Top 10 Spooky Board Game Themes

0:00 Everyone loved my other Halloween list so much, I decided you know what? In honor of my favorite season ever, we need to have two top 10 lists about Halloween. Because there's just so many games and I even I even on my top 10 kind of like Halloween recommendation list, I even had a comment listing a bunch of games and I still had more people mentioning games that I had forgotten about. So, here we are. Here we are for a second time in October for a scary spooky game list. Hello everybody, welcome back to Board Game Buzz today. My name is Carly and today we're going to be chatting about some of the most spookiest board game themes. Some Halloween games are really light and cute and fun, but I wanted to do a video talking about really scary intense kind of board games, right? Because for me on Halloween, yes, I want to play the cute ones, too, but I really want to play some sit down and play some spooky board games. I want to be scared. I want to be terrified. I want to be traumatized. And these games are going to give it to you. Now, before we jump into this list, I do want to mention a couple things. First, I have played a decent amount of games on this list, but there are games on here that I have not played. That's why this is just all about theming. I genuinely I have been wanting to play some of these games for years and I just haven't had the opportunity to, but I have watched lots of play-throughs. I've read through the rule books. I really think they're going to be games that are right up my alley.

1:20 Um but we're not necessarily talking about gameplay. We're kind of more talking about theme today. So, if you are a big themer like myself and you want a really spooky game, these are the ones that immediately come to my mind. Before we dive into this list though, if you are new to Board Game Buzz, welcome. We're so glad to have you here. If you wouldn't mind liking, subscribing, and doing all the good stuff to support me on the channel, I would really appreciate it. But let's go ahead and dive into some of the spookiest board game themes in the board game industry.

1:58 When I'm thinking about a terrifying games list, these are the ones that always come to mind.

2:03 Um like I said, I played a handful of these and they are genuinely they genuinely give me anxiety.

2:09 Um and I think the other ones that I haven't played would absolutely give me anxiety, too, but we'll just we'll just run through them and I'll kind of share about why they're on this list, but this first one, number 10, I have played number 10 and it really genuinely stresses me out every time I play it. I've only played it a handful of times because it's kind of a long game, kind of a beast to get into, but it is so good and it really feels like you step into the movie Alien. Um so, this is Nemesis, primarily Nem- or specifically Nemesis Lockdown. I know there are different versions of it. Lockdown is the version that I've played and from what I've heard is kind of the best. I know some people are liking the newest version, but in and of itself, it is a great system where you are playing as a character, you are diving into this world, and um on in Nemesis Lockdown, you're I think you're on the moon or some sort of planet and you're in a uh um some sort of controlled area that is slowly becoming infected with these aliens and you can you can become infected and you're trying to meet these objectives and also escape from this like escape pod. That's like one of the things you can do to end the game. Um but no, it genuinely gives me anxiety. There are times where you move and you make noise, which then attracts the alien. I know in one of the games that I played, I actually got literally like infected with like a chest burster, essentially. It's just so good. I love the alien theme and it really gives me the same anxiety and feeling that watching Alien, the movie, does. I will say that this one is a little bit of a beast to learn. Um it's kind of it's

3:41 it's it's kind of a lot, but it is really really good. So, I would highly recommend Nemesis Lockdown if you have not played it before. This next one is one that I have not played and I have wanted to play it forever. Um it's an app-assisted game where you are moving through this mansion and uncovering horrifying stuff. This is Mansions of Madness Second Edition. That theme or that idea of being stuck in a house with Lovecraftian monsters, like no, oh my gosh, no. And this isn't This is actually an app supported or app assisted game. So, you have to have like a tablet or something that you play with it. And the app is nice because as far as I'm aware, it actually takes care of a lot of the upkeep that some of the that like the DM or whoever would have to upkeep. But, it introduces puzzles you're trying to figure out as you're trying to uncover these mysteries.

4:30 Everything about this just screams Halloween to me. What is Halloween without a haunted house, right? Every single Halloween, you need a haunted house or two. Now, I have been wanting to play this game for years. Years, years, years I've wanted to play this game. I actually almost bought it this year. I try to buy kind of a spooky game game every single Halloween just because I like to have spooky games. Um, but I ended up actually going with something else, which is actually already going to be on this list, which we'll chat about later. But, um, no, great game. Super great theme for Halloween. I think this is a good one to have to the list. This next one is so disturbing to me in like, I hate to say it, but also kind of like the best possible way for Halloween. You're trying to essentially create your own Frankenstein, but in order to do that, you have to go out and dig up dead bodies or potentially even kill people from what I were aware of to get the body parts that you need. This is Abomination of Frankenstein. This definitely might be too morbid for some people. Totally no shame there. For me, I'm so intrigued by this game and I want to play it so badly. This has been on my list, again, kind of like Mansions of Madness for years. I've wanted this game for years because it just it's so so gruesome, but like I also need it. I don't know how to describe it other than that. But, quite literally, you are trying to bring your monster to life by collecting body parts in 19th century Paris. I know one of the complaints

