Halloween Tabletop Games
Halloween is an excellent excuse to have some fun and let your geek flag fly. Whether you’re in costume or not, sitting around a table playing games with friends and family is a great activity to accompany eating copious amounts of candy. Here are 3 great tabletop games that will make fun additions to your Halloween party or a quiet night in after trick-or-treating.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf:
This game is a variation on a traditional Werewolf game, where everyone has to figure out who the werewolf is before they get eliminated. This particular version has more than just werewolves and villagers though. There are many roles players can fill which all have a different set of knowledge and ways to manipulate gameplay.
More complicated than a traditional game of Werewolf it is almost always nearly impossible to logic out who the werewolves are in this game, making it a great game to play with those who overthink and strategize the simplest of games. Things devolve into psychological profiling pretty quickly so it's a fun party game.
One Night Ultimate Werewolfcan accommodate a large group of people and lasts for a quick 20 min. long round of guessing. An added bonus is the app you can download that acts as a moderator for the game and also provides some atmospheric background noises. There are a few different versions of this game, like a vampire version, so you can find the right fit for you and your fellow players. Quick, easy and fun this game will get everyone in the Halloween spirit.
Fluxx:
A popular card game, tabletop gamers have probably played one version or another of Fluxx. The game has simple to start and ever-changing rules. Players use their hand of cards to change the rules of the game and even it’s win conditions making it quick and exciting.
There are a plethora of Fluxx editions with various themes, some of which are great for Halloween like: Zombie, Cthulhu and Monster Fluxx, any of which can be mixed and matched together for an even crazier game. The rules are literally on the cards so this one is easy to introduce new players too and the ever-changing rules keep people from over thinking and strategizing making it fun for players of all skill levels. It plays 2-6 players from ages 8 and up.
King of Tokyo:
Thematically based around Kaiju monster movies like Godzilla, King of Tokyois a family-friendly board game that lets 2-6 players battle for control of Tokyo city. The game is pretty easy to learn and an expansion will allow even more players to join in the fun. For players 8 and older this game lasts around 30 minutes so it won't take up your whole night. The Halloween expansion adds holiday appropriate costume cards and spooky monster’s to play as. Yet, even without the expansions King of Tokyo is a great game for any Halloween gathering.
Betrayal at House on the Hill:
This board game allows players to role play a spooky classic haunted house tale as they explore the procedurally generated house on the hill. The story will change with each playthrough too, giving this game a lot of replay value. Gameplay is cooperative but the twist is that eventually someone at the table will betray their fellow players. Full of suspense and role-playing fun Betrayal at House on the Hill is a great game for the Halloween season. It plays 3-6 people and is recommended for ages 12 and up. The average playtime is about an hour long.
Ghost Stories:
Themed around Asian lore, players must defend a village against waves of evil ghosts in Ghost Stories, an interesting co-op board game. Random encounters with monsters, items and available tiles on the board can really ratchet up the tension and make this game tough to beat. It plays 1-4 people and is for ages 12 and up. Expect 60 minutes or less to finish this one.
Ten Candles:
For those who enjoy tableop role playing games Ten Candles is a one-shot RPG that is perfectly themed for a Halloween vigile. The game got it's start as a Kickstarter project and offers a little something different for gamers. Praised for being an engaging and emotional experience it tells a tragic horror story of people trying to survive after the sun goes dark.
This game is recommended for those who are familiar with tabletop role playing games and is probably best for a group of players that are older- you can't be afraid of the dark for this one and you literally get to play with fire.Requiring paper, pen, tea lights, dice and a burn bucket, in addition to the inexpensive PDF of rules and guidelines, this game has a fairly quick and easy set up for an RPG. If you're in the mood for a unique and spooky experience this Halloween, Ten Candles may be the game for you.