There’s something magical about October nights. The air is crisp, the candles flicker just a little spookier than usual, and suddenly… you’re in the mood for something thrilling — but cozy. The kind of thrill that comes from cardboard chills and dice-rolling tension, not jump scares.
This list isn’t about horror for horror’s sake. It’s for those of us who want to feel the atmosphere — the creak of a haunted house, the whisper of a ghost behind the curtain, the eerie giggle of a cursed toy — all from the safety of our game table, preferably with hot chocolate and good company.
Whether you’re planning a spooky game night or just want to curl up with something eerie and clever, these 13 games deliver Halloween vibes without the need to run screaming into the night. Ready to meet the monsters?
Terrorscape
2–4 players | 30–45 min
If slasher movies make your heart race (in the best way), Terrorscape is your chance to live one — from either side of the story. One player becomes the ruthless killer, hiding behind a mysterious screen. The others are survivors, scattered around a creepy mansion, trying to stay alive without knowing where the danger is coming from.
The board itself becomes a battlefield of wits: survivors sneak through rooms, unlock tools, and stay quiet… while the killer listens, predicts, and strikes. The tension is delicious — every move feels like a breath held. The coolest part? You never quite know who’s winning until someone dies.
Its asymmetric design, immersive components (hello, 3D mansion tower!), and cinematic pacing make Terrorscape feel more like an experience than a board game. Whether you’re screaming with friends or challenging yourself solo, it’s a horror story you’ll want to survive again and again.
🎃 [Check it out here — and enter the house… if you dare.]
Don’t Go In There
2-5 players | 25-35 min
If Scooby-Doo had a board game baby with Yahtzee, this would be it.
Don’t Go In There delivers spooky fun through a clever dice placement mechanic — all wrapped in a glow-in-the-dark haunted house box that literally stands upright like a toy mansion. You and your fellow players are paranormal investigators, creeping around three creepy rooms to gather cursed artifacts… but the more powerful the item, the more curses you collect!
The real magic is in how your dice determine both turn order and risk — the deeper you go, the better the loot… but the higher the curse. Every choice is a gamble, and it’s oddly satisfying to watch your tower of bad luck grow.
Despite its eerie theme, the game remains light and fast, with just enough strategy to keep adults hooked and enough charm to delight kids, as well. The production is top-tier, the insert is functional, and the glow-in-the-dark details are just the right amount of gimmicky.
🎃 [Explore the haunted house here — if you dare.]
The Bloody Inn
1-4 players | 30-60 min
If Wes Anderson directed a horror film, it might feel a lot like The Bloody Inn.
Set in a quiet 1830s French village, you play as innkeepers with a sinister side hustle — murdering guests and burying their bodies under the floorboards… all while making sure the police don’t catch on. Delightful, right?
The gameplay is a slick blend of hand management and engine building. Each card in your hand can be a victim, an accomplice, or a building you construct to generate income — but with limited actions, you’ll constantly feel that delicious tension of doing one terrible thing instead of another. It’s macabre, strategic, and wildly thematic.
And somehow, the cartoonish artwork and dry humor make the whole thing feel… elegant? It’s the perfect creepy-but-clever title to break out on a dark autumn night.
🎃 [Check in to The Bloody Inn here — no questions asked.]
The Night Cage
1–5 players | 40-60 min
Few games manage to turn light itself into a mechanic of dread — but The Night Cage does exactly that.
You and your fellow prisoners awaken in a pitch-black labyrinth with only the weak glow of a candle. Each turn, you move through darkness, revealing new tiles in front of you… while everything behind you vanishes. Forever. It’s claustrophobic, strategic, and haunting in all the best ways.
The goal? Each player must find a key and reach the same gate to escape. But monsters called Wax Eaters roam the shadows, and light is your only defense — so stick together… or split up and risk everything.
The tile-laying system is brilliant in how it simulates fading memory and isolation. The more you move, the more lost you feel. The art? Stark, moody, and minimal, like a gothic etching brought to life.
Perfect for horror lovers, fans of tense co-op games, or anyone who wants to scream, “I swear that tile was there five seconds ago!”
🎃 [Escape the shadows — explore The Night Cage here.]
