Top 10 Games For Halloween!

0:00 My mom, who is the cutest and who is the queen of Halloween, might I add, got me the cutest little shirt specifically for me to use while filming this video. I don't know if you can tell, but it's little ghosts holding cats and pumpkins. I think I'm going to wear it every single day this month, just in honor of Halloween. In honor of celebrating the best season ever. And another thing that we can do to celebrate this Halloween season is to play some awesome board games. Hello everybody. Welcome back to Board Game Buzz today. My name is Kari and man, I have been looking forward to this list all year. Halloween season is my favorite. I live honestly I just try to get through all the other months of the year just to get to Halloween season. And truthfully, I start celebrating Halloween in August, but I know that's a little bit crazy for some people. So, for the channel-wise, I reserve it until October because celebrating in August would be a bit much. But I have spent the last handful of months really trying to curate and go through my collection, go through the games I've played and think to myself, "Okay, Carly, I have to do a top 10 list for Halloween. What would be the top 10 Halloween games that I would recommend to my followers to check out and hopefully play this month?" I had a whole list and let me just say, getting down to 10 games was so hard. Now, yes, I did kind of cheat the system a little bit. But I have a couple honorable mentions that we're going to chat about, but I was able to manage and uh kind of cut that list down to 10. Very quick before we jump into this video though, if you are new to the channel, welcome to Board Game Buzz. We're so happy to have you here. If you wouldn't mind liking and subscribing and doing all the

1:31 good stuff to support me and the channel, I would really appreciate it. Another thing I want to briefly mention is if you are a Halloween lover, Halloween game lover as much as me, please go ahead and drop your recommendations down in the comments below. and make sure you go down and read those comments because I had to cut so many great games from this list. You know what? I might I might actually I might actually throw a comment down there with a bunch of other games that I would recommend and games that I think should have been on this list but didn't quite make the cut. Or maybe that could be a different video. I don't know. Um but yeah, so go down, read through the comments, read through all the games, and we'll see which ones of those um that were in the comments actually made my list today. So, if you're ready to hear about my top 10 Halloween kind of spooky board game recommendations, then just keep watching and let's dive into the video.

2:31 Now, yes, I had to cut a ton an absolute ton of games from this list, which really hurt my heart. But even with all of those games, there are still a ton of games that are actually like spooky games that are on my wish list that I actually have never played. So maybe that would be a video. Maybe that should be the video that I do is like Halloween spooky Halloween games that I haven't played that I would want to play. Um because there there there are so many there's so many great ones and it's really hard to cut it down just to 10. So um if you don't see your favorite game on this list, maybe it did cut it. Maybe I did make the cut with it or maybe I just haven't played it yet, which is why it's not on here. But as of right now for 2026, these are the 10 games that I would recommend to you to check out and play. But really quickly, we are going to start with a couple honorable mentions. So, the first honorable mention, it's an honorable mention because I really loved this game, but I a only played a prototype of it and b it's technically not out until next year. So, I didn't want to add it to the list because you obviously can't get this game and you can't play it. So, um, but this is Chronicles of Crime, Crypted Cases. You are basically playing as a detective who is investigating,

3:41 um, uh, murders and bad stuff that's happening. It's an app assisted game, which is really interesting. So, you have a little scanner on your phone and you'll go through and scan people that you wish to talk to, scan items that you wish to investigate, and as you are going through scanning them, you'll slowly reveal the story and slowly kind of work through uncovering the cases. It is one that after you go through and kind of play all the cases, it kind of takes a long like you can't really go back and replay the cases. They don't change from game to game. They just are the same set cases. So once you go through and play them, like I actually ended up pulling the original Chronicles of Grime from my collection because we played it and I just a couple of times we pulled it off the shelf and we started playing and I was like, "Oh, I already remember this story. I already remember what happened." So, but it's still a great story in and of itself. just be aware that it's not kind of like infinitely replayable. However, I really really liked this Crypted Cases one and the story that I personally went through with the prototype was really interesting, really engaging, and I'm really excited to dive into this next year and I'm guessing it'll probably show up on my official list list next year. Um, absolutely worth your time to look into this.

