Ghastly Games for Your Halloween Game Nights

Ghastly Games for Your Halloween Game Nights

Carve the pumpkins and grab some hot apple cider, it’s time for those creepy board games to hit the table. We’ve got lots of great options for your next game night during the month of October, or any time really.

Creepshow

Publisher: Skybound Tabletop
Number of Players: 2-5
Playtime: 30-45 minutes
Kid-friendly? Teens and above
Full Review of Creepshow

One of my biggest surprises going into this Halloween season has to be Creepshow: The Suspense-Building Game from Skybound Tabletop. In this game, players are collectively building stories using classic horror comic tropes. Players are contributing suspense cards to each story, secretly, throughout the game. Path cards and story ending cards require players to take a chance on how much suspense has been played on that specific story.

Creepshow villain stories

Campy storytelling and pressing-your-luck is all present in this card game. As a big fan of the Creepshow franchise, I was really impressed with how this game plays out. Players will try and lure their opponents into a sense of confidence, hoping that the suspense level leaves them disappointed. Creepshow is going to be on the table a lot this month and it’s a game that should absolutely make an appearance at your next game night.

Purchase Creepshow: The Suspense-Building Game from your local game store or online through Amazon today.

Dracula VS Van Helsing

Publisher: 25th Century Games
Number of Players: 2
Playtime: 30 minutes
Kid-friendly? Yes
Full Review of Dracula VS Van Helsing

Dracula VS Van Helsing is a two-player game where both players are working to achieve different goals over the course of five rounds. Dracula is working to turn villagers into vampires while Van Helsing is working to take away twelve hit point counters from the Dracula player. Players draw a new tile and choose to discard or swap one of their five tiles in their display, activating a special action that is tied to the number on the tile.

Dracula VS Van Helsing - tile art

The position of each tile is connected to the five sections on the village map. Players will compare the tile color and value to see who wins in each section of the map. This game is strategic, constantly shifting, and beautifully illustrated by Weberson Santiago. Dracula VS Van Helsing is a fantastic pick for a casual night with a friend or family member during the Halloween season.

Purchase Dracula VS Van Helsing from your local game store, from the 25th Century Games webstore or online through Amazon today.

La Familia Hort

Publisher: Grand Gamers Guild
Number of Players: 2-4
Playtime: 30-40 minutes
Kid-friendly? Yes
Full Review of La Familia Hort

Nothing says Halloween like a ghostly granny appearing under a red moon. In La Familia Hort, players are tending to the family farm, planting and selling crops for both money and experience. This light economic game has an eerie art style that is reminiscent of Tim Burton and accessible enough for kids and adults.

La Familia Hort - player board

La Familia Hort has a nice pace to it and players can build a mini-engine as they collect rain water and fertilizer. Players can use their special asymmetric abilities to interact with their opponents. The game ends after three visits from Granny Hortensia’s ghost. The player with the most experience will inherit the family land. If you’re looking for a slightly creepy and chill game to play as the weather cools off, La Familia Hort is a lot of fun.

Purchase La Familia Hort from your local game store, the Grand Gamers Guild webstore or online through Amazon today.

Halloween

Publisher: Trick or Treat Studios
Number of Players: 2-4
Playtime: Around an hour
Kid-friendly? Teens and above
Full Review of Halloween

Halloween is the board game that I’ve always hoped for based on my favorite classic horror movie. Trick or Treat Studios published Halloween in 2023 and it’s a game that hits our table all year long. One player takes on the role of Michael Myers, stalking the other players around four homes located in Haddonfield. Michael’s movement is kept secret on a dry erase board as his teenage victims search for Lindsey, Tommy, and a set of keys to make their getaway.

Halloween board game review

The sheer tension in Halloween is a wild experience. The Michael players is a force to be reckoned with due to his 12 health points. Players need to be quick and methodical when searching the four homes for the missing kids and car keys. Anyone who enjoys hidden movement games or the original movie from the late 70’s will really enjoy this game. Halloween was one of my favorite releases of 2023 and continues to be a great experience every time it hits the table.

Purchase Halloween from your local game store, Barnes & Noble stores or on the Trick or Treat webstore today.

Finders Creepers

Publisher: MGA
Number of Players: 2-4
Playtime: 30 minutes
Kid-friendly? Yes

We found Finders Creepers at our local Target and knew that we had to have it. Players gather around a central house board that is filled with monsters and ghosts. Players will use an app on their mobile device to see where the monsters appear on the board. This merging of digital and analog play has worked really well in our time with the game.

Finders Creepers - augmented reality board

Players roll dice at the end of their turn to trigger bonuses and a possible outbreak of these creepy creatures. When a “grand escape” happens, players use their mobile devices to zap the monsters as they appear around the actual room you’re sitting in. The whole game has a Ghostbusters vibe and the augmented reality app works really well. It’s fun jumping out of your seat and frying monsters around the room. If you have enough mobile devices, Finders Creepers will be a big hit for families this Halloween season.

Purchase Finders Creepers at your local board game store, at Target stores nation-wide or online through Amazon today.

Vampire Village

Publisher: Hachette Boardgames / Studio H
Number of Players: 1-5
Playtime: 25-30 minutes
Kid-friendly? 10+
Full Review of Vampire Village

Vampires, witches, and werewolves are approaching the village gates! Vampire Village is a game where players are setting up their village to defend against creatures that are coming for their towns people. Players draft new buildings to gain villagers and defense. At the end of each round, the monsters attack. Will you have enough defense to hold back the hoards?

Vampire Village - defense phase

Vampire Village is a fast-paced game that plays out like a tower defense game. You’re not always sure what creatures are coming your way because your opponents at the table are the ones who send the monsters to your village. This game is brutal as players try their best to keep their citizens safe. Vampire Village is beautifully illustrated and plays quickly enough that you can play two games in an hour. If you don’t mind your family and friends showing their fangs, this one is a must play this Halloween season.

Purchase Vampire Village at your local game store, from the Hachette webstore or online through Amazon today.

If you’re looking for more…

We’ve got plenty of creepy board games for your Halloween game nights. Check out previous years lists along with some special Halloween features that we’ve run in the past.

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.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

[…] Dracula VS Van Helsing is going to be a game that will get play year round, not just during our Halloween gaming […]

[…] slasher movies. If you’re looking for a filler game that is quick and easy to teach this Halloween season, this one is worth checking […]

[…] Looking for more? Halloween isn’t really our thing. But the guys at One Board Family love Halloween and creepy games! […]

Samurai Jack: Back to the Past Review

MonsDRAWsity Review

Erin’s 2017 Christmas Buyers Guide

More Creepy Cardboard for Your Halloween Game Night