6:00 about this game is that it is too long. I know know there is actually a couple different like unofficial official like variants or ways you can play it. I'm pretty sure one of them is called Prometheus and I think that's like the most popular way to play that shortens the game quite a bit. Um, but no, just like coming back to that theme where yeah, you're trying to build a Frankenstein. You need body parts and so you're trying to find body parts. Like it's it just is so good and the art even it's like it's very very gruesome. It's very dark. Again, I know this isn't going to be for everyone, but I think that this is just a great a great game for Halloween. I needed in my collection so badly. Number seven is a game that I actually have played that I adore. I love this game, but it really does stress you out. It stresses you out so much because you're trying to keep your people alive and as the game goes on inevitably you just end up having to slaughter your people or have them be killed by the aliens or like the robots that are malfunctioning and trying to kill you. This is Moon Colony Bloodbath. This is a tableau engine building and destroying game. So you are settlers on the moon. You have your own civilization. The beginning of the game is very easy. It's good. You're growing. You're building buildings.

7:19 You're feeding your people. But then slowly these like um, I think they're like the machine decks. Yeah, they're I think they're machine decks get um, flipped over and slowly like all the machines that you brought with you are kind of slowly reverting and changing and now all of a sudden they want to kill you. The word text on on all the cards are amazing. I love the humor that's in it. And again, I know this is not kind of like Abomination. This is not a game for everyone. Like I'm pretty sure Tom Vasel Tom Vasel hates this game because it is so punishing, right? You're going through and yes, you are building out your your little colony, but then you're also having to go through and destroy it. And the ramp up of the game is really interesting too because the beginning it starts off fine and then all of a sudden it's like bad, bad, bad, bad, bad and you're just trying to hang on and longer than your opponents um can hang on. So I know it's not one for everyone, but it's definitely one that gives me anxiety and makes me scared and it's one that I just have to play around Halloween cuz it genuinely makes me scared.

8:23 Hey, is that hurting? Okay.

8:25 little bump.

8:26 Do you need me to get some floss? Okay, I'm almost done with this. Let's not come up and help you out, okay? Okay, can you head upstairs for a second? Thank you. Anyways, Mu Colony Bloodbath, super great game, highly recommend it. I think it's a great terrifying theme. Number six is actually the game that I got myself for this Halloween season. I've been hearing about it everywhere. I've actually heard about it for years and it was out of print. I know it was some people's like grail game. They wanted it for years and they just recently came out with the second edition that went really mass it launched a massive crowdfunding campaign and it sounded just like a game that was right up my alley. So I ordered it. It actually should be coming this week, but this is Camp Grizzly and like this again, this is going to be the second edition of it. This is a semi-cooperative survival horror game that is essentially kind of like Final Girl, but it's like a Final Girl you like had more players to it, right? It wasn't just a solo game.

9:25 There's this character on the board named Otis and he his job is to hunt you down and kill you or your friends or some of the NPCs that are on the board at any given moment. So you're running around from him trying to escape. I mean no pun intended, but it is just like a very campy kind of like Halloween feeling vibe type of game. To win, players have to collect a set of objectives to trigger and survive one of the four available finales. I love it when games do that. I know Final Girl has something like that where you know, you get to the end there's like this big showdown, this big event that happens and last man standing wins. It just sounds cuz because I love Final Girl so much and I've mentioned this about Final Girl many times. Um I think I even mentioned it on my Halloween video, but I want to play Final Girl with more players. I really, really, really want Van Ryder Games to do that to make a version of Final Girl where everyone can pick their girl, come to the table, and play together. Yes, I guess it wouldn't really necessarily make it Final Girl at that moment because there's going to be more than one Final Girl, but that's what I want. And from everything that I found, Camp Grizzly definitely gives me that. And I can't think of a more terrifying theme. Those are Those are always the scariest Halloween movies to me where there are There's someone coming like my like the Jason is coming, he's coming to get you.

10:40 I just think this fits Halloween perfectly. So, I'm really excited to get my copy. This next one, I'm so sad. I actually ordered this one a couple years ago, and I think the website that I ordered it from, they either went under or something happened, but like I never I never got my copy. So, I ordered it, and I never got it, and I just have never found the will to put the money towards it again, even though I really want it because this theme is so iconic. You are a innkeeper, you know, very very sweet very sweet little innkeeper, except not so sweet because you murder your guests and take their money. So, this is the Bloody Inn. Again, a theme that's probably not for everybody, but I just think this is so intriguing where you are robbing and murdering your guests, trying to make money. And when you murder them, you're trying to hide the bodies, you're trying to evade the cops, you're bribing your guests, you're building annexes, you're trying to hide the bodies, and you're just trying to get the most money. Whoever since Santiago art, and this just makes it top-notch. He I I think his work, even though I love it, I think it shines in Halloween kind of themed games. So, I just think everything about the artwork here works really well. I'm just so intrigued to see how this actually plays, but just from a theme, I think this is a perfect spooky, really dark dark dark Halloween game night choice. The last one was dark, but I think this one is even more dark. Something about getting body parts grinded up,

12:09 kind of like chain hot chain What is it? Chain saw? What is it? Chain saw? Oh my gosh. Is it chainsaw massacre? Is that what I'm thinking? Those are so scary to me. All that whole theme of getting hacked alive is terrifying. So that's why Grindhouse had to make this list. I think that out of all the games on this list, this is the one that is the most disturbing to me. You received an invitation to take part in a in a mysterious contest at the Grindhouse, an old mansion that once stood as the largest slaughterhouse in the state. The invitation is signed by an individual simply known as the host. First off, never go. Just no. No. The host bursts into sinister echoing laugh. Behind you the doors slam shut and the sound of a heavy deadbolt clicks into place. You and your fellow fellow guests are trapped at the mercy and whims of the host. Shall we play a little game?

