Game Pick & A Flick: Halloween Edition

Game Pick & A Flick: Halloween Edition

Halloween will look a lot different this year. In this feature, we’re pairing up games and movies that will make your time indoors a little more festive. Whether you make a night of it or stretch it out over a weekend, these combinations should make for a great time. Some games will share the same IP as the movie pick while some just share a similar theme.

Ghosts Love Candy and The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Ghosts Love Candy & It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Get the Game: Amazon | Game Review
Get the Movie: DVD on Amazon | Rent/Buy
Family Friendly? Yes

Generations of us have grown up watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” during the month of October. This animated classic brings back the feeling of being a kid and grabbing all the candy you can. A game that gives you this same feeling would have to be Ghosts Love Candy from Steve Jackson Games.

Ghosts Love Candy

In Ghosts Love Candy, players are ghosts trying to scare kids gathering candy on Halloween night. Players compete to steal the candy of the kids as they meet their scare threshold. Each player scores points based on the candy they gather during the night and the goal card they received at the beginning of the game.

This pairing is a solid choice for kids and adults. So gather the family, grab a bowl of candy, and make some memories.

Other movie choices: Garfield Halloween, Casper

Haunt the House and The Haunted Mansion

Haunt the House & The Haunted Mansion

Get the Game: Amazon | Game Review
Get the Movie: DVD on Amazon | Rent/Buy/Stream
Family Friendly? Yes

Looking for some haunted house action? There are lots of options out there. Recently we covered Ghostel from Tinkerbot Games, and Haunt the House from KTBG is one of our favorite games this time of year. Players are ghosts trying to scare ghost hunters that are susceptible to specific scares. There are some bluffing elements along with special abilities and fantastic artwork in this game. This is another great pick for kids and adults.

Haunt the House Ghost Hunters

“The Haunted Mansion” is a 2003 Disney release starring Eddie Murphy. In this theme park ride adapted movie, a real estate agent and his family have to break the curse at the haunted Gracey Manor. The movie is appropriate for younger ages and has some cute scares for everyone.

Other movie choices: Monster House, Ghost Patrol

Horrified and Monster Squad

Horrified & Monster Squad

Get the Game: Amazon | Game Review
Get the Movie: DVD on Amazon | Rent/Buy/Stream
Family Friendly? 12+

I’m a big fan of the Universal Movie Monsters. One of the most influential movies from my childhood has to be “The Monster Squad”. This cheesy 80’s movie slams together the fun of a movie like “Goonies” with movie monsters like the Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster, the Mummy and Dracula. While this movie hasn’t aged well (and is begging for a remake), it’s still a lot of fun to watch. Look past the corny dialog and mediocre CGI and just enjoy “The Monster Squad” for what it is.

Horrified Mummy

Horrified is the perfect fit to pair with “The Monster Squad”. Last year when we picked up the game from Target, the nostalgic flood of “The  Monster Squad” hit me hard. This cooperative game has players fighting the classic Universal Movie Monsters as they attack the surrounding village. The difficulty is adjusted by the monsters and number of enemies you choose to fight against. While “The Monster Squad” might not be appropriate for kids under 13, Horrified is a great option whether it’s an adult game night or one with the kids. Do you have what it takes to defeat the forces of evil?

Zombicide and Shaun of the Dead

Zombicide & Shaun of the Dead

Get the Game: Amazon
Get the Movie: Rent on Amazon | Rent/Buy/Stream
Family Friendly? No

No Halloween would be complete without a run-in with the undead. “Shaun of the Dead” is a hilarious take on the zombie movie genre starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Shaun and his friend Ed find their mundane existence broken up when their town is overrun with zombies. “Shaun of the Dead” has lots of laughs and plenty of brain munchers.

In Zombicide a crew of players take on the hoard of zombies of all shapes and sizes. Since its original release in 2012, this game has spawned loads of expansions, stand alone versions, and a second edition that is due to ship in November. Zombicide doesn’t take itself too seriously and there are tons of jokes and throwbacks to pop culture, similar to Shaun of the Dead. These two properties have a comedic edge and would be an excellent pairing for a fun night of zombie action.

Other movie options: Dawn of the Dead, Zombieland

Pandemic and Outbreak

Pandemic & Outbreak

Get the Game: Amazon
Get the Movie: DVD on Amazon | Rent/Buy/Stream
Family Friendly? No

We’ve talked about viruses and worldwide pandemics quite a bit in 2020. I think we can move on.

Other movie options: 12 Monkeys, Contagion

Last Friday and Friday the 13th

Last Friday & Friday the 13th

Get the Game: Amazon
Get the Movie: Rent on Amazon | Rent/Buy/Stream
Family Friendly? No

“Friday the 13th” is the quintessential slasher movie for most people. These movies were a staple of 80’s horror and something I grew up watching. The concept consists of a killer stalking young adults and murdering them because of unresolved anger issues. Each movie introduces a new twist but the concept stays the same.

Last Friday

Last Friday from Ares Games is essentially “Friday the 13th” without the license. A single player is The Maniac and hunts down the other players at the table. The game takes you through a 4-part story arch which will take about 3 hours. You can modify this to play a single game that can still be satisfying. This game really captures the hunter vs hunted feel of “Friday the 13th” well.

Betrayal at the House on the Hill & The Cabin in the Woods

Get the Game: Amazon
Get the Movie: DVD on Amazon | Rent/Buy/Stream
Family Friendly? No

Betrayal at the House on the Hill is a favorite of ours around this time of year. A team goes in to investigate the creepy mansion and the supernatural things that exist within its walls. During the game one of you will betray your team and work against the team. This game has created lots of memorable game nights over the years and new editions that feature Scooby-Doo and Dungeons & Dragons have come out. In 2019 the game even got a Legacy edition that keeps the haunts coming.

“Cabin in the Woods” is a wild ride of a movie directed by Joss Whedon. With some really fun plot twists, this movie is more than your typical horror movie set in the woods. While this pairing isn’t a good fit for families, it would be great for your next adult game night.

Other movie options: Thir13en Ghosts, Return to House on Haunted Hill

Do you have a game and movie pairing for Halloween this year? We would love to hear about it! Drop your combination in the comments below.

Ryan Gutowski

I'm a huge fan of strategy games and pretty much anything that involves "city building". My love of board games goes back to my childhood and passion for building relationships with others.

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