5 Horror Board Games You Should Have on Your Shelf

As much as I love RPGs, sometimes I just don't have the energy for a full dungeon delve or battle with the outer madness from beyond the stars. But I still want the opportunity for a fun game I can play with a few friends that can lead to some memorable experiences. Last month I wrote a post titled 5 Fantasy-Themed Board Games You Should Have On-Hand (For When Players Don't Show), and I thought I'd follow it up by talking about some scarier games this month.

Because I'm an avid fan of spooky things in general, and these are some games I always enjoy playing.

#1: Betrayal at House on The Hill

You knew this one was coming.

I fell in love with this game the first time I played it (that story is in the entry So I'm Related to an Ax Murderer for those who are interested in reading it), and no matter how many times I've played this game I've never had the same experience twice.

The short version, for folks who've never played, is that your little party are going up to the creepy old house on the hill to poke around. Mediums and curious kids, college athletes and old priests, the layout of your party changes almost as often as the floor plan of the house itself. Once you enter, you need to look for items while avoiding dangerous happenings. When the omens are right, though, the haunt begins! Will it be a ghostly murderer, an ancient hag, an angry beast from the bowels of the earth, or a werewolf on the rampage? All of these, and more, are options depending on what room you're in when the final omen reveals itself.

While the original Betrayal at House on The Hill is great, I recommend grabbing it and the sequel Widow's Walk at the same time in order to maximize your options. While I haven't had the spare dosh to get my hands on a copy of Betrayal Legacy yet, I am very interested in seeing what it brings to the table.

And, of course, Betrayal at Baldur's Gate allows you to get all Dungeons and Dragons on this game, for those who still want at least a fantasy setting with their horrific monsters.

#2: Zombies!!!

Seriously gross, and seriously fun!

The first time I ever played Zombies!!! was when two players didn't show up for a game night, so we set aside the campaign and brought out this little piece of zombie survival goodness. The idea is simple; you're all in a town that's been overrun by zombies, and you need to get to the helipad in order to escape. In addition to being filled with the walking dead, though, the town is just packed with weapons, health kits, and even extra ammo to help you keep whacking zombie skulls while you stay on the move.

While the basic version of the game gives you a full town, and several modes of play (competitive, cooperative, etc.), I'd really recommend shelling out for the full package with all the extras if you like the game. You don't need everything in The Ultimate Collector's Box, but with super soldiers, zombie clowns, zombie dogs, a mall, a university, and army base, and dozens of other areas of play and optional rules, it really does give you everything you could ask for.

Except a bigger table to hold it all, that is.

#3: Arkham Horror

Mmm... now with 350% more cultists!

I love H.P. Lovecraft's work, problematic as many of the old pulp stories are, and I particularly enjoy games that draw on the Cthulhu mythos. And while I don't personally own a copy of Arkham Horror, one of the best ways to get me to sit down in the game room at a convention is to offer me a seat for playing a round of this game.

A branching path game where you can assemble your team of investigators to try to stop the strange cults, aberrant monsters, and awakening gods of the mythos, this one is always an absolute ball. Even when everyone dies, goes mad, or both in no particular order, it's still a good time had by the table.

#4: Coma Ward

Now we're getting serious.

I remember seeing a video for Coma Ward when it was first coming out, and it immediately hooked me. Because while I love horror-themed RPGs, they can be a little intensive in terms of time and effort over the long-term. But a board game where you all wake up in a coma ward with no memory of who you are, and have to piece it together while dealing with horrific hallucinations and other threats to your body and sanity that will only last a few hours can keep the screws nice and tightened.

I will say that this one runs the risk of getting silly and campy if folks aren't invested, and playing it straight may not be to everyone's taste. Still, if you like the sort of stuff that makes your skin taut and your hair stick up at the back of your neck, this one can be a lot of fun.

#5: The Last Friday

And last, but not least...

I have a thing for slashers. And for those of you who care about such things, I'm a die hard Jason Voorhees fan (I wear a hockey mask ring when I'm out and about, just so other horror fans know). So, while this game is a blatant, Sam's Club Brand Horror version of Crystal Lake, that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

If anything, it enhances the amusement factor.

The Last Friday is a pretty simple game. One player takes on the role of the musclebound maniac trying to kill everyone, and the rest of the table are the camp counselors scrambling to stop him. As their friends die, though, the counselors dig deep, and become hunters, banding together to put a stop to the slasher once and for all... or to die trying!

And, if you're curious, there's a sequel game, too. Last Friday: Return to Camp Apache deals with a new horror being unleashed... a demon that tortures and slaughters people in their dreams. And while the illustration on the cover looks more like Wolverine than everyone's favorite burned-up child killer, every horror fan out there couldn't help but see the colossal wink that comes with this one.

