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Are you looking for a way to experience thrills and chills without having to leave the comfort of your own home? Make sure to peek around the corner at these top horror board games! These spine-tingling tabletop experiences will transport you into an eerie world full of unexpected jump scares, mysterious creatures and supernatural forces. Get ready to be on the edge of your seat as you battle eldritch horrors, explore dark dungeons and survive heart-pounding confrontations with monsters! Whether it’s haunting debates, intense bluffing or spooky mysteries that pique your interest, there are plenty of options available when it comes to horror board games – perfect for those seeking a truly unforgettable gaming experience.
Quick Peeks
In a hurry? No problem! Here are some of my top picks!
Best Overall Horror Board Games
Here are a few Horror Games that are some of the best that I enjoy playing. Don’t worry, none of them will bite…. much!
Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
| 2-5 Players |
| Play Time: 60-120 minutes |
| Age: 13+ |
Are you brave enough to survive the Dead of Winter? This bleak and immersive tabletop game invites you to confront a post-apocalyptic winter in an intense cooperative experience. You’ll need all your courage and cunning as you navigate deep strategy and make difficult decisions between what’s best for the survivors’ colony, and what’s best for you.
The horrors don’t stop there – can you keep morale up while battling off outside threats, scavenging for food and supplies, or even just surviving each other? With dozens of unique characters to play, this living narrative inspires tense tactical decisions culminating in an unpredictable outcome. Dare you enter the world of Dead of Winter with nerves of steel? Don’t be afraid – it may be cold outside… but if you don’t take on the challenge, nothing will remain to protect you from the dead.
Betrayal at The House on The Hill: 3rd Edition
| 3-6 Players |
| Play Time: 60 minutes |
| Age: 12+ |
Enter the House on the Hill if you dare…the horrifying and thrilling third edition of Betrayal at The House on The Hill is here! This tabletop game is sure to strike fear in your heart and send chills up your spine. With modular board pieces and detailed miniatures, this cooperative strategy game takes you from lighthearted exploration to a desperate fight for survival.
In this fright-filled game, players must band together to survive the nightmarish hauntings of the House on the Hill. Each twist, turn, and traitor pits players against each other in a living horror story with 50 bloodcurdling scenarios. Experience fresh horrors every time you play…neither you nor the house stay the same. This 3rd Edition includes artwork, rule books, trackers, cards and miniatures to help even new players jump right in!
Are you brave enough to battle deathly terrors? Dare to enter Betrayal at The House on The Hill–if you dare.
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
| 4-8 Players |
| Play Time: 60-120 minutes |
| Age: 17+ |
Enter a world filled with fear and terror with the horror board game, The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31. Inspired by the classic horror movie from 1982, you can now face the horror of an alien infecting a remote research camp deep in Antarctica. In this riveting game, you and your friends must complete missions as one of 12 iconic characters while also trying to identify and escape the deadly imitation aliens. Will you risk trusting your “friends” or should you break away to ensure your own survival?
For anyone looking for a thrilling but mysterious adventure, The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 provides the perfect game night experience. Players will receive their roles randomly (either human or imitation) so that no two games ever play out quite the same way. The ability to uncover the truth is critical; only by using sharp deduction skills can you locate and identify all imitations before they take over and win!
This social deduction-hidden identity tabletop board game is appropriate for 4-8 players age 17+, and plays for 45-90 minutes. With suspenseful atmosphere and enough fear to leave even courageous players trembling with anticipation, The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is guaranteed to bring a scary twist to any game night!
Budget Horror Board Games Under $30
If your budget is a bit tight, don’t worry! These games are great if you can scare up $30 or less!
Hako Onna
| 3-5 Players |
| Play Time: 90-120 minutes |
| Age: 10+ |
Are you brave enough to try Hako Onna? Step into the darkness of this thrilling board game, and prepare to be scared. Hako Onna is an immersive horror hide-and-seek game that will have you testing the boundaries of your courage. One player plays the “Hako Onna” (the Woman in the Box), while other players take on the harrowing roles of visitors – trying desperately not to make a sound as they search for items to protect themselves, gather information, and look for a way out of the shadowy mansion.
