The definitive ranked list of the 10 best horror board games. Horror is an interesting category because it is more of an abstract idea than a bucket of a type of game. Horror, fear, eerieness, spookiness, etc, can be anywhere. It is also not something you can purely define, it is different things to different people. It. could come from morbid and supernatural elements or it comes from one’s self. We are both in control of it and not in control at all. For this list, we looked at games that do this category right but are also, first and foremost, great games.
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#10 | Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal makes the list of the best horror board games because there are many different spooky elements around every corner of a haunted house you must venture through. This is an adventure exploration game where you and your team take on a hunted house until you discover that one of you is a traitor. For 3 – 6 players, games run about 60 minutes.
FOR MORE: Betrayal at House on the Hill Page | How To Play Betrayal at House on the Hill | Betrayal at House on the Hill Review | Games Like Betrayal at House on the Hill | Buy Betrayal at House on the Hill on Amazon
#09 | Fury of Dracula
Fury of Dracula makes the list of the best horror board games because what is scarier than Dracula. This is a combat game that pits hunters against Dracula at its core, but there is deduction, clues to find and strategic decision to make. At the heart, it is about either side building up their influence, political, economic, militaristic or otherwise. For 2 – 5 players, games run about 2 – 3 hours.
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#08 | Chaos in the Old World
Chaos in the Old World makes the list of the best horror board games because it deals with diabolical abilities to corrupt and enslave. This is an area influence and hand management game where fellow powers of Chaos seek domination by corruption and conquest. You must vie not only against each other but also against the desperate denizens of the Old World who fight to banish you back to the maelstrom of the Realm of Chaos. For 3 -4 players, games run for 1 – 2 hours.
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#07 | Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game
Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game makes the list of the best horror board games because it accurately captures the impending horror of the popular Aliens movie franchise and it is a fantastic game. This is a co-op deck builder than is a little dungeon crawler. You take on the role of protagonists such as Ripley, Dallas, Bishop and Corporal Hicks, and take turns recruiting cards for your deck in order to improve their deck and defeat Xenomorph cards that are added to the central game board. For 1 – 5 players, games last about 30 – 60 minutes.
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#06 | Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
Dead of Winter: A Crossroads game makes the list of the best horror board games because it is a satisfying race against the clock to survive a vicious onslaught of zombies. It’s a story-centric game about surviving through a harsh winter in an apocalyptic world. You are a survivor working together with others to fight off outside threats, resolve crises, find food and supplies, and keep the colony’s morale up. This is done with dice rolling area movement. For 2 – 5 players, games run 1 – 2 hours.
FOR MORE: Dead of Winter Page | Games Like Dead of Winter | Buy Dead of Winter on Amazon
#05 | Eldritch Horror
Eldritch Horror makes the list of the best horror board games because ancient evil is stirring and you must hold back the approaching horror. Eldritch Horror is a cooperative game of terror and adventure in which you and other players take the roles of globetrotting investigators working to solve mysteries, gather clues, and protect the world from an Ancient One. For 1 – 8 players, games last 2 – 4 hours each.
FOR MORE: Eldritch Horror Page | Games Like Eldritch Horror | Buy Eldritch Horror on Amazon
#04 | Nemesis
Nemesis makes the list of the best horror board games because it is a great epic game that takes you into the heart of Sci-Fi survival horror in all the terror it brings. Nemesis is a semi-cooperative game where you and your crew-mates must survive on a ship infested with hostile organisms. To win the game, you will have to complete one of the two objectives dealt to you at the start of the game and get back to Earth in one piece. For 1 – 5 players, games run about 90 – 180 minutes.
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#03 | Kingdom Death: Monster
Kingdom Death: Monster makes the list of the best horror board games because it puts you dead center of a unique nightmarish world devoid of most natural resources. You control a settlement at the dawn of its existence. Fight monsters, craft weapons and gear, and develop your settlement to ensure your survival from generation to generation. This storytelling heavy game is about survival and thriving over many seasons. For 1 – 4 players, games last 1 – 3 hours.
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#02 | Mansions of Madness
The second haunted house game on the list of the best horror board games is Mansions of Madness. This one also deserves a spot because the fright is so real and intense with detail that it is hard to hot be horrified. Mansions of Madness is a fully cooperative, app-driven board game. Let the immersive app guide you through the veiled streets of Innsmouth and the haunted corridors of Arkham’s cursed mansions. You confront four scenarios of fear and mystery, collecting weapons, tools, and information, solving complex puzzles, and fighting monsters, insanity, and death. For 1 – 5 players, games last 2 – 3 hours.
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#01 | Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game lands the top spot on the list of the best horror board games because the small New England town of Arkham is filled with the well written and visceral otherworldly evils out there. No matter what compels you, no matter what haunts you, you’ll find both your strengths and weaknesses reflected in your custom deck of cards, and these cards will be your resources as you work with your friends to unravel the world’s most terrifying mysteries. For 1 – 2 players, games last 1 – 2 hours.
I can’t believe that Shadows of Brimstone was never mentioned in either this Top Horror list or the Top Western list, since it’s classified under both categories. The only reason I can think of for this gross oversight is that the authors haven’t heard of the game at all.
Thank you for the feedback! Well, you have certainly convinced us to give the game another shot. And the more feedback we hear the better, get the rest of your Shawdows of Brimstone crew to chime in and let’s get some change happening.