Halloween is quickly approaching. It's a time of fun, pretend, and a bit of spookiness. It is also the perfect time for some board games! I mean, it always is, right? Whether you are interested in the dark and macabre or some silly monstery fun, you will find a game to have fun with during the spooky festivities. So grab a bowl of candy, pull up a chair, and get playing!
In Ex Libris, you are a collector of rare and valuable books in a thriving gnomish village. Recently, the Mayor and Village Council have announced an opening for a Grand Librarian: a prestigious (and lucrative) position they intend to award to the most qualified villager! Unfortunately, several of your book collector colleagues (more like acquaintances, really) are also candidates.
Who said alphabetizing couldn't be fun? Play as your favorite monster and build up a library of books that are as silly as they are spooky. It is a worker placement and tableau building game. This will work best for middle school and up and needs a fair bit of table space. It is a game we have absolutely loved and waited far too long to pick up.
In Ghost Blitz, five wooden items sit on the table waiting to be caught: a white ghost, a green bottle, a cute grey mouse, a blue book, and a comfortable red chair. Each card in the deck shows pictures of two objects, with one or both objects colored the wrong way. With all players playing at the same time, someone reveals a card, then players grab for the "right" object – but which object is right?
This is a fantastic game for kids and teens since they are so good at fast paced games. Their reaction times are much faster and it gives them a chance against mom and dad. The game is extra challenging because the item you need to pick up is counterintuitive to what your brain wants to pick. It is a great family game that plays quickly.
In Villainous, take on the role of a Disney villain and strive to achieve your own devious objective. Discover your character's unique abilities and winning strategy while dealing twists of fate to thwart your opponents’ schemes. Find out who will triumph over the forces of good and win it all! Disney villainous is a fun board game for families with kids age 10 and up and is also perfect for more serious board gamers.
The Kiddo just loves this game! It is asymmetrical so each player is playing a different way. I really like that the small expansions of the game work as a stand alone game as well. You can choose your favorite Disney or Marvel characters to play with too.
King of Tokyo is a game for 2 to 6 players where you play as mutant monsters, rampaging robots, or even abominable aliens battling in a fun, chaotic atmosphere. Roll the dice and choose your strategy: Will you attack your enemies? Heal your wounds? Improve your Monster? Stomp your path to victory!
This one is on so many lists! It is great for little kids with some slight adjustments (learn more here). Teens love it. Adults have a blast playing it. It is our most played game for gaming events. It has been such a hit with everyone we have played it with. The game is very easy to learn and teach and has an excitement factor that has kept it fun and in our collection for years. Plus, it is now available on Board Game Arena, so you don't even have to buy it to be able to play it! Learn more about Board Game Arena in this post.
Trust Me I’m a Doctor is a hilarious card game that lets you become an old time doctor, treating serious medieval maladies with some VERY questionable cures. Players draw gross Ailments and horrifying Cures, then attempt to cure their patient by suggesting various outdated cures, aiming to match symbols on the cards and back up their combination with lots of verbal jousting. The first doctor to be chosen thrice wins, and if everyone is sufficiently grossed out this is a bonus! This party game encourages interaction with your friends. Each of these Ailments and Cures are REAL things that happened.
Oh man! Get together a group of boisterous friends that enjoy a bit of the macabre and you are going to have a blast with this one! It is a bit darker for family game night but if you have a house of teens, this will probably be a great option. You can read my full review here.
Zombie Kidz Evolution is a game that will evolve and grow richer with each game you play and each feat you accomplish. In time, you’ll gain new powers, but the zombies will become more ferocious as well...
Your goal is to eliminate zombies as they appear and to lock up the school before they become too numerous. Zombies have decided to invade your school, and while your English teacher sometimes makes life difficult, you wouldn’t want the school gym or library to get trashed! Everyone else is running away, though, so you’ll have to be the one to beat back these creatures!
We are suckers for cooperative games! Yet, we have never played this one. I am not sure why that is. Having gone back and forth over it for a few years, it is definitely on our "to buy" list. Though we have not played it, I have heard from many of our family friends that it is a great game and it sure does fit the theme of this list, so here it is!
WELCOME TO... HALLOWEEN! In this spooky neighborhood when players build houses they get to choose a trick or a treat, circling either a ghost or a candy. The first player to reach a certain amount of ghosts or candies can declare it to use the bonus. Once used, it's no longer available to other players; who will then cross the bonus off. Only 1 ghost and 1 candy bonus per player!
Welcome To... is a great roll and write game! You can play the basic edition on Board Game Arena. If you want to get your Halloween on, check out the expansion boards. The Halloween edition is one of our favorite boards to play.
In Scooby-Doo: Escape from the Haunted Mansion, players take on the roles of the teen sleuths and their courageous canine pal to solve a mystery! Work together to decode clues and find your way out of the haunted mansion in this co-operative "Coded Chronicles" game. Can you solve the mystery of Lady Fairmont's ghost with the help of Mystery, Inc.?
If you like escape rooms and Scooby Doo, this is your game. The miniatures are adorable and it has more of a board game feel than, say, an Unlock game. Like Unlock though, it is a one and done game. It is still more cost effective than doing an actual escape room though and does not have a time limit. Don't let the cartoony nature fool you though! This one is for middle school and up.
Although billed as a children's game, Escape from the Hidden Castle, a.k.a. Midnight Party or Hugo, is actually quite enjoyable by adults as a light, fun game. Each player controls a number of guests at a party, with the number of guests dependent on the number of players. These guests start the round in the spaces of the gallery on the game board, one guest per space; this initial placement is a large part of a player's strategy. The Phantom (or "Hugo the ghost" in earlier versions) starts in the cellar, then climbs the stairs towards the gallery where the guests circle. The mechanism for the Phantom's movement is simple: On a player's turn, he rolls a special die. If he gets a number, he moves his pieces; if he gets a Phantom, the Phantom moves. This means that with more players in the game, the Phantom moves a lot more frequently, so you must adjust your strategy accordingly.
We have had a lot of fun playing Hugo. It is new to Board Game Arena and even the tot was able to play on his tablet, not well and he didn't enjoy it. Don't take his word for it though, it is quite fun but maybe stick to 6 or 7 and up.
In Mysterium, one player tries to lead the investigators to their culprit.
Each night the team will be met with visions, but what is the ghost trying to tell you?
Can the psychics determine the weapon, location, and identity of the murderer? Or will a violent criminal pull off the perfect murder? They will have to decipher the images to help the ghost remember how he was murdered. The more players cooperate, the easier it will be to the catch the right culprit!
I just love to play Mysterium! This murder mystery game is perfect for the introvert in your group. The ghost gets to hide behind a screen, pass out clues, and just quietly take it all in. I'm always the ghost! This game is like a cross between Dixit and Clue, if that means anything to you. If you like either of those, you will probably enjoy this one. It is great for people that can take things figuratively and thus best for older kids and adults.
