Top Five Board Games for a Howling Halloween
Halloween is the perfect excuse to gather friends around the table for some ghostly gaming. Whether you’re looking for family‑friendly trick‑or‑treating or a full‑blown fright fest, the tabletop world has a title to match your appetite for terror. Below are five of the best board games on BoardGameGeek that will make your Halloween game night a scream. Each entry features real games (no phantom products here), includes research‑backed details and even some playfully punny commentary to keep the spirits high!
1.
Horrified
– Universal Monster Mash
Theme – Classic Universal horror. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and a host of other movie monsters descend on a beleaguered village.
Gameplay – A fully cooperative adventure where players work together to defeat a set of monsters before they terrorize the town. On each turn heroes take actions, then the monsters activate, and event cards determine which monster is in play . If all monsters are defeated you win; if the terror track reaches the skull or the monster deck runs out you lose .
What makes it spooky‑fun? Each monster requires a different strategy to defeat, keeping tension high and gameplay varied. Sculpted miniatures of the classic monsters lend table presence . It’s essentially Pandemic with fangs and fedoras. Even your friend who insists on quoting old horror movies will feel right at home.
Where to get it – Horrified on Amazon or Ravensburger’s official page.
2.
Mysterium
– Séance With Style
Theme – It’s the 1920s and a ghost is trying to solve their own murder. Players act as mediums interpreting dream‑like visions to deduce the culprit, location and weapon .
Gameplay – One player is the ghost and cannot speak. Instead they hand illustrated “vision” cards to the mediums, who must decipher the abstract images to guess the correct suspect, location and murder weapon . If all mediums identify their set by the end of seven turns, they move on to a final round where everyone cooperatively identifies the true killer .
What makes it spooky‑fun? The artwork is lush and surreal, turning every clue into a Rorschach test. The pressure of the two‑minute sand timer and the ghost’s silence create an eerie atmosphere. It’s like Clue decided to take an art history course and grew a soul.
Where to get it – Mysterium on Amazon or Publisher Libellud’s site.
3.
Ghosts Love Candy Too
– Trick‑or‑Treat, Tabletop Style
Theme – Friendly ghosts with a serious sweet tooth only get to eat candy on Halloween. They haunt costumed kids to steal sweets but must avoid scaring them off .
Gameplay – This revised edition of the original Ghosts Love Candy adds more kids (100!), junk treats like toothbrushes and pennies, and new ghosts . Players choose ghost cards to bid for turn order, then pick a kid to haunt, take their candy and use the kid’s ability . Each ghost scores differently based on its candy preferences .
What makes it spooky‑fun? The artwork is adorable rather than terrifying, making this a perfect pick for families or fraidy cats. The bidding system adds a layer of strategy: do you go early and nab the candy you want or hang back for a special ability? And who knew junk treats could be such a trick? Even the rulebook recommends handing out candy at the table.
Where to get it – Ghosts Love Candy Too from 25th Century Games or look up the Amazon listing (ASIN B0BCHC5CMV).
4.
Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
– Zombies With Trust Issues
Theme – Survive a harsh winter in a post‑apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. Players represent a colony of survivors who must work together against external threats while also pursuing secret personal goals .
Gameplay – Dead of Winter is a “meta‑cooperative” psychological survival game. Players work toward a common objective, but each also has a secret objective that could be benign or sabotage‐focused . The group must fight off threats, resolve crises, scavenge for supplies, and keep morale up , all while making difficult, story‑driven decisions .
What makes it spooky‑fun? The Crossroads system triggers narrative events based on player actions, turning every turn into a potential story. Paranoia runs high as you wonder whether your teammate hoarding medicine is preparing for winter or plotting a betrayal. It’s like The Walking Dead meets a psychology experiment.
Where to get it – Dead of Winter on Amazon or check Fantasy Flight’s store page. Fantasy Flight describes the game as an epic story‑driven experience where survivors must balance colony needs with their own secret motives .
5.
Betrayal at House on the Hill – 3rd Edition
– Haunted House Flip‑Flop
Theme – A group of explorers enters a creepy mansion. Initially they cooperate to uncover rooms and survive events, but halfway through someone turns traitor and the horror really begins.
Gameplay – The 3rd Edition of this classic introduces streamlined rules and fresh haunts. Players explore a modular haunted house, revealing tiles and triggering events until a scenario’s conditions cause “the haunt” to start. At that point, one explorer betrays the rest and a scenario book details unique win conditions. According to the publisher, the game features fifty haunts and dozens of danger‑filled rooms . At first you work together, but beware — one explorer will betray the others and the haunt begins .
What makes it spooky‑fun? Each haunt provides its own story, so one night you might be hunting vampires and the next you’re shrinking to the size of a mouse. The flip from cooperation to competition is deliciously dramatic. It’s the board‑game equivalent of yelling “Don’t go in there!” at a horror movie, only this time you’re the one creeping up the stairs.
Where to get it – Betrayal at House on the Hill (3rd Edition) on Amazon or see Hasbro’s product page. Just make sure your housemates don’t start plotting against you.
Halloween Game Night Tips
Mix and match for all ages. Pair family‑friendly Ghosts Love Candy Too with the more intense Dead of Winter to keep everyone entertained.
Set the mood. Dim lights, light candles (safely) and play spooky music. Even simple co‑ops like Horrified feel more atmospheric when Dracula’s theme is playing.
Embrace costumes. Have players come dressed as their favorite monster or medium. Bonus points if your Mysterium ghost wears a bedsheet.
Serve thematic snacks. Candy corn for Ghosts Love Candy Too, red velvet cupcakes for Dead of Winter (to replenish morale), and maybe some garlic bread when facing Horrified’s vampires.
Final Thoughts (and Final Frights)
There’s no need to hide under the covers when you can spend Halloween slaying monsters, solving murders or stealing candy with friends. The five games above are highly rated on BoardGameGeek and bring their own blend of fear and fun to the table. Whether you’re a scaredy‑cat looking for lighthearted laughs or a horror aficionado seeking tension and betrayal, there’s a cardboard nightmare here for you. Grab one (or all) of these titles, turn down the lights, and get ready for a night of delightful dread.
