My partner, Murdo, on the title of this article: “I think the ‘geeky’ is implied with the words ‘Halloween board game roundup'”. Well, I don’t care!
Yes, folks. It’s that time of year again; it’s getting cold, it’s officially past the 1st October and everyone’s beginning to enjoy the spooky autumnal vibes – AND STAVE OFF CHRISTMAS PROMOTIONS! In fact, it seems more and more people are trying to get into the spirit of Halloween and fend off Mariah Carey’s premature defrosting by embracing the spookiness.
So, why not stick a warm jumper on, curl up on the sofa with a hot cocoa (or pumpkin spice latte!), and play some of the best spooky Halloween board games on offer this 2024?
If that sounds good, we’ve got the roundup for you!
ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo
We really enjoyed playing ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo here at Geek Native, and it’s a great game for any Alien fans to own! I also love that the first thing you see when you open the box, is Jonesy hissing – such a great first impression that delights you as you first unbox.
The gameplay is fairly easy to get a hang of, and we quite liked the randomness of the encounter cards. You never quite know what you’ll get next, and they can change the board quite markedly, so it never gets boring.
Fancy playing ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo yourself having read this review? You can pick up your copy from Amazon.
Cadaver: The Light-Hearted Game Of Raising The Dead
Boasting itself as the “perfect game to play at Halloween”, of course Cadaver got my attention. It’s “the light-hearted game of raising the dead” and it does look incredibly fun.
From the official description:
Cadaver is a card game in which players compete to become the best necromancer by reanimating a series of unearthed corpses. Different corpses require different types of resurrection so the necromancers must use an array of arcane assets and accomplices to do their dastardly deeds
The player with the highest scoring corpses raised by dawn wins the game. Contains 110 Cadaver cards including accomplices, corpses, brain resources, scrolls, potions, ghouls, coffin lids, keys and amulets.
Well, count me in!
And you can pick up Cadavar: The Light-Hearted Game of Raising the Dead for £14.95 on Amazon.
Horrified: World of Monsters
Another one we’ve recently reviewed for Geek Native, it’d be remiss of us not to put Horrified: World of Monsters on this list. This is a really fun game from Ravensburger if you like monsters (we do) and you don’t mind spending around an hour reading and getting your head around all the instructions first.
The official description reads:
Embark to an immersive world of infinite thrills as you face off against storied monsters and unique puzzle-like challenges in Horrified: World of Monsters, a cooperative board game to save the world before terror overwhelms you.
Want to give it a try? You can pick up your own copy of Horrified: World of Monsters right here from Target – or here from Amazon.
Psycho Killer: The Card Game
Looks like you’ve got some videotapes to return, you psycho…
From the official description:
Psycho Killer is a fast-paced, strategic and hilarious game based on your favourite retro horror and slasher films – Use every cliche in the book to screw over your friends and survive the Psycho Killer.
I really love the sound of this one! Although, be warned, it’s labels as a 15+ game.
Grab your copy of Psycho Killer: The Card Game for just £19.99 via Amazon.
Beetlejuice Monopoly
Want to be the host with the most? Then get the Ghost with the Most – the Monopoly version!
If you’re sick of traditional Monopoly and you or a loved one is a big Beetlejuice fan, you can’t really go wrong with this Beetlejuice Monopoly! It features a “unique game board featuring a selection of characters and locations from the classic Tim Burton movie starring Geena Davis and Michael Keaton”.
Time to build your own Beetlejuice empire? Get your Beetlejuice Monopoly right here for £33.99.
Stupid Deaths
Featuring one of the best box designs on this list, next up we have Stupid Deaths – the frightfully funny board game. I love the idea of this one, and that you’re actually looking at some ridiculous deaths throughout history.
From the official description:
Here lies Stupid Deaths, a frightfully funny, family board game! This game celebrates some of the stupidest deaths over the centuries and players will die laughing as they are chased around the game board by the Grim Reaper! The question is just how did these people meet their end? Players advance around the board by working out whether the implausible, and sometimes rather amusing, demise is true or false. Players start the game with a True and a False Voting Card as well as an Extra Life Token. All the players begin on the Green space, half way around the board from the Red space where the Grim Reaper starts his chase.
Grab your very own Stupid Deaths board game right here via Amazon for just £20.49.
Arkham Horror
The most expensive game on our list (at least, where we managed to source it), Arkham Horror sounds like a blast – but may be out of your price range.
From the official description:
Take on the role of an investigator trying ot rid the world of eldritch beings known as the Ancient Ones. A modern take on the classic cooperative game of cosmic horror. Archive cards present branching narrative paths, making each of the four scenarios included in the game truly your own. Choose one of twelve unique investigators, each with their own abilities, items, and backstory.
Want to try this one out? Pick up your copy of Arkham Horror for £58.53 via Amazon.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Cluedo
This twist on the classic Cluedo seems like a no-brainer for The Nightmare Before Christmas fans!
I love that idea of having to work out whether it’s Lock, Shock & Barrel in Jack’s House with the bathtub, or the Mayor at the Halloween Town Hall with the Christmas wreath!
From the official description:
The classic mystery board game sees you explore Halloween Town to find clues and solve the frightful mystery of the missing Sandy Claws! Pick between your favourite characters including Jack Skellington, Sally and Oogie Boogie, enter special locations like the cemetery, the toy workshop and Dr. Finkelstein’s laboratory and uncover the sinister truth. This officially-licensed Cluedo is spooky fun for the entire family as you try to uncover who kidnapped Sandy Claws, where he was hidden, and what item was used!
And you can buy this The Nightmare Before Christmas version of Cluedo for £34.99 on Amazon.
Munchkin Zombies Deluxe
This is one of my absolute favourites, as it’s such a fun game to play. If you’re already familiar with Munchkin (which, a lot of people are), you might have guessed that this is just the extra fun zombies version – and you’d be right!
I love this version of Munchkin Zombies because it comes with the game board, too. Here’s the official description:
It’s the sickest, silliest Munchkin yet! You are zombies, kicking down doors and eating brains. The “monsters” you’re attacking are people, some helpless and some hazardous, with a few rogue zombies thrown in. The armor is whatever you’ve blundered across during your lurching search for brains. So bravely you’ll go forth, with mousetraps on your feet and a bowling trophy protecting your poor rotting head . . . to level up, or to die. Again.
And you can buy Munchkin Zombies Deluxe for £29 right here – bargain!
What do you think of our choice of Halloween board games – got something better we’ve missed off the list? Let us know in the comments below!