4:50 Again, you can you can get the original Crypted Cases

4:54 um or or sorry, Chronicles of Crime, but uh that's kind of just like a murder mystery one, which still could fit for Halloween, but if you want this Crypted Cases where there's spooky monsters, you're going to have to wait until next year, unfortunately. Um the next one that I wanted to mention, and the the reason why I wanted to mention is because I've seen it on so many lists, but I personally haven't played it. But I've heard really good things about it. I really wanted to talk and share about it on the channel though because I want to get this game, but I am not quite sure which version to get and I've been hearing conflicting I've been hearing conflicting answers on which version is the best. So, this is Fury of Dracula. This is a really famous um hidden movement game where yeah, Dracula's attacking and you are trying to track him down and find out about it.

5:43 There are many different versions of this game that's going around. Um, there's a third, fourth edition. I'm pretty sure there's even a fifth edition that's coming out. And I don't know which one to get, but I know this is one that I need in my collection, especially for Halloween time. I mean, hand hunting down Dracula, are you kidding me? Like, I absolutely need this, but I don't know which one to get. And so, if you have played any of these editions, if you would recommend it, or if I guess if you wouldn't recommend it, please let me know in the description below cuz I'm just seeing a ton of conflicting things. And I just wanted to mention it just so you're aware of this game so you can look into it, too, because I think it's one that's perfect for Halloween. All right, though. Officially time for this top 10 list. Now, I did rank these from I mean, I love all these games, but yes, I did rank them from kind of least exciting to most exciting, even though all of these are exciting. Um, I personally put this one last though because even though I do love this theme, I don't think I would necessarily play this game without my children kind of. It's just kind of a very basic game, but the theme is so cute and you're going through and you're actually farming candy. Now, this is Dreadful Meadows. You're going to take on the role of a little character. You can be a skeleton or a ghost or a a goblin. and you'll be collecting these tiles which you will build out your fields and you are literally literally harvesting candy. I cannot think of a more perfect theme for Halloween and it's a fantastic one to play with families. So, if you really want to find a family Halloween themed game, this is the one that I would recommend to you. The artwork is

7:13 so bright and colorful and it's a really basic enough game that even Jamie Jamie needs to be coached a bit through it. But for the most part, I can sit down with me, Jordan, Addy, and Jamie, and we can play through this game. So, that really speaks highly when I can sit down and play a game, especially with Jameson. I just love this game. My children actually want to play this game all like all throughout the year cuz they like it so much. But it's especially great around Halloween. This next game, immediately when I heard the theme, I knew I had to get this game. So, I pre-ordered it and I waited. I think I waited a decent amount of time for it and it arrived. And I was so excited to play it because you are playing you're actually playing as the monsters of these um kind of movie movie monsters and you're going out and haunting the people in the theaters. This is spooktacular. I know there's actually an expansion that I believe is on game found right now called I think it's the bride of is it the bride of spooktacular or something?

8:13 Um which gives you kind of new characters. But this game is so awesome because it comes with how many is it? Is it like 20 characters? 20 monsters that you can play as? Um yeah. Yeah. Play as one of 20 movie monsters and you're going to go through and literally haunt people. And you're getting points by haunting people or devouring people. And every single monster is actually really unique in the way it plays. Now, I will say my biggest kind of critique with this game is I wish that the base game kind of gave you a little bit more direction as to what monsters play well at different player counts because some monsters just based on their abilities don't really activate or don't really do a lot if you're only playing with one other person versus if you had like five other or four other people around the table, you actually would be able to use your monster quite a bit more.

9:02 So, that is kind of one thing is you have to play the game to the point where you're like, "Oh, I know that these monsters are going to work well together. They'll play good at lower player counts or, oh, we're playing a higher play player count game. Let's grab these monsters." So, I just wish that that's just something to be aware of cuz I I've heard people play this game and they're like, "I just didn't really do anything. It didn't really click with me." And I always say, "What monsters were you playing at and at what player count?" So, that's just the only thing to be aware of. But, this theme is amazing. I absolutely love the variability that the different monsters mix into play. It's a small little touch, but the way you keep points in this game is there's actually a police car. You there police cards on the outside of the board and they circle the movie theater and I just love it. It's just this the game the theme is just 10 out of 10 for me. I love it.

