan of horror and suspense or If you’re looking for fun, family-friendly horror-themed board games to spice up your next party or get together with friends, then this article is for you.
Horror-themed board games are just as thrilling and suspenseful to play as movies or books. More than that, board games are a great way to exercise your brain and keep it active. They can be competitive or cooperative, depending on what you want from experience, but either way, they provide many benefits for both mind and body.
So why not have a spooky game night with some horror-themed board games instead of the usual movie marathon?
In this guide, we will mention the 6 Best Horror Board Games that will add some horror, suspense, and thrill to your next party or family gathering.
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Players : 3-6
Ages: 12+
Game Time: 60 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2010
If you are looking for a board game that is full of suspense, thrill, and horror, Betrayal at House on the Hill is your best choice.
The game offers a fun and exciting experience for those who enjoy playing games that involve deception. It’s also perfect for those who find joy in playing board games that are about striving for survival.
In this game, you can design and build your own haunted house. Players combine dangerous rooms and creepy tiles and then try to find a way to get out alive.
In this cooperative board game, you’ll have to work together with your friends to overcome all encounters if you want to succeed and win.
Betrayal at House on the Hill is designed so that one player takes on the role of a traitor, whose job will be to betray everyone and make sure they don’t leave the house.
The characters must find a way to defeat the monsters and escape alive, and also, they will have to work together in order to find out who the traitor is and stop his plans from coming true.
There are 50 different scenarios to choose from that are sure to keep you entertained. If you want a board game that has a high replay value and is suspenseful, then check this one out.
Pros
High replayability
50 different scenarios
Game components are made of high-quality materials
co-op board game
Cons
Gameplay may take too long when there are too many players.
Final Thoughts
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a cooperative adventure game that is a good choice for a fun game night. It will add some suspense to friends and family gatherings. With 50 different scenarios, every new game will be like a new adventure.
Useful links:
Full Betrayal at House on the Hill Board Game Review
Board Games Like Betrayal at House on the Hill
Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition Board Game
Players: 1-5
Ages: 14+
Game Time: 120-180 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2016
Mansions of Madness is a Lovecraftian-themed mystery horror board game. It is the perfect board game for those who love solving mysteries and suspenseful puzzles.
This cooperative game is made by Fantasy Flight Games, the makers of Eldritch Horror and Arkham Horror. Mansions of Madness will take you on an entirely different level of horror as you face dangers from all sides. The goal of each player is to fight for their lives and survive the game.
However, you can’t survive without a strategy. You need to work with your teammates and come up with the idea that will help you search for clues, gather tools or weapons, and find new information.
In this RPG, app-driven game, you have to fight off monsters and solve puzzles in order to keep yourself safe. The game takes more than just courage in order to win; you also have to come up with unique and effective strategies for survival.
Mansions of Madness: Base Game is designed for one to five players, and it has two to three hours of playing time. You can play it solo or with friends. Also, you have to make good use of its immersive app to achieve your ultimate goal.
Pros
It can be played solo or in a group.
The game’s partner app is available on almost all platforms.
Very stimulating, as it needs critical thinking skills.
A great choice for horror and suspense fans.
Cons
Too many game components may be misplaced.
Game longevity may not be suitable for players who like short games.
Final Thoughts
If your want horror-themed board games that are immersive with suspense and mysteries to solve, then this one is your best choice
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition is a thrilling, mystery-themed board game that will take you and your friends on an adventure to solve suspenseful puzzles.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf Board Game
Players: 3-10
Ages: 8+
Game Time: 10 minutes
Complexity: Low
Release Year: 2014
If you’re looking for a board game where the characters have supernatural powers, then One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a perfect choice. In this board game, you can have the special abilities of a werewolf.
It is a great game for any time; it’s a quick, 10-minute horror experience that can be played at your next party or to have a short family game night.
In this game, there are many different characters meaning that there is a chance to take on a different role in every new game. Some of the most important gamer roles in this game are the troublemaker, robber, seer, werewolf, minion, and tanner. The other roles are important, too. Each of them has its own unique special ability.
In the One Night Ultimate Werewolf game, there are two phases: the night phase and the day phase. Several players perform night actions during the night phase. However, other players will not do anything during this phase, for instance, the villager, tanner, and hunter. In the day phase, the players must talk to one another and determine who they think the werewolves are.
This tabletop game is easy to understand; you will be able to follow the rules of this game with ease, even if it is your first time. Also, you will have no problem getting used to the setup.
Pros
A short game that takes around 10 minutes to play
Game mechanics are easy to learn and understand
Encourage deductive and observation skills.
Different characters to choose from
High replayability
Cons
The role of the villagers is quite dull and no fun at all.