Abomination: The Heir of Frankenstein
2–4 players | 90–180 min
If The Bloody Inn made you feel a bit guilty… Abomination says, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Set 20 years after the death of Victor Frankenstein, this game drops you right into the dirty cobblestone streets of 19th-century Paris. The twist? You’re scientists — competing to bring your own creature to life. You’ll visit the morgue, scavenge cadavers, conduct morally-questionable research, and even… dig up fresh “resources” from the cemetery. Yikes.
It’s a juicy worker placement game with a macabre twist, blending Eurogame mechanics with a story-rich, narrative-driven feel. You’ll have to manage your reputation, your body parts, and your humanity — all while the Creature himself walks the city, watching your every move.
The game is sprawling, thematic, and gloriously grotesque. Perfect for gamers who want a heavy, immersive experience dripping with gothic horror. Just… maybe don’t play it over dinner.
🎃 [Harvest the parts you need — and raise your creation here.]
Patchwork: Halloween Edition
2 players | 15-30 min
Who said Halloween can’t be adorably spooky? The beloved Patchwork gets a festive twist with this Halloween edition — and it’s just as brain-tickling as ever.
In this cozy 2-player abstract game, you’ll sew your own 9×9 quilt using oddly shaped tiles, managing buttons as currency and time as your most limited resource. But this time, your quilt is filled with pumpkins, black cats, ghosts, and candy! The strategic tile drafting and placement stay the same, but the theme adds a charming, seasonal flair.
Perfect for a cozy game night with warm drinks, flickering candles, and maybe a spooky movie playing in the background.
🎃 [Sew your spooky masterpiece here — if you dare.]
Whirling Witchcraft
2–5 players | 15–30 min
In this delightfully chaotic game of magical mayhem, you’re not just a witch — you’re a competitive one. Brewing potions? Been there. In Whirling Witchcraft, you’re crafting ingredients so fast your cauldron can’t handle them… so you send the overflow to your neighbor. Genius.
Each round, you choose a spell card to transform ingredients like frogs, mushrooms, hearts, and spiders into something far more volatile. But here’s the twist: anything your opponent can’t absorb spills over into their Witch’s Circle — and that’s how you score. The first to overload their rival wins!
Quick, clever, and secretly cutthroat, it’s a breezy Halloween pick with a sharp bite. The art? Vibrant and witchy. The vibe? Cozy chaos. Perfect with a blanket, tea, and a little friendly rivalry.
🎃 [Conjure some chaos here — and watch your rivals boil over.]
Boxtop Pinball: Haunted House
1–4 players | 15–30 min
Imagine an old-school pinball machine met a haunted mansion—and they decided to play fetch… with your dice.
In Boxtop Pinball: Haunted House, you flick your dice from a launch pad into a spooky, cardboard pinball mansion. Each die that survives the round quietly scores its face value—plus extra points if it smacks a monster, grabs a clue token, or lands in the eerie Summoning Circle. And yes, every round is a fizzy mix of luck, precision, and delighted squeals.
What truly steals the scene is how the box transforms into a full-on four-level 3D pinball board. It’s tactile, clever design that turns setup time into showtime. Simple enough for curious kids, playful enough for adults, and perfect for a Halloween evening when you want strategy and spook in equal measure.
🎃 [Flick your fate here — and may your dice survive the night.]
Above and Below: Haunted
2–4 players | 60–120 min
If building a cozy village and spelunking ghostly caverns sounds like your idea of atmospheric fun, Above and Below: Haunted is a perfect match.
In this standalone sequel to Above and Below, players establish a new settlement in marshlands rich with eerie whispers and hidden mysteries. You’ll recruit villagers, construct buildings, and venture into two types of caves—regular and dangerous—each offering rewards or peril. Here’s the twist: ghostly apparitions can possess your buildings, lowering reputation… unless you banish them, sending them off to plague your rivals instead.
The game shines through its blend of peaceful village-building and haunted exploration. With narrative cave encounters, ghost-banishing tactics, boat tokens for rerolls or coin earnings, and glimmering pearl rewards from risky caves, every choice feels meaningful. It’s Euro-style with a spooky twist—cozy yet haunted, familiar yet refreshingly eerie. A must for fans of story-rich strategy and autumnal gaming nights.
🎃 [Settle in the marshlands — Above and Below: Haunted awaits.]