12:59 You're playing as a character trying to stay alive and literally as you play, you're going to be having limbs that are hacked off and by the end everyone's just like dragging their corpses to the end trying to win. I think it's such a grotesque theme, but I think it works really good for a Halloween for Halloween game. This is one that I just need to play. I know lots of people are talking it talking about it right now cuz I'm pretty sure there's like a new expansion or reprint or something that happened recently. I just recently heard about it and ever since I heard about it I can just can't get it off my mind. I need to I need to play this one. I just think the the theme is too good. This next one kind of talking a little bit again about Lovecraftian terrifying monsters. I cannot think of anything more scary than trying to summon one than trying to summon these terrifying monsters and then try to kill them. This is Cthulhu: Death May Die. I still have not played this one.

13:54 Shocking, I know, because everyone says how good it is. I actually almost played it a handful of years back. I think it was at What was it? I think it was at the Level Up Retreat, I think. But you are literally trying to like bring these gods to life and trying to raise them so you can kill them. I think this is obviously a fun one to play anytime of the year with that theme, but I think around Halloween, for sure. Something that I do really like about this game is that it's not a campaign. When I first saw it, I thought to myself, "Oh, it's a campaign game." But it's not. They're just episodes that you can play. So, you don't have to sit down and play through this long campaign. You can just choose an episode, and you don't have to kind of move through a story, which I really like. It kind of makes it more approachable, easier to get to the table. But the miniatures, man, oh, the miniatures, they look so good. And I just love uh trying to I'm pretty sure that you balance your insanity in this one, try not to go too crazy. I just think this is one is just such a great theme for Halloween. These next two were so close for me. Um I actually haven't played either of these, but the theme, I think I cannot think of a more perfect theme for Halloween. So, you could kind of slip or flip these as you want to. But for me, number two was The Night Cage.

15:08 What makes The Night Cage so terrifying is you are moving through this map, and it's just this black and white map. You don't really know where you're going, and everyone is kind of holding a small little candle. So, based on where you're at, you're lighting up the areas around you. But the moment you move away from that spot, some areas are actually going to fall into darkness and disappear, when that and then you're going to reveal new ones. So, you're moving around um just kind of randomly trying to find your way out, trying to find the keys to then get yourself out. Absolutely terrifying, because with every step, you don't know what direction you're going to go. Maybe you're going to lose your friend by going somewhere else, and you kind of need to stay together. Okay, do we leave Sammy in the dust because we really need to go over here? Just wandering in darkness. That whole idea

15:56 is terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I This is game has been on my bucket list to play for a while. I've kind of heard very mixed reviews about the gameplay itself, but from a theme standpoint, right? Theme standpoint, 10 out of 10. So good for Halloween, but in my opinion, not quite as good as my number one pick, which I think is probably the most iconic looking game and iconic theming of a game that I have seen in a very long time for Halloween. And this is Horror on the Orient Express. Oh man, do I want this game so bad. Okay, just simply looking at the cover alone should tell you all you need to know about this. But in this game you are investigating clues and battling monsters while traveling on the Orient Express. And you have this literal pop-up train that is going to be in the center of the board and you're going to be again interacting with monsters.

16:53 There's going to be Eldridge like bloodthirsty vampires hunting you down. There's lots of things you're going to be encountering. It just looks so good. It's like a super spooky version of Vagrant Song, which I had Vagrant Song on my last list. Something about a spooky haunted train, man. I love it. I feel like we need We always are getting spooky houses. I want a spooky train movie. Like that's what I want. I want some something like that because I think being on a haunted train there's nothing scarier. I think it's way scarier than a haunted house in my opinion. So in order to win you have to hunt down the cultists and stop them from from performing a ritual and ensure the train reaches its destination. Man, I just I need to play this game so bad. I think this is a fantastic theme for Halloween.

17:42 I love the production of this game and it's rated super well. Everyone who I've talked to who have played this game has loved it. So from what I've from what I can see it has really good reviews, really good rating, and I just need it. I I I was between Horror on the Orient Express and then Camp Grizzly. I decided to go with Camp Grizzly. So maybe next year I'll get Horror or Horror on the Orient Express. I need this one in my collection. I think it's perfect. I think it's such a great theme for Halloween. All right, so there you go. Those were 10 of some of the most spookiest themes that I personally have seen in board games as of late. If you have any that you think are even spookier than these ones, please let me know what your choices would be 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 and the channel, I would really appreciate it.

18:28 But until next time, I hope you have a super spooky season, and we'll see you later.