I held myself back and didn’t put up the creepy Halloween decorations until the last week of September. This is what we call growth. We’re once again into the full swing of Fall and the pumpkins are ready to be carved. It’s time for that annual reminder of all the great board games available that have a spooky theme. This Halloween board game list has been around since 2016 and we’re just scratching the surface.
Ghosted
Publisher: Big G Creative
Number of Players: 3-6
Playtime: 30 min.
Kid Friendly? Yes
Full Review for Ghosted
Ghosted is a deduction game that came out in 2021 from Big G Creative. Players are ghosts who are trying to find out who killed them, why they killed them and what they were killed with. The twist is that everyone else at the table can see this information. On your turn, you roll a die to see what information you’ll receive. Asking the right questions to the right players will give you the info that you need to solve the puzzle.
Fans of the classic Clue will be able to jump right into this game. I really like the setup where players cards are sitting in a little holder facing the rest of the table. Ghosted has absurd illustrations and death scenarios which make this a fun and campy game to break out any night this Fall.
Purchase Ghosted from Target or through Amazon today.
Psychic Pizza Deliverers go to the Ghost Town
Publisher: Board Game Tables
Number of Players: 3-5
Playtime: 30 to 45 min.
Kid Friendly? Yes
The game title is a mouth full and the premise is a little silly. And that’s how we like our family games! Players are tasked with the role of delivering pizza to homes located in Ghost Town. One player is in the role of Ghost Town’s Mayor while the other players are pizza delivers. The Mayor sits behind a screen that is built out of the box top and bottom. Inside the box, the Mayor sets up the current town layout. This includes ghosts, fences, pizza and the homes that players have to deliver to.
On their turn, players will move and use their psychic ability cards to locate the pizza and deliver it to the correct home on their dry erase boards. The Mayor is giving information to the players based on their movement and at the end of each round. Psychic Pizza Deliverers informs players about their surroundings so they can draw on their individual player maps. The excellent components make this game even more engaging, especially for the player taking on the role of the Mayor. Fans of puzzle and exploration games will find this absurdly themed game to be a great addition to their Halloween game line up.
Purchase Psychic Pizza Deliverers go to the Ghost Town on the BGT webstore or through Amazon today.
Ghosts Love Candy Too
Publisher: 25th Century Games
Number of Players: 2-6
Playtime: 30 min.
Kid Friendly? Yes
Full Review for Ghosts Love Candy Too
This 2022 release is so exciting for me. Ghosts Love Candy is a fun set collection game originally published by Steve Jackson Games in 2017. Ghosts Love Candy Too is a complete remake of the game that has been leveled up by 25th Century Games. Danny Devine, the original designer and illustrator has packed this game with 100 different kids that are collecting candy on Halloween night. Each player has a hand of ghost cards that are snatching candy from the kids on the table. Each kid has a threshold where they will become scared and give players negative points if the kid become too frightened.
Ghosts Love Candy Too is a must for families and anyone playing casual games during the Halloween season. This new version has revised mechanics and a new twist with unwanted treat tokens. With a 100 different kids, there’s loads of replayability added to the game. The game comes with a jack-o-lantern bag to hold all the treats and larger cards to show off the fun illustrations. Ghosts Love Candy is a game that too few people have played, thankfully 25th Century Games is helping gamers find this incredible family game.
Purchase Ghosts Love Candy Too from the 25th Century webstore.
Horrified: American Monsters
Publisher: Ravensburger
Number of Players: 1-5
Playtime: 60 min.
Kid Friendly? 8+
Livestream of Horrified: American Monsters
One of our favorite co-op games is Horrified, a 2019 release from Ravensburger. Horrified: American Monsters is the follow up game that revolves around players battling some of the most well known cryptids. Up to 5 players go against the Jersey Devil, Mothman, the Ozark Howler, Bigfoot and more. Players have to work together to defeat each of these enemies by exploiting their weaknesses while saving the defenseless towns people.
Horrified: American Monsters follows the same formula as its predecessor. Players have to work together, trade items and rescue towns people in order to defeat the team of cryptids. I love how each game can be different as you pick the enemies that you and your fellow players go against. The game difficulty can easily be modified by adding in another enemy or reducing the number of cryptids. Erin’s not a fan of cooperative games but Horrified is one that will always bring her to the table.
Purchase Horrified: American Monsters from Target or through Amazon today.
Cryptid Cafe
Publisher: Squatchy Games / 25th Century Games
Number of Players: 2-5
Playtime: 45 min.
Kid Friendly? Yes
Nothing hits home like a cup of Hot Apple Spider or a steaming cup of Hexpresso. In Cryptid Cafe, players send their cryptid servers to the kitchen to collect the dishes for patrons to the cafe. Each round, new monsters show up with a variety of needs. Players take turns retrieving dishes from the Kraken chef but can break in line by sliding the chef some cash on the side.
Cryptid Cafe is filled with bright, fun artwork and the components in this game are top-notch. The game will get pretty cutthroat, especially at 4-players. As players work to serve their customers, it’s inevitable that some unsatisfied customers will walk out, giving you negative points. Cryptid Cafe is an excellent game for families with older kids and the theme goes beyond just the Halloween season.
Purchase Cryptid Cafe from the 25th Century webstore or through Amazon today.
The Night Cage
Publisher: Smirk & Dagger
Number of Players: 1-5
Playtime: 45 to 60 min.
Kid Friendly? Not really
If you’re looking for an eerie and unsettling experience this Halloween season, look no further than The Night Cage from Smirk & Dagger. This cooperative exploration game takes place on a black and white grid. As player explore the narrow passages, their individual candles only light up the tiles that immediately surround their player token. As the new tiles come out, the board twists and turns as the tiles behind you disappear into the darkness.
Players have to work together, gathering a key for each player and escaping the monsters that hide in the darkness of The Night Cage. Board games rarely elicit the discomfort and eeriness that this game creates. This theme begs for a game night by candle light with the thematic soundtrack playing in the background this Halloween.
Purchase The Night Cage at your local Barnes & Noble, the Smirk & Dagger webstore or through Amazon today.
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
Publisher: The OP
Number of Players: 3-8
Playtime: 60 to 90 min.
Kid Friendly? Teenagers
Full Review of The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
This is a game that has been a staple of Halloween game nights for years. The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 was originally published in 2017 and went out of print for years. Thankfully a 2nd edition is now back from The OP!
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is a hidden identity game where players take on one of the roles from John Carpenter’s 1982 horror classic. At least one player at the table is an “imitation” and no one can be trusted. Each round will force players into missions that fix or restore parts of the Arctic research facility. As the game advances, more players can become infected and can sabotage the entire team. Will an imitation make into the rescue chopper sealing the fate of the entire table?
This game has a tension that few games can produce. The humans are always at a disadvantage as the imitation(s) try to hide in plan sight. The game can get overwhelming when the team fails missions too often but, successful battles with The Thing can get the whole table cheering. If you’re looking for a game that will bring some tension to your game table this Halloween, The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is a solid pick.
Purchase The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 through Amazon today.
Looking for more board games to play this Halloween season? We’ve got you covered.
- Game Pick & A Flick: Halloween Edition
- Ghastly Games for Your Halloween Game Night (2020)
- More Creepy Cardboard for Your Halloween Game Night (2019)
- A Haunting Game Night – Our 2018 Halloween Game List (2018)
- Our 2017 Halloween Game List (2017)
- Games for Your Halloween Game Night (2016)
- Halloween Games for the Family (2016)