9:50 This next game actually gives me a little bit of anxiety when I play in the best possible way because it kind of stresses me out and it has a really fun push your luck element to it where you don't really know what you're kind of fishing for. So, this is deep regrets. This game is so great and it is all about progressively fishing more and more horrifying things out of the ocean. It's very much a push your luck game and so people I mean be aware if you don't like push your luck games this might not be the game for you. Um but you essentially be rolling dice, moving your boat out to the sea and flipping over these cards. And the cool thing

10:30 you're hungry. You want to eat?

10:32 Yeah.

10:32 Okay, I'll go get you a snack. One moment. Oh, do you want to say hi?

10:36 Hello.

10:37 Okay. I can't remember what I was talking about. Deep regrets. Oh, I think I was talking about the cards. So, the cool thing about the cards is based on what depth you're at, all the cards are going to be turned over, but you will actually see a shadow on the back of the cards, which will kind of indicate what size of creature is on that particular card. So, while it is push your luck, you do have a little bit of information of how to approach that particular terrifying creature. Something else you'll be accumulating throughout the game is regret, which you really don't want. you're trying to balance not going insane and just completely. But sometimes it actually is good to go insane because then your kind of like crazy monster fish that you catch are actually going to be worth worth more at the end of the point or at the end of the game versus your regular fish that you might catch. But it's just a really fun theme and I just love that aspect of going out and okay, do you do you risk it? Do you flip that card or or do you go into sea, right? Do you go into port and uh try to beef yourself up? maybe get some better equipment before going out into sea. I just really like this. It just gives me all like the creepy cthulu water creatures. And I just think it's a great one for Halloween. Next one is Destiny's primarily Destiny's Witchwood. Now, Destiny's in and of itself is a great game that I would highly recommend, but Witchwood definitely gives you that like spooky kind of folklore vibe. The goal of Destiny's is you're moving through the story and essentially trying to find kind of like the destiny of your character. And I just think this

12:08 Witchwood expansion, like out of all the expansions for Destiny's, this one is actually my favorite. There's like different paths through the forest that you can take and it just feels very like Hansel and Gretle kind of spooky factor, which I think like some of the other expansions for Destiny's just kind of lacked that for me. So, I would obviously recommend Destiny's, but if you I would recommend like highly recommend this expansion to Destiny. So, if you haven't yet tried it, I think this is probably like the best way to play Destiny's and the strongest way to play it. Um, and it's perfect for Halloween, so it fits really good. This next one is my favorite from the Unmatched series, and it's actually the only one that I own. I wish I could justify having all Unmatched, but yeah, this one is just my favorite. So, I know even if I did have all of them, I would just be constantly turning to this one.

12:57 This is Unmatched Cobble and Fog. You can play as Dracula, as Sherlock and Holmes, as the invisible man, or uh Jackal and Hyde. It's just fantastic. I love kind of dueling games like this, you know, trying to get the other person down to zero health. And I love that this one comes with four characters who all really play really well together. I think my personal favorite is The Invisible Man. I really like the Invisible Man. He might be he probably is my favorite of all unmatched characters in general. Um but no, Unmatched is a great system. If you have not played it yet, please go play it if you like that idea of kind of like dueling um kind of head-to-head games. And the way that the cards work is so so good in this game, too. It really does pack a lot of punch for kind of a smaller size. Oh, I I actually have it right here. It packs such a good punch for not a huge game. just a perfect tactical combat game where you're trying to battle the other person down to zero health and it just it works really good.

13:58 And again, this cobble and fog is just perfect for Halloween. This next one is a campaign game where you are actually boarding a haunted train and you are trying to restore the humanity to these haunts that are trapped on this train. This is Vagrant Song. I love this game. It gives me kind of everything I want in a spooky Halloween game night. It has um obviously the creepy theme. We always put on kind of like old oldtimey soft music in the background. We kind of lower the lights and I love that theme of finding ghosts and trying to restore their humanity. Now, I mentioned this is a campaign game. I know that there's actually um a couple of expansions to Vagrant Song that actually can turn it into a single either their their singleshot um scenarios that they offer or they turn the base game into single shots. I don't quite remember what it is, but I really really want that because it is a campaign game.

