6 Games for the Spooky Season
Do you feel that chill in the air? It’s Halloween’s fast approach! We’ve been celebrating the spooky season all month long, at The Secret Lantern, but the fun is just getting started!
Bring a little Halloween horror home to your family with a spooky game! Whether you’re looking for something suitable for the littlest ghosts and goblins, or hoping to terrify your friends with an immersive horror experience, we’ve got a game for you.
Check out a few of our favorites. If you dare…
1) Arkham Horror
Arkham Horror (Third Edition) | Fantasy Flight Games
Supernatural horror meets the science fiction sensibilities of H.P. Lovecraft in this cooperative board game mystery.
“The year is 1926, and it is the height of the Roaring Twenties. Flappers dance till dawn in smoke-filled speakeasies, drinking alcohol supplied by rum runners and the mob. It’s a celebration to end all celebrations in the aftermath of the War to End All Wars.
Yet a dark shadow grows in the city of Arkham. Alien entities known as Ancient Ones lurk in the emptiness beyond space and time, writhing at the thresholds between worlds. Occult rituals must be stopped and alien creatures destroyed before the Ancient Ones make our world their ruined dominion.
Only a handful of investigators stand against the Arkham Horror. Will they prevail?”
Take on the role of an investigator to unravel the mysteries behind the Ancient Ones, eldritch horrors that will splinter your sanity and consume the world if you don’t stop them. Gather clues, defeat monsters, and forge alliances!
Here’s what you need to know, before you play:
Arkham Horror is intended for ages 14 and up.
The game is considered moderate in its complexity and, on average, takes between 2 and 3 hours to play.
Requires between 1 and 6 players. We recommend, at least, 4!
2) The Dark Quarter
The Dark Quarter | Lucky Duck Games and Van Ryder Games
In New Orleans, “spooky” isn’t a season so much as a way of life. The entire city vibrates with ghost stories, dark history, and vampire legends that are as real as the humidity! A perfect escape for a haunting good time! The Dark Quarter delivers an accessible co-op campaign experience, with a dash of Interview with the Vampire vibes.
“Welcome to New Orleans, Louisiana, circa 1980: a vibrant city of music, food, and magic. Neon lights flicker in dirty puddles up and down Bourbon street; the innovations of the modern world clash with ancient and terrible traditions; and murder is never simple. The Beaumont Agency, staffed with a roster of brilliant, colorful, and ultimately flawed private investigators, specializes in solving cases that no one else can crack.”
The Dark Quarter is a co-operative app-driven adventure game set in the grit and glamour of 1980s New Orleans. Play as a Beaumont agent and team up with your fellow players to solve one grisly crime after another. Be warned — nothing is as it seems and every murder warns of a touch of magic. The Dark Quarter offers multiple campaigns, comprised of many different scenarios, for a world-building experience that is as richly layered as good Creole cooking. Your decisions don’t only impact your characters and fellow players, but the trajectory of the entire story.
Here’s what you need to know, before you play:
The Dark Quarter is intended for adult players only.
The game is beginner friendly, but offers an immersive experience in its 2+ hour gameplay.
Can accommodate for up to 4 players, but works just as well for groups of 2.
3) The Night Cage
The Night Cage | Smirk & Laughter Games
Pray your candle lasts long enough to escape…
Everyone is afraid of the dark. Some of us may have outgrown the need for a nightlight’s comfort, but nothing really overcomes the terror of total darkness. The Night Cage preys on this fear, adding the excitement and uncertainty of an ever-changing board. This one is not for the faint of heart!
“You awaken in the dark, your skin cold, your mind blank. You have nothing but your fear, a flickering candle, and a question: How long will your light last?
Trapped and crawling your way through a pitch-black labyrinth, equipped with nothing but dim candles, you must work together to explore the maze and escape. Unfortunately, your weak candlelight illuminates only your immediate surroundings. Worse still, horrifying Wax Eaters — monsters who despise the light — lurk in the suffocating darkness for their opportunity to strike.”
By design, The Night Cage delivers on tension. This fully co-operative tile placement game builds up the anxiety with its limited visibility, constant shifting of the board, and the requirement that you must escape as a team. A real pressure cooker!
Here’s what you need to know, before you play:
The Dark Quarter is intended for adult players only.
The game is beginner friendly, but offers an immersive experience in its 2+ hour gameplay.
Can accommodate for up to 4 players, but works just as well for groups of 2.
4) This Game Is Killer: Frozen Horror
This Game Is Killer: Frozen Horror | Smirk & Dagger Games
This Game Is Killer is deadly! This rapid-fire party game has major The Thing energy and promises humor and horror in equal measure. It really is a killer good time!
“This time you are trapped in an arctic outpost with a Horror that can mimic any life form. No one trusts anyone anymore. The object is simple: Stay away from everyone else and Stay Alive! Survive at any cost — and kill the Horror by figuring out who among you isn’t Human this round.”
This game relies on deception, alliances, and being able to quickly differentiate between paranoia and survival instincts. Meaning that you and your friends will either be rolling with laughter or screaming across the board. Either way, it’s a high energy game play experience made for large groups!
Here’s what you need to know, before you play:
This Game Is Killer: Frozen Horror is suitable for ages 14 and up.
Each round only lasts 10 to 15 minutes, perfect for a quick pick-up!
Intended for 4 to 10 players. This is definitely an instance of “the more, the merrier!”
For a science fiction twist, check out This Game Is Killer: Alien on Board!
5) Horrified
Horrified | Ravensburger
Nothing says Halloween like Dracula, the Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster! All of those Universal Monsters! As far as we’re concerned, the Horrified games series is PEAK spooky season!
“Imagine living in a place so wretched that it's not plagued by one, two, or even three monsters — but seven of the most horrifying fiends! In this game, you'll come face to face with them all as you work together to rid the town of the maniacal or misunderstood creatures - before it's too late.”
Horrified is a co-operative horror experience where plays either win together or lose together! Easy to learn, adaptable to multiple difficult levels, and featuring a set of collectible mini-figurines of your favorite movie monsters; this is a must!
Here’s what you need to know, before you play:
Horrified is suitable for ages 10 and up.
A beginner friendly option, with an average gameplay time of 1 hour.
This game can be enjoyed with 1 to 5 players.
Want more monsters? We’ve also got Horrified: World of Monsters stocked!
6) Cryptid
Cryptid | Osprey Games
Subtle deception and misdirection, on the path to glory.
“You've studied the footage, connected the dots, and gathered what meager evidence you could. You're close — soon the whole world will know the truth behind the Cryptid. A group of like-minded cryptozoologists have come together to finally uncover the elusive creature, but the glory of discovery is too rich to share. Without giving away some of what you know you will never succeed in locating the beast, but reveal too much and your name will be long forgotten!”
In Cryptid, players must try to uncover information about their opponents' clues while throwing them off the scent of their own. Each player holds one piece of evidence to help them find the creature, and on their turn they can try to gain more information from their opponents. Be warned; give too much away and your opponents might beat you to the mysterious animal and claim the glory for themselves!
Here’s what you need to know, before you play:
Cryptid is suitable for ages 10 and up.
The game is beginner friendly, with a quick-paced gameplay averaging from 30 minutes to an hour.
For 3 to 5 players. Perfect for a family game night!