In this heart-pounding chase, skill takes a backseat as luck plays its part in determining life or death. As Visitors, one wrong move is all it takes: if you stumble upon the Hako Onna? You’re dead! What’s worse is that this game builds tension twofold with a disk-stacking mechanism that gets harder with each visitor’s turn… and when someone knocks over the stack, all eyes close at once and the Hako Onna player gets a turn! For those who find such a dexterity element too intimidating, fear not; Hako Onna also includes an alternate card system for continued pandemonium.
If your nerve can handle it, click today and add Hako Onna to your collection for some truly gripping adventures!
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Night of Frights!
| 2-4 Players |
| Play Time: 30 minutes |
| Age: 8+ |
Attention all night owls and thrill seekers! Get ready for the ultimate antagonist chase in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Night of Frights! This fast-paced, horror-filled game is full of sneaky scares and surprises that you won’t want to miss. Put aside your worries and cast your fate into the nocturnal gloom as you compete with up to four players to scavenge pizza and cake, unleash your unique character abilities, and outlast your friends as a tangible animatronic terror. Boldly challenge opponents’ wits with suspenseful push-your-luck gameplay that will keep everyone on edge until one player captures the guard! Whether it’s Freddy Fazbear or Bonnie, Chica or Foxy – let fear into your circle of friends and scare each other silly with painted figures of the iconic Five Nights at Freddy’s characters straight from the box. So do you dare to enter? Get ready for a truly frightening experience – it’ll have you scared down to your last slice of pizza!
Runner Up Board Games for Horror Fans
There are so many good horror games that it’s hard to pick a favorite! Here are a few runner-ups that didn’t quite “hack and slash” their way to the top spot, but are still great to play!
Trivial Pursuit: Horror Ultimate Edition
| 2-99 Players |
| Play Time: 60 minutes |
| Age: 17+ |
Are you ready to be scared? With Trivial Pursuit Horror Ultimate Edition, it’s game time! Featuring 1800 questions spanning multiple horror entertainment platforms – movies, shows, and books – this board game is the ultimate thrill ride. Test your knowledge across 6 categories of horror with questions on Gore & Disturbing, Psychological, Killer, Monster, Paranormal, and Comedy themes. The classic Trivial Pursuit board game has been upgraded with a unique horror-inspired twist: each mover looks like classic horror characters such as a Monster Hand, Doll Head, Straitjackets, Goat Head, Cleaver in Brain, and Table Saw. Get together with friends and family for some nightmare worthy fun! Play if you dare…
Bloodborne
| 1-4 Players |
| Play Time: 45-75 minutes |
| Age: 14+ |
Step into the haunted city of Yharnam, where a plague transforming people into beasts has taken root. In Bloodborne, you are a Hunter on a mission to unmask the source of this madness and put an end to it. Experience pulse-pounding horror as you fight through monstrous beasts, twisted townsfolk and more in your pursuit to save the city from certain doom.
In this nightmare world, you’ll need unique skill and cunning if you’re going to survive. Utilize your powerful Trick Weapons, taking different forms with devastating powers, you must think quickly and adapt their tactics to turn the tide of battle in your favor. To succeed at combat, draw upon your Combat Decks filled with dangerous abilities that bring new strategies to every match. As you play, even the board is transforming; build up your winding path as you go along, so no two stories are ever alike.
Are you brave enough for the challenge? Embark on an unforgettable adventure in Bloodborne — do whatever it takes to save Yharnam from its living nightmares!
Last Night On Earth: The Zombie Game
| 2-6 Players |
| Play Time: 60-90 minutes |
| Age: 12+ |
Are you ready to join the fight of your life? Last Night On Earth: The Zombie Game is here and it will make your pulse race! It’s a horror-filled board game that puts you right in the middle of the action.
Do you have what it takes to battle hordes of relentless zombies? Choose from eight small town heroes as you work together towards one grand goal—survival! Dive into this fast-paced world as you join forces with other players in a never ending struggle against wave after wave of brain-eating zombie undeadness. Every game features a modular board that keeps each match fresh and exciting. Get ready for an unforgettable cinematic experience as each session takes you on incredible adventures—and through harrowing situations where courage and teamwork are more important than ever.
So if you’re up for an adventure filled with surprises, mystery and destruction, come take part in Last Night On Earth: The Zombie Game! Gather your heroes and strengthen your resolve; nothing less than total victory will do here. Are you brave enough to answer the call?