14:53 It kind of is sometimes hard to dive into it. So, I really want the same idea, the same story, the same mechanics, but turning it into kind of like singleshot scenario. So, that's something to be aware of, too, if the campaign thing maybe [clears throat] kind of might turn you off or might turn you away from it. But, no, it's just really, really good. I love moving through the train and every single scenario feels different, introduces new stuff. I love the puzzle of trying to work around the items in the room. And the production of this game is fantastic, too. I love the standies. I've I've said it before, I will always say it that I prefer acrylic standies to miniatures. I just do. I love acrylic um miniatures. And the monsters are so fun and and unique and the way they interact with you are are unique. I really love the monster. I mean, there's so many that I love. Um, but I really there's like this one monster. Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you cuz it's a campaign game. I won't tell you, but there's really good ones. And I just like the way you have to learn to interact with them and you're trying to save them from being lost forever. It's the game where you turn down the lights, right? Light the candles. This is that type of game.

15:58 This next one I might get some grief for because I technically have only played this a handful of times. And when I played it, it was the prototype of the new version that's coming out or like the new like the second one that's coming out, but you can get the original one. And from what I saw from my prototype that I played, I loved it so much. And especially with the theme, I just knew I could not leave this one off the list. This is Terrorcape. So, the original Teroscape you can purchase and you can get it is widely available. Teroscape 2 is technically the one that I played. So, technically I guess I'm recommending Terascape 2, but Terescape 1 is great, too. But this is a great hidden movement game where there's literally this huge screen that's going to be between all the other players and then the one who's playing the monster. and you both have boards and you the monster is moving around trying to find you and you are moving around trying to stay away and kill the monster. I love deduction games. Spoiler alert, this isn't the only deduction or isn't the last deduction game that I have on my list.

17:09 Um, but it just it works really good. I love the hideand seek. you know, you're trying to hunt down the other players and they're trying to hunt you back and you're both kind of trying to work around with, especially on the monster side, you know, limited information. It just feels like a classic Halloween movie. That's what it is. It feels like you're playing a classic Halloween movie. This next one I might get some heat for because it Jordan was trying to convince me that this wasn't a Halloween game. I personally totally think it is. Would it fit better on a space themed game list? Maybe. But I was technically in between two games that were both kind of space themed. I went with this one because it scares me more.

17:54 And it gives me a lot more anxiety. So, I was in between Nemesis and Project Elite. And I decided to go with Project Elite. I easily could have put Nemesis on this list, too, because I think Nemesis is a great game that even if it is space themed, it totally gives me Halloween vibes. It just does. Um, Project Elite, yes, I know it is set in space, but it has this amazing real-time element where you are battling these kind of monsters, aliens, and they are running to you real time, and you are trying to fight back. And just that aspect of the game of you you roll dice, the monster, you move the monsters. Roll dice, you shoot. Roll dice, you move the monsters. You have 2 minutes to try to hold back the monsters while also trying to meet your objectives. Gives me anxiety. It makes me scared. Now, I know this is one that is kind of trickier to get your hands on, which was another reason why I was a little bit nervous to put it on this list. I was able to find my own personal copy of this game, um, which I'm very grateful for.

18:56 And we really do. We take this out every Halloween because I just love it so much. I love how the board is actually double-sided. There are many different missions, many different things that you can go through and kind of approach the board in different ways. So, it has a lot of variability. Everyone around the table's kind of screaming and yelling at each other trying to hold back these monsters and you get the really big nasty monsters that come on the board. This one is great. Again, I could have easily put Nemesis on here as well, which is essentially like a board game version of Alien, literally. So, I guess those two can kind of fill this spot, but officially for the list, it's Project Elite. Um, I just I adore Project Elite. It is on my top 10 games of all time. One of my favorites. Highly, highly, highly recommend it. All right, so I mentioned how uh Terescape was not the only hidden movement game on this list.