Bonuses!

Well, you've had your five recommendation, but wait, there's a couple of bonuses for you! If you're a fan of both cheesy B horror films, and you like digging through resale shops looking for out-of-print games, then you should keep an eye out for Grave Robbers From Outer Space! I wrote a longer article about it subtitled The Best Card Game You'll Never Play for The Dead Walk a little while ago, and serious horror game enthusiasts should definitely keep an eye out for a copy while they're on the prowl.

Also, if you're a fan of all things horror (in addition to gaming in general), then you might want to take a look at some of the articles up on my Horror archive. It's small for now, but it won't stay that way for long!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday! Do you have a recommended game I missed? If so, leave it in the comments below!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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So I'm Related To An Ax Murderer (A "Betrayal At House On The Hill" Story)

I love roleplaying games, and part of what draws me to them is the story component. Because sure, it's fun to find feat combinations and spell interactions that can give characters new powers and strange abilities, but it's the potential for story arcs, character development, and unique narratives that always keep me coming back to the table with my dice in hand.

It's that love of story that made my first round of Betrayal at The House on The Hill so much fun, and made it a game to remember for me. And I figured that since we're officially in the spooky part of the calendar, this would be a good gaming story to share this month.

A super-casual RPG if ever there was one.

The Return of Crimson Jack

Now, I had never played Betrayal before, but some friends sat down and gave me the run-through. You pick one of the game's pre-made characters, who have all chosen to come to this creepy old manor house for one reason or another. Every turn, a player can explore new parts of the map (using modular map tiles to create a new house to explore every time you start a new round), and when you draw a card, your movement stops. You can draw items, events, and omens in rooms marked with their symbols. Every time an omen happens, you grab six of the game's special dice, and roll. If the number of pips that come up are less than the number of omens at the table, then the Haunt begins. Characters will also have to regularly make checks based on their four abilities, which will fluctuate depending on events, items, combat, and other factors.

In short, it felt more like a pick-up-and-play RPG to me than your average board game does.

So what awaited us in this creepy ruin?

The character I was driving that night was Ox Bellows. Big as his namesake, and about half as smart, Ox was a solid starting choice for someone used to the barbarian. The party immediately splits up, with most characters exploring the ground floor. Ox, being too dumb to be afraid of the creaky old manor, goes upstairs to poke around.

In the first few rounds, we found all kinds of stuff. A junk room with an abandoned syringe in it, a safe in the wall, a moldy laundry room, and a coal chute to the basement. Ox even found an old fire ax laying around upstairs. He didn't really need it, but it eased that little specter of doubt in his mind that maybe, just maybe there was something he should be afraid of.

Then Ox opened a door, and was looking around, when he heard a creaking downstairs. A hulking figure with a tattered mane of black hair stood in the entryway. His square-toed boots were crusted with mud, and blood, and in his hand he held a massive, bloody knife. Crimson Jack, the man who'd killed half-a-dozen sorority girls in this tumble down manor before he was finally brought down, had come home.

Stack 'Em Like Cordwood, Boy

It doesn't take long for bloody Jack to set about his grim, gruesome task. He found the psychic woman in the kitchen, and cut her throat before she could so much as scream. He left her gurgling out her life essence into the hungry sink drain. He met the professor in the foyer, and rammed his blade into the old man's chest like a railroad spike. The little girl shrieked, and ran up the stairs clutching her teddy bear. Before she could decide which way to run, the gleaming blade of the fire ax whistled through her neck, and sent her little head bouncing down the stairs. Her little friend was aghast, and he pelted down the stairs, away from the ax-murderer in the letterman jacket. He swung hard with everything he had, but Jack picked up the boy by the front of his shirt, and cut his throat.

That was when Ox smiled his dopey, aw-shucks smile from the top of the stairs, and gave his Uncle Jack a wave. It had been years since he'd seen him. Jack stepped over the bodies in the foyer, and looked up at his nephew with a proud grin. What a big boy he'd grown up to be. It looked like the party had died around this place, but the night was young. Wasn't there a sorority shin dig going on down the road?

"Yeah, Uncle Jack, I think there is. I know a girl named Suzie that should be there. She could get us in..."

That's all for this month's Table Talk. A snacky little story, but it shows how one good experience can hook you on a game forever. If you'd like to see more gaming content from yours truly, then check out my Gamers archive over at Vocal. It's growing a little every month, and there should be new stuff there all the time. If you want to keep up-to-date on all my latest updates, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you want to help support Improved Initiative, just head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. If you pledge at least $1 a month, I'll also toss you a bunch of sweet gaming swag as a thank you for your support!