Get Some Halloween Treats Through Board Games

Haunt the House from Kids Table Board Games is a ghoulish affair for 2-4 ghosts. Players will be trying to scare a cavalcade of ghost hunters out of the haunted house. This is achieved by players playing cards that meet the conditions of each ghost hunter in the rooms. However, it’s not as simple as it seems because some players can decide to play cards face-down in an attempt to bluff or confuse the other players into believing a ghost hunter is about to be frightened away. When a player calls “Boo!”, they will reveal any face-down cards, combine them with any face-up cards that meet the conditions of scaring away the unfriendly invader, and then have a chance to make up any difference necessary to finally scare that hunter out for points. Anyone who helped by playing face-down cards that matched the conditions for getting the hunter to vacate the premises can also claim a victory point token. Be mindful to also match symbols on the ghost hunter cards with your own secret symbol tile for even more points. The poltergeist with the most points at the end of the game wins!

Maybe you’re looking for a more adult take on this theme, or a chance to play together in an effort to rid your territory of unwelcome guests. Spirit Island and the new Horizons of Spirit Island from Greater Than Games allow players to control restless spirits trying to reclaim their land from settlers who wish to do more harm than good. Players will combo their powers to meet goals of ridding the island of these pesky intruders before being overrun and outnumbered by the settlers. 

One of the great things about Halloween is we get to pretend to be someone else! And with our continued love of all things superhero, The OP has us covered by taking the popular beat-em-up battler Dice Throne and combining it with popular Marvel heroes! Marvel Dice Throne has players select one of the many popular Marvel comic characters such as Loki, Scarlet Witch, and Thor (with more characters available in new expansion packs), roll their dice, play their cards, and begin to rumble among each other in the safe environment of the gaming table. Dice, along with cards, allow players to tap into their special abilities to replicate some of the biggest and best moves these Marvel characters can offer. As players level up, they’ll continue to inflict damage, take damage, and counterpunch each other using these abilities until there is but one victor. 

But again, isn’t Halloween about working together? I mean, one person can only get so much candy, but a group of people? Renegade Games knows what you’re thinking, and has on offer two deck-building games that will allow you to harken back to your inner child. G.I. Joe and My Little Pony: Adventures in Equestria allows players to work together to stop ne’er-do-wells in missions. Each player will take on one of the characters for the franchise, each with their own deck of cards that can help meet goals or aid in the addition of better, more helpful cards to better achieve positive results. Of course, neither will be easy and the missions will present plenty of roadblocks to battling back the forces of COBRA and those who would threaten the tranquility of Equestria.

Sometimes it’s not enough to just half-pretend to be your favorite character, sometimes you want to create your own characters and dive head-first into a game that encapsulates all the fun, fear, and excitement you and your friends can imagine! Lucky for you, RPGs in a box offer a very real and very fun simulation of a quick roleplaying adventure for both players and aspiring GMs alike. Epic Encounters from Steamforged Games promises...well...I think the name explains it all. Each box comes with miniatures, a map, and a booklet that helps the GM unfold the story for the players in a sub-two-hour session. 

Perhap dungeon crawling through murky swamps and dilapidated fortresses isn’t your thing. Maybe you and your crew want to be just that, and roleplay that your entire dwelling is a ship blasting off into space. Spaceship Unity from Pegasus Spiele allows players to advance through one of five episodes, each with varying challenges and lengths. Players will be given missions via a corresponding deck of cards that require using household objects and items to complete the objectives before the timer runs out. Failing to do so could cause setbacks. Spaceship Unity is a clever mash-up that incorporates light storytelling and role-playing elements where everyone will feel like a member of a makeshift crew…until they realize they’ve been emptying out the silverware drawer and need to clean up after themselves. 

Maybe you prefer your treats in the form of dice. 25th Century Games has you covered with Ghosts Love Candy Too: Roll and Fright. Play through one of three increasing challenges that are meant to tickle the most nightmarish of roll-and-fright fans or provide a cutely spooky experience for families. All it takes is a sheet and two dice, with each game utilizing the dice and the rolls differently. Tricky Treats is a race to earn different types of candy and "Boo-nuses", but kids will also be scared with dice rolls, meaning any kids fully scared will cost you points at the end of the game. The other options, Boogaloo and Haunt the Block are just as combo-tastic, satiating the sweet-tooth of any roll-and-write fan in search of good Halloween fun. There is also a wonderful edition of Ghosts Love Candy Too, which expands on the original with more spooktacular cards as your ghosts race to collect candy from unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.