The Horror Games: Dice, Murder and Madness
Looking for something more strange and unusual for Devil’s Night and Halloween this year? From Cthulu to hordes of zombies, these board games will have you wondering what’s living in the dark corners of your home.
Elder Sign
Based on the legends of the Ancient Ones by L. Ron Hubbard, Elder Sign is a simplified version of the popular game Arkham Horror, but with the added benefit of being much simpler to set up and play. Taking less than an hour to play, the game centres around completing tasks, which are printed on room cards, through dice rolls in order to seal the Ancient One – randomly chosen at the beginning of the game – before the clock runs out. Adding to the difficulty are monsters that sometimes appear, and the Doom tokens that can signal an early release to the horror that should never be named. If this happens, the players must battle an all-powerful being before being brutally slaughtered themselves. This is a game where working together and being realistic about your dice rolling abilities are key, because if you fail the world ends.
Betrayal At House On The Hill
It’s a dark and stormy night. You and two to five of your friends have arrived at a house, trapped as the door locks behind you. The house forms around you as you explore it, creating a new map with every play. The house is, of course, haunted and eventually your time runs out. At this point, the party separates, with one person becoming the traitor, turning into or controlling a monster that is determined by a table in the rulebook. As each play-through has a different map and different items and omens pulled from the card decks, the chances of you running into the same monster twice in a row is really small. This game combines teamwork with the fun of trying to murder your friends – depending on which side you end up on – however, it’s nice that one person doesn’t have to declare themselves the enemy from the very beginning of the game. Betrayal at House on the Hill can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours depending on the omens rolled, the number of rooms that get explored before the Haunt begins, and the monster that appears. If you don’t die a grisly death, victory will be yours.
Gloom
A card game with a ton of expansions available to increase the number of people who can play –– the base deck is for two to four players – Gloom gives you control over an eccentric family, and your job is to make them as miserable as possible before killing them. The fun of the game comes from the stories that you weave of how certain misfortunes happen to your characters, meaning it’s especially great for your most imaginative friends. Like golf, the goal is to get the lowest possible score when your family is killed off. The offensive gameplay is also great, as you play positive cards on your opponent’s characters, making wonderful things happen to them, whether they like it or not. For fans of H. P. Lovecraft, there is a standalone version, which can also be used as an expansion pack for larger parties, called Cthulu Gloom. The Lovecraftian version adds some new mechanics, which may make things more difficult for first time players, but will give experienced players more variety and a touch of madness before their untimely and unfortunate demise. After all, what’s death without a little insanity?
13 Dead End Drive
A lighter, but still fully murderous, game is 13 Dead End Drive, where the goal is to off your competitors and claim Aunt Agatha’s fortune for yourself. Alternatively, if you’re feeling merciful, you can escape the house and win, provided your portrait is in the frame above the fireplace. The characters are randomly handed out and every player can control anyone on the board, leading them to traps or simply keeping them away from the door. The game includes trap pieces, so you can have all the fun of actually pushing over a bookcase to splatter your enemies. There are also rules for two-player games, giving each player a mystery character card that they aren’t allowed to look at until the end. Add to this the relatively short play time, and you get a game that works well for a quick pre-drinking play-through before heading out to the bar. Just remember to leave all those murderous tendencies behind.
Zombies
A lighter, but still fully murderous, game is 13 Dead End Drive, where the goal is to off your competitors and claim Aunt Agatha’s fortune for yourself. Alternatively, if you’re feeling merciful, you can escape the house and win, provided your portrait is in the frame above the fireplace. The characters are randomly handed out and every player can control anyone on the board, leading them to traps or simply keeping them away from the door. The game includes trap pieces, so you can have all the fun of actually pushing over a bookcase to splatter your enemies. There are also rules for two-player games, giving each player a mystery character card that they aren’t allowed to look at until the end. Add to this the relatively short play time, and you get a game that works well for a quick pre-drinking play-through before heading out to the bar. Just remember to leave all those murderous tendencies behind.
Elder Sign
Based on the legends of the Ancient Ones by L. Ron Hubbard, Elder Sign is a simplified version of the popular game Arkham Horror, but with the added benefit of being much simpler to set up and play. Taking less than an hour to play, the game centres around completing tasks, which are printed on room cards, through dice rolls in order to seal the Ancient One – randomly chosen at the beginning of the game – before the clock runs out. Adding to the difficulty are monsters that sometimes appear, and the Doom tokens that can signal an early release to the horror that should never be named. If this happens, the players must battle an all-powerful being before being brutally slaughtered themselves. This is a game where working together and being realistic about your dice rolling abilities are key, because if you fail the world ends.
Betrayal At House On The Hill
It’s a dark and stormy night. You and two to five of your friends have arrived at a house, trapped as the door locks behind you. The house forms around you as you explore it, creating a new map with every play. The house is, of course, haunted and eventually your time runs out. At this point, the party separates, with one person becoming the traitor, turning into or controlling a monster that is determined by a table in the rulebook. As each play-through has a different map and different items and omens pulled from the card decks, the chances of you running into the same monster twice in a row is really small. This game combines teamwork with the fun of trying to murder your friends – depending on which side you end up on – however, it’s nice that one person doesn’t have to declare themselves the enemy from the very beginning of the game. Betrayal at House on the Hill can take anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours depending on the omens rolled, the number of rooms that get explored before the Haunt begins, and the monster that appears. If you don’t die a grisly death, victory will be yours.
Gloom
A card game with a ton of expansions available to increase the number of people who can play –– the base deck is for two to four players – Gloom gives you control over an eccentric family, and your job is to make them as miserable as possible before killing them. The fun of the game comes from the stories that you weave of how certain misfortunes happen to your characters, meaning it’s especially great for your most imaginative friends. Like golf, the goal is to get the lowest possible score when your family is killed off. The offensive gameplay is also great, as you play positive cards on your opponent’s characters, making wonderful things happen to them, whether they like it or not. For fans of H. P. Lovecraft, there is a standalone version, which can also be used as an expansion pack for larger parties, called Cthulu Gloom. The Lovecraftian version adds some new mechanics, which may make things more difficult for first time players, but will give experienced players more variety and a touch of madness before their untimely and unfortunate demise. After all, what’s death without a little insanity?
13 Dead End Drive
A lighter, but still fully murderous, game is 13 Dead End Drive, where the goal is to off your competitors and claim Aunt Agatha’s fortune for yourself. Alternatively, if you’re feeling merciful, you can escape the house and win, provided your portrait is in the frame above the fireplace. The characters are randomly handed out and every player can control anyone on the board, leading them to traps or simply keeping them away from the door. The game includes trap pieces, so you can have all the fun of actually pushing over a bookcase to splatter your enemies. There are also rules for two-player games, giving each player a mystery character card that they aren’t allowed to look at until the end. Add to this the relatively short play time, and you get a game that works well for a quick pre-drinking play-through before heading out to the bar. Just remember to leave all those murderous tendencies behind.
Zombies
A lighter, but still fully murderous, game is 13 Dead End Drive, where the goal is to off your competitors and claim Aunt Agatha’s fortune for yourself. Alternatively, if you’re feeling merciful, you can escape the house and win, provided your portrait is in the frame above the fireplace. The characters are randomly handed out and every player can control anyone on the board, leading them to traps or simply keeping them away from the door. The game includes trap pieces, so you can have all the fun of actually pushing over a bookcase to splatter your enemies. There are also rules for two-player games, giving each player a mystery character card that they aren’t allowed to look at until the end. Add to this the relatively short play time, and you get a game that works well for a quick pre-drinking play-through before heading out to the bar. Just remember to leave all those murderous tendencies behind.