BOOoop
2 players | 25–35 min
Yes, this is the Halloween twist on the wildly loved boop., and yes, it’s as ridiculously cute and deceptively strategic as ever — only now with ghost cats on a spooky quilted bed.
In boop., every time you place one of your kitten ghosts on the board (aka the bed), all adjacent ghosties — yours and your opponent’s — get “booped” one space away. Your goal? Line up three of your kittens in a row to transform them into cats — a more powerful (and boop-resistant!) force. Get three cats in a row to win.
The spooky edition doesn’t just slap on a theme; it’s a full vibe. The bedspread is darker, the pieces are translucent ghostly meeples, and the whole thing oozes Halloween charm. But behind that charm is a pure battle of minds — and it’s delicious. Each move is a mini puzzle; each boop can either mess you up or set up your next big play.
Think chess, but with cats who bump into each other. With ghost cats. On a haunted bed.
🎃 [Get ready to boop — the haunted way.]
Horrified
1–5 players | 60 min
If you grew up watching classic monster movies, opening this box feels like unlocking an old attic trunk—only to have every iconic creature leap out at once. Dracula? Check. The Wolfman? Oh yes. The Invisible Man? He’s here too—somewhere.
Horrified is a cooperative game, meaning you all work together to defeat the monsters. And the fun part? Each monster plays differently. One game you’re racing to destroy Dracula’s coffins, the next you’re trying to teach Frankenstein’s monster to be a little less… stabby. Every session feels like a different spooky movie with you in the lead role.
It’s surprisingly easy to learn and seriously addictive. There’s a cinematic tension to each turn, but also a good dose of humor—especially when someone shouts, “I’ll distract the Mummy, you go get the violin!”
Perfect for Halloween nights or anytime you’re in the mood for some light horror, classic vibes, and group chaos.
🎃 [Stand firm against the Universal legends — face the monsters here.]
Disney: The Haunted Mansion – Call of the Spirits
2–6 players | 30 min
This one’s for all you Disney dreamers who prefer your cozy nights with a side of ghostly giggles. Call of the Spirits isn’t just a nod to the famous ride—it’s a full-on séance of strategy, movement, and a little haunting mischief.
Players glide through the rotating hallways of the mansion (yep, the board literally moves), collecting sets of ghost cards from different rooms to earn points. Each ghost belongs to a suit (think ballroom ghosts, attic ghosts, and so on), and your goal is to gather the most valuable combinations—while avoiding the clingy Hitchhiking Ghosts that follow you around like glitter after craft day.
Movement is shared (you’re all moving around the same loop), so it turns into a clever little dance of outmaneuvering your friends, snatching ghosts before they do, and maybe sending a spook or two their way just for fun. It’s smooth, quick, and oozes theme from every ghost-shaped corner.
You’re not just playing a game—you’re taking a haunted tour with strategy, laughter, and a few spooky surprises along the way.
🎃 [Check it out here — the mansion is always looking for its 1000th happy haunt.]
Dracula vs Van Helsing
2 players | 20–45 min
A duel soaked in shadows, strategy, and just the right amount of bloodthirsty tension. Dracula vs Van Helsing is a pure head-to-head showdown — one player takes the role of the infamous count, the other becomes the relentless hunter. It’s a tight, asymmetric card game where every move feels like a heartbeat you’re trying to muffle.
The board? A moody, abstract town map. The goal? Outwit your opponent by manipulating locations, anticipating their next step, and triggering special powers based on your character’s unique deck. Dracula hides, spreads fear, and feeds. Van Helsing investigates, blocks paths, and closes in. It’s like playing invisible chess… with fangs.
The gameplay loop is all about hand management and bluffing, with turns that feel fast but full of tension. It’s smart, portable, and shockingly satisfying for a small-box game. Think: gothic duel in your pocket.
🎃 [Check it out here — and let the hunt begin before dawn breaks.]
Which game will haunt your table first?
Each of these spooky picks brings its own kind of thrill — from ghostly giggles to dice-fueled suspense. Whether you’re planning a cozy night in with friends or setting the mood with flickering candles and candy bowls, these games are perfect companions for a hauntingly good time.
So brew your tea, dim the lights, and let the cardboard chills begin. 🕯️👻
Stay spooky, stay playful — and let the nesting begin. ✨