Final Thoughts
If you ever wanted to take on the role of a werewolf, then this board game is for you. This fun, quick horror game is a great way to entertain friends and family overnight.
If you’re looking for a fun way to break the routine of your next party and kill some time, then this is just what you need. The One Night Ultimate Werewolf board game can be played in 10 minutes and will keep everyone entertained from the start until the finish. they are the perfect board games of all time.
Mysterium Board Game
Players: 2-7
Ages: 10+
Game Time: 45 Minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2015
If you like horror games with a few mysteries that deal with the supernatural, then Mysterium is the perfect board game for you. The goal of this game is to find out which one among the suspects committed murder in Warwick Manor.
The players have to choose who should take the role of the ghost before they can start playing. This is an important part because, during the investigation, the players will try to help the ghost to remember who killed him or her.
The other players will take the role of psychic investigators and will go to the haunted mansion to solve the crime. The spirit will communicate with them through visions to help them solve this murder mystery.
The players will work together to find out who committed the crime, where it happened, and what weapon was used. The game ends when a majority of the mediums or investigators successfully determine answers, then the entire team will win. Otherwise, the ghost vanishes, and all the team loses.
Mysterium is a quite simple and easy game that provides lots of suspense. If you want to have a spooky bonding night with your family, this board game is an excellent choice.
Pros
High replayability
High-quality game components
Amazing artwork.
Engaging and fun game
Cooperative board game
Cons
Long set-up time
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of thrill, horror, and mystery solving games, then the Mysterium board game is what you want. You can play it with family and friends to have a game night full of suspense.
This cooperative game can accommodate a number of players of up to 7, so there is a place for everyone to take part in the fun.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Players: 1-2
Ages: 14+
Game Time: 60-120 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2016
If you’re looking for a game that combines horror, history, and mystery, then look no further than Arkham Horror. The game is set in London in the year 1920, and it is based on the Cthulhu Mythos, a shared fictional universe created by American horror writer H.P Lovecraft.
The goal of this game is to stop the dark entities called Ancient Ones from taking control of the world. There are 16 cards that represent different investigators, and you must choose which role to take.
Those investigators have their own set of skills, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. You have to pick your character wisely because, in this game, a strategy will play a part in whether or not you win.
The investigators will venture out into the city of Arkham and search for those dark entities called Ancient Ones. There are eight different Ancient ones, but you only have to defeat one of them, which can be chosen before starting the game.
Since every investigator has their own unique skills, it is important that you and your teammates create a plan to make use of those skills. Your character can also be upgraded by obtaining new skills, completing missions, and earning items.
The game is designed to be played with either one or two players. Whether it is solo-play or cooperative gaming, you need a good strategy if you want to win.
Pros
Very thematic and story-driven.
High replayability
Many investigator characters to choose from.
Comes with several possible endings
Encourage strategic thinking skills
Both solo and cooperative mode
Players will build their own deck of cards
Cons
Setting up the game can take some time.
Final Thoughts
If you want a Lovecraftian horror game to play on your own or only with two players, then the Arkham Horror card game is your best choice.
This deck-building, the role-playing game, will provide you with hours of suspense, thrill, and horror. It is a game that will send chills down your spine.
Dead of Winter A Crossroads Board Game
Players: 2-5
Ages: 13+
Game Time: 60-120 minutes
Complexity: Medium
Release Year: 2014
If you love watching zombie apocalypse films and can’t help wondering what your reaction would be in that situation, then you may want to try out this game.
It is the survival of the fittest game, where humans are near extinction and you are trapped inside a world of flesh-craving monsters.
In this game, there are two goals you need to finish. The first one, It’s important to work with your teammates to achieve common goals in order to win. The second one, you need to develop a strategy for achieving your secret personal goal.
You have to be careful; your team can not know anything about your secret goal. Your secret objective could be anything, it might harm the team, or it might not. However, for all you know, your secret goal could be putting the team in danger, or it could be betraying a teammate.
The Dead of Winter has an intriguing story with multiple endings. In some instances, everyone could end up winning. At other times, everyone could end up losing. Also, in some cases, there’s only one individual or a few players who can win. The Dead of Winter board game is a test of values, skill, and abilities.
Pros
It is an interesting game as it has conflicting goals
Has high replayability
Promotes table-talk.
Very thematic
Different possible endings
Scaling difficulty level
Component quality
Cons
Not for players who like short games
Not suitable for very young players
Final Thoughts
If you like zombie-themed horror movies, then Dead of Winter A Crossroads Board Game is your best choice. It is a survival game that will take you on a unique adventure where undead zombies overrun the world, and you need to work with your friends to save your lives.