Best Horror Board Games Based on Movies
Looking for a creepy game that is based after a horror movie? Well, here are a few of the best!
Horrified
| 1-5 Players |
| Play Time: 60 minutes |
| Age: 10+ |
Are you brave enough to take on seven of the most horrifying creatures ever to exist? In Horrified, you and your friends must defend a town from the malevolent force wrought by Frankenstein, Dracula, the Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. With a cooperative approach and easy-to-understand instructions, Horrified will have you and your friends trembling in fear. But will you have enough courage to rid the town of these horrors before it’s too late? Can you survive a 60 minute play time with 1 to 5 players? One thing is certain — be scared or be very scared! Step up…because your bravery is required in Horrified. Are you ready to face what lies ahead?
Alien: Fate of The Nostromo
| 1-5 Players |
| Play Time: 45-60 minutes |
| Age: 10+ |
Put your courage to the test and prepare yourself for a night of thrills when you play ALIEN: Fate of The Nostromo – the perfect way to get together with friends and face your fears! Create intense, exciting suspense that lasts all night in this horror-themed board game designed to replicate the tension and excitement of the classic thriller movie, “ALIEN”. As one of Nostramo’s crew members Ripley, Brett, Dallas, Lambert or Parker navigate through the ship while gathering supplies and crafting items to complete objectives while carefully evading the Alien. The horror doesn’t end there as no two games are alike so you can experience even more suspense every time you play. ALIEN: Fate of The Nostromo also makes an amazing gift thanks to its gorgeous thematic artwork on the board, cards, tokens and player mats plus beautiful detailed miniatures. Learn how to play with a clear step-by-step rule book filled with diagrams and visuals for further guidance. Get ready for a night that is sure to send shivers down your spine as your scared team takes on ALIEN: Fate of The Nostromo!
Best Arkham Horror Board Games
If you like the dark world of Arkham created by H.P. Lovecraft, then you will enjoy playing these games. All of them take place in the mysterious world of Arkham.
Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition
| 1-8 Players |
| Play Time: 2-4 hours |
| Age: 14+ |
Are you ready to experience the thrill of Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition where reality is no longer in your control? Bring courage, ingenuity, and bravery with you when you join the fight for truth and discover an ancient mystery. Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition is a cooperative strategy game filled with richly detailed investigators, evil monsters, and exciting storylines that will leave you wondering who—or what—is behind it all.
Gather your intrepid team of investigators as they maneuver streets of Arkham, Massachusetts while gathering clues and fighting monstrous creatures trying to disrupt their mission. Aside from gaining knowledge on how things may have gone terribly wrong, they must rally to use ancient artifacts or nearby allies to help protect humanity against unnerving horrors lurking in places beyond human comprehension.
No two games are alike! With 12 unique investigators who each come with their own abilities, items and backstory, players are able to choose who serves best for their group’s mission. Guided along a branching narrative path filled with carefully crafted Lovecraftian horror moments that increase tension as the Ancient Ones move closer towards our world threatening its destruction. The horror never ends!
Are you brave enough to take on this challenge? Test your luck today with Arkham Horror: 3rd Edition’s collection of dark thrilling game mechanics that will scare even the toughest among us!
Unfathomable
| 3-6 Players |
| Play Time: 2-4 hours |
| Age: 14+ |
Unfathomable is a strategy horror game where the stakes are high and the tension even higher. You’ll take on the role of one of the passengers or crew aboard the Atlantica, a boat plagued by some foreboding sense of dread and festering shadows. With every turn of your cards, you must brave rotting horror that lurks deep under the waters, while trying to keep everyone safe—but beware! Some among you aren’t who they appear to be.
As you battle monsters, repair radiators, and manage operations on board, you must also uncover and outmaneuver cultists before they can sabotage your team’s mission. Can you save everyone before disaster strikes? Find out in Unfathomable. All fear begins beneath the screams- so don’t get too comfortable, for wherever Unfathomable goes, terror follows. Feel your heart pound as this thrilling strategy game keeps you guessing until the end—if there is one. Dare to venture into the unknown depths of Unfathomable?
Amazing Horror Board Games Over $75
If you’ve got some extra cash to spend on a higher quality board game, then these are some of the best horror games you can buy!
Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition
| 1-5 Players |
| Play Time: 1-2 hours |
| Age: 14+ |
Do you dare step into the Mansions of Madness? This horror-filled cooperative board game takes place in the darkest corners of Arkham – a world of mystery and danger. Step into the misty streets of Innsmouth and explore cursed mansions as you hunt for strange secrets, solve mysterious puzzles, and battle out-of-this-world perils. Can you survive the horrors that lurk in these mansions?
Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition is a perfect choice for game night with family or friends who appreciate horror. A free app is required to play your copy of this game, immersing players in an interactive experience unlike any other. Explore four distinct campaigns tailored to varying levels of difficulty, each with its own unique adventure and tale of terror. Will you face your fears head on and survive the eerie depths that await? Is there an answer to be found deep within these cursed walls? Enter if you dare!
Zombicide: Black Plague
| 1-6 Players |
| Play Time: 1-3 hours |
| Age: 14+ |
Are you ready to face your fears and join the dark adventure that is Zombicide: Black Plague? This terrifying board game will transport you to a frightening world, full of unknowns.
Set during the Middle Ages, this board game brings horror to life as an evil plague sweeps across the countryside, turning all it touches into mindless zombies! It’s up to you and a plucky band of Survivors to fight off these evil hordes – and make it through alive. It won’t be easy though; zombies aren’t known for going down without a fight. Use teamwork, luck, and sharpened axes to give yourself a fighting chance.
It doesn’t stop there; this adventure is made more eerie with monstrous miniatures representing Survivors, Necromancers and walkers. Explore medieval city streets, ancient vaults and far worse in search for survival in Zombicide: Black Plague! Every corner holds a new unknown danger – are you brave enough to face them?
Nemesis
| 1-5 Players |
| Play Time: 90-180 minutes |
| Age: 12+ |
You’ve never played a game like this before! Nemesis is a board game that combines horror and strategy in a way no other game has ever done. When you wake up from hibernation to find a critical system failure, mysterious noises in the corridors, and one of your crewmates dead – you knew survival would be more daunting than you originally thought. With detailed miniatures, every game will take you on an adventure unlike any other.
Choose your character with caution as each of them come with their own unique set of skills and weaknesses. Players must work together while all the while watching out for the hidden agenda brewing amongst each other. With ultimate horror surrounding you at every corner, who can you trust?
Be brave, fight for survival but remember one rule – don’t turn your back on Nemesis! This one-of-a-kind cooperative board game will leave you fearful yet appealingly enthralled as it tests both your mental fortitude and trust among your fellow players. Do you have what it takes to survive?
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? I’ve got answers! Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
What is the scariest board game?
This is a tough question to answer as everyone has different personal levels of fear and is affected by horror differently. Someone that is scared of aliens may be more scared of games with aliens in it versus someone that has a fear of ghosts, for instance. Overall I feel that the horror board games in my list are some of the more scary ones available at the current time of writing this.
What is the Haunted board game?
If you are referring to Betrayal at House on the Hill, then it is a horror game in which you and some friends investigate an abandoned house. A ghost possesses one player and attempts to kill or cause chaos for the other players. It is a great game that gets better with new campaigns each time you play it, even with rule changes that can effect future plays.
Or if you are meaning Disney’s The Haunted Mansion it is a ghost card collecting game that is not scary and is great family fun. I personally like both of these games!
Which is the No 1 horror game?
Its a tough call, any of these games on my list could be the number one game depending on what mood I’m in at the time, but if I absolutely had to only pick one I guess I would say Zombicide: Black Plague. I’m a big fan of zombie movies so that would be my number 1 game, however everyone’s opinion is different!
Conclusion
So there you have it – a list of some of the best horror board games to play if you’re looking for a spine chilling experience. These games are sure to get your heart racing and have you on the edge of your seat, so make sure to give them a try! And who knows, maybe you’ll even discover a new favorite game to play during Halloween or any other spooky occasion. Just remember to smile… Board Game Smiles that is!
Check out my other posts!
7 Games Like Betrayal At House On The Hill You’ll Love
Top 10 Mystery Board Game List for Exciting Nail-Biting Fun
Top 12 Bluffing Games You’ll Love Playing With Friends & Family