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From watching marathons of your favorite horror films to experiencing theme park makeovers, there’s no shortage of experiences to have during the spookiest time of the year. But sometimes you don’t even need to leave your home for a killer horror experience.
Sometimes all you need is a table top, some friends, and a great game.
I’ve played a lot of horror tabletop games over the years, some great, some bad, but the ones on this list are the ones that I urge horror fans to try out. These ones in particular aren’t too rules heavy and are perfect for beginners. They’re also perfect for Halloween game night…
Alien: Fate of the Nostromo
Back in 2021, Ravensburger put out this tabletop gauntlet that aimed to recreate the intensity of the first Alien film and I think they succeeded. In Alien: Fate of the Nostromo, players will take on the role of the crew from the iconic 1979 film and task them with completing objectives to unlock a secret goal while dealing with a monstrous Xenomorph roaming the halls of the ship. When encountering the unstoppable Xenomorph, the crew’s morale will drop; and if it drops below a certain level, it’s game over, man!
What makes Fate of the Nostromo so great is how accessible it is while remaining a challenge, allowing players to use resources to craft items to help them survive and make certain objectives easier to accomplish. The game is also modular with included solo and high difficulty modes. Any fan of the Alien franchise needs to have this one in their gaming collection.
Bloodborne: The Card Game
Gaming company Cool Mini Or Not released this tabletop version of the popular PlayStation game all the way back in 2016. I’ve never been a fan of tabletop adaptations of video games but Bloodborne: The Card Game is so simple and fast to play that it’s become a game that I use to introduce new people into the hobby.
The game sees players building a random “chalice dungeon” deck of monsters and a final boss encounter; when a monster is revealed, players will play weapon cards from their hands and collect blood tokens for the damage they inflict. The player with the most blood tokens at the end of the dungeon wins, but the challenge comes from the monsters fighting back using special dice to attack. When a player dies (and trust me they will) they lose all of their blood tokens that they haven’t banked and have to begin the cycle all over. Bloodborne: The Card Game is a terrifying push and pull of risk and reward that belongs on everyone’s tabletop, regardless if you’re a fan of the video game or not.
Escape From Tall Oaks
A spin-off of Bright Light Media’s wildly popular Mixtape Massacre game, Escape From Tall Oaks puts players in their very own slasher film as they attempt to navigate the namesake town and rescue innocent civilians (and themselves) from bloodthirsty maniacs. The game also takes heavy inspiration from the slasher movies you love, all dressed in a killer ’80s aesthetic. Escape From Tall Oaks is simple to learn and play but not easy to win. This game hits the table often for me while marathoning my favorite slasher films.
Bright Light also supports the game with numerous expansions and full compatibility with Mixtape Massacre, so there’s absolutely no shortage of carnage to have with this entry.
Horrified
Let’s get something out of the way: Horrified rules. This board game from Ravensburger sees players running through a setting with specialized characters as they save innocents and encounter famous monsters. Imagine it like a streamlined version of Eldritch Horror where strategy and planning are key in success. Each monster has a specific set of goals and mechanics so when mixing and matching most of your games will play out differently. There’s even a difficulty scaling mechanic and solo rules so you don’t even need another player.
The first (and best) version of the game is themed after Universal’s Classic Monster line and features gorgeous art inspired by the classic line of films that builds a giant heaping of atmosphere. The other versions based on American Cryptids and Greek Monsters are no slouches either so if one flavor isn’t to your liking, there’s another version you might be into.
Scream: The Game
One of the more recent releases from Funko Games, Scream: The Game is a blast at parties. Scream tasks players (or victims, as the game calls them) with searching/trading for items to complete scenes. Sounds easy enough, right? Well it is until Ghostface starts calling players using the downloadable app and begins to stalk and hunt you down. The game takes place over a fast paced 20 minute time limit that will have players scrounging as fast as they can in hopes of surviving long enough to be in the sequel.
Oh did I mention that Ghostface is voiced by none other than Roger L. Jackson? That alone makes this game worth buying for Scream fans.
Betrayal at House on the Hill
This Avalon Hill game is a bonafide classic. Betrayal at House on the Hill has players exploring a randomly generated haunted house uncovering its mysteries and omens. When a set number of omens are discovered the “haunt” begins, which will turn the exploration gameplay into objective based with a randomly chosen scenario that may or may not pit players against each other. That’s what appeals to me about Betrayal at House on the Hill; you never quite know how it’s going to play out, which adds a ton of replayability.
This game is also available in numerous different variations such as Scooby-Doo, Dungeons & Dragons, and even a “Legacy” version that turns it into a campaign meant to be played over multiple sessions. Pick your poison!
Mork Borg
Though not a conventional board game per se, Mork Borg is a tabletop role-playing game that absolutely deserves to hit the table this Halloween season. A rules-light game modeled after the early days of Dungeons & Dragons, Mork Borg takes place in a doom metal inspired dying world where death is just as simple as character creation. The base rulebook has a starting adventure called “Rotblack Sludge” that is a great introduction to the mechanics of the game and there are endless online resources that can help players get a session up and running in a single evening.
The core rulebook also doubles as a gorgeous art book with some horrific imagery sure to bring some dread to your coffee table. Get together, roll some dice, and enjoy the end of days.