19:46 I had to add this one because this is a my favorite hidden movement game, but b I think this totally works as just a great hidden movement Halloween game. And Jordan again had some push back on this one cuz he didn't think it was a Halloween game. So, I apologize if you don't think this is, but I think it is. This is Beast. Okay. Favorite hidden move in game of all time. One player is playing as the beast and the other players are playing as the hunters. Unlike Terescape where you know you have the kind of screen that's blocking everyone's playing on the same board essentially. Um I guess that's not true. The beast if you are playing as the beast you are playing behind kind of a small little you're secretly moving behind kind of a small little shielded area. But as the the beast you have your own objectives and the hunters they're essentially trying to hunt down and kill the beast. And it's really interesting because there's lots of times where the beast has to do something, but in order to do it, he reveals himself. So, you immediately get information. But the main reason why I love this game so much is because of the card drafting that happens at the beginning of every single round. And everybody, hunters and beast, are all drafting from the same set of cards. So, if you're playing as the hunters, you know, you'll get a card, be like, hm, I really want this ability, but I don't want the beast to get this ability, so I'm actually going to take this one. Beast is amazing. I know it had to be really high up on my games I would recommend for Halloween, but not quite as high as my number one pick, which you probably

21:16 guessed it at this point since it hasn't shown up on the list so far, but I have to recommend this game every single Halloween season. I probably will always recommend this. It might just always be my number one game I'd recommend for Halloween. Um, but this is a game where you are playing as uh Final Girl and you are going around trying to save everybody from the monster that's on the board. Yes, this is Final Girl. Final Girl has to be my number one. It is fantastic. It is so good. So, if you're not aware, Final Girl is kind of a system where you get a core box and then you kind of pick what series, I think that's what they're called, what series you want to interact with. The one that I'm going to be putting on this list is one of their newest ones, which just fits in perfectly with the theme. It's Final Girl, a Rotten Harvest. Rotten Rotten Harvest. Sorry, my accent. Um, A Rotten Harvest, and the monster that you're fighting against is Grimlash. So, it's Grimlash is hunting the final girl in cornfields of shady acres. Be careful of the children of the field who want to sacrifice you. It's a really fun system where te once you have a handful of different series, you actually can kind of mix and match. You can take the final girls from one of like, you know, a couple of your other boxes and actually add them and play with a monster in another box. So, I like that variability, but it just truly feels like you truly feels like you step into a horror movie. And there's so many different so many different kind of

22:46 tropes that are available that you can choose from. So every time you jump in, you really can kind of, okay, I want to play more of an alien based one. Okay, I want to play more of a like paranormal haunted house one. I want to play kind of a slasher one or kind of a more Freddy Krueger one. There's so many different versions that you can play. Now, I will say that this game is a solo game. What I am really hoping for and wanting from the Final Girl series, now that they have so many Final Girls out there, I want them to either come out come out with something that makes it cooperative or comes out with a cooperative Final Girl version, which I would just eat that up because even though I love this game, I love it so much I feel like I can't really share it with my friends. Technically, we could get two copies and sit down and kind of play side by side on our own little map, but that's not as fun. I want to actually dive into Final Girl with someone else. Maybe that does exist already and I'm not aware of it.

23:41 Let me know. Um, but that's really what I'm kind of wanting from Final Girl right now. Besides that, I think this is the most perfect game ever for Halloween. I just cannot recommend this one enough. All right, so there you go. Those were my top 10 board game recommendations for Halloween. I really hope to play every single one of these except for Terescape, unfortunately, cuz I don't have it. But I hope to play every single one this month at least one time each because the only thing better than Halloween by just a little bit is absolutely Halloween themed board games. Thank you so much for watching this video. Again, if you like any of these games or if there's games that you that I left off this list that you personally think I should add, please drop them all in the comments below. And again, if you are new to the channel, if you wouldn't mind liking, subscribing, and doing all the good stuff to support me, I would really appreciate it. But until next time, I hope you have a super spooky season and we'll see you later.