Halloween Board Games

• 🏰   Best Overall: Disney Villainous
• 🔮   Best Classic: Hocus Pocus
• 👻   Best for Kids: Ghost Blitz
• 🕸️   Best Cooperative: Mysterium
• ⛓️   Most Unique: Gloom
• 🐺   Best Icebreaker: One Night Ultimate Werewolf
• 👉   How we picked and tested

It’s the spookiest time of the year! If you’re in need of a fun activity to do with your friends or family on Halloween, why not give board games a try?

Whether you’re looking for something spooky to get everyone in the mood or something more family-friendly, our top pick is Disney Villainous. Its amazing artwork and thematic gameplay make it a must-have for any board game enthusiast.

For anyone who loves anything Halloween, we’ve curated a list of six awesome spooky board games for all ages that are sure to satisfy all your Halloween needs. Because who says you can’t get competitive about witches and ghouls? If you want to know more about how we pick our games, check out our selection process here.

1. Best Overall: Disney Villainous

Available on

• Player count: 2-6 players
• Duration: 50 minutes average playing time
• Ages: 10+

Disney Villainous gets the title for the best overall Halloween board game for its immersive artwork and unique spin on the iconic characters we grew up with. In the game, you and other players take control of one of six iconic Disney and attempt to complete their objectives while sabotaging each other.

Why we love it

What makes Disney Villainous stand out from other games is how immersive the game is. The artwork and figurines draw you into the game, with each character’s actions and objectives matching the feel of their films. So, adults who’ve grown up with the Disney franchise and kids who are just discovering it will enjoy playing this game.

This game is an excellent way to teach kids about strategizing and paying attention to details while having fun. Because planning and understanding the other players’ motives are key factors in winning Disney Villainous, the game offers an excellent opportunity for kids to learn the basics of strategy.

This game has immense replayability, as each of the six characters has different objectives and paths to victory. So, no matter how many times you’ve played Disney Villainous, it won’t get boring soon!

The most significant downside to this game is that it can be overwhelming to learn the rules at first glance. But once you get the hang of it, you’re guaranteed an entertaining game experience every time.

Overall, Disney Villainous is an amazing all-ages game that, with a few tutorials and practice, will give you endless hours of spooky fun. This is an excellent game on hand during Halloween season and will surely be a hit with the whole family.

How to play

In Disney Villainous, you’re taking on the role of a Disney villain in a race to complete your objectives before the other players. Each player uses their decks and game board components to complete their unique objectives before other players do.

All players choose their villain and take the corresponding board, mover, guide, deck, fate deck, and reference card. Make sure your board is within your reach, and ensure that all players know the objective on your board by reading it out loud. It has four areas — place the mover in the leftmost space and a Lock Token on any spot with a lock symbol at its upper right corner.

Next, draw a starting hand of four cards from your villain deck. These cards will help you complete your objectives and move around the board. You will also be able to draw more cards using certain character effects and fate cards.

During your turn: You move your villain to a new space, do actions, and draw more cards. When you perform an action, you can gain powers, activate an item or an ally, attack other players, and more. Make sure to read all the cards carefully before making your decisions.

Once a player has achieved their character’s objectives, the game immediately ends, and the player is deemed the winner!

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2. Best Classic: Hocus Pocus

Available on

• Player count: 2-6 players
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Ages: 8+

In a classic Halloween board game showdown, a game about witches, spells, and potions always reigns supreme. Based on the iconic 1993 movie, Hocus Pocus is a fast-paced game that takes each player on an exciting adventure to defeat the Sanderson Sisters.

Why we love it

The best thing about Hocus Pocus is its extremely engaging simplicity. Anyone can easily understand the game and its rules, but it still has enough depth to provide a thrilling experience. Its various actions and tasks make it an exciting game for adults, and it has challenges without crushing defeat — meaning children can enjoy it too.

There is excellent thematic consistency and nostalgia at play here, as it’s based on a beloved film. The game’s components are beautifully designed and spot-on, making the game look great on the table. What’s more, the game comes with fun components like a cat meeple, and the box is shaped like a book of spells!

However, Hocus Pocus may be too simple for those looking for a more intense game. If you’re looking for something more challenging, Hocus Pocus may not be the game for you.

All in all, we still think Hocus Pocus is a great Halloween board game with tons of fun for all ages. So if you’re looking for a light, spooky game full of laughs and childish excitement, then Hocus Pocus is an excellent choice.

How to play

Setting up Hocus Pocus is a simple affair. To get started, place the cauldron board at the center of your play area, followed by four trick tokens and a binx mover nearby. Position the witch board on one side, ensuring all players can see it clearly, and place the sun token in its lowest spot on the sunrise track.

Then, set the stun token next to the witch board for easy access. Shuffle the spell cards and the ingredient cards and deal a hand of cards to each player. The number of cards depends on the number of participants playing.

Once all players have their cards, they can begin taking turns. The player who recently lit a candle starts the game, and then the play progresses clockwise. On every turn, a player takes three actions - asking a question, using an ingredient card, and drawing an ingredient card.

When asking a question, you can ask if anyone has a specific spell or ingredient card. For example, you ask, “Does anyone have Newt Saliva?” Everyone can answer yes or no, but cannot show the card or reveal any other additional details.

After you’ve asked a question, play an ingredient of the same type or color in your hand if you can. Place it on top of any of the five piles in the cauldron. Lastly, draw an ingredient card from the top of the deck to add to your hand.

Ending the game: In this game, your goal is to work together with the other players in combining five ingredients of the same color or type to defeat the Sanderson Sisters. You and your team win after successfully casting a spell three times and moving the sun token on the sunrise track to the top.

Alternatively, you and the other players lose the game if you have to draw from the ingredient deck and it’s empty.

3. Best for Kids: Ghost Blitz

Available on

• Player count: 2-8 players
• Duration: 20 minutes
• Ages: 8+

A quirky visual game about recognizing shapes and colors, Ghost Blitz is a thrilling game that’s sure to be a hit with kids. There’s something odd about the mysterious ghost pictures, but can you spot it first?

Why we love it

Our favorite thing about Ghost Blitz is its accessibility. The rules are easy to learn and play, the ghost theme is friendly and vibrant, and the setup time is minimal. But don’t be fooled! This game will keep you tense and engaged from start to finish, as the thrill of being the quickest to identify a shape can be addictive!

This game is a great way to improve reaction time, observational skills, and problem-solving abilities among young players. The colorful components also provide a unique visual experience that adds to the game’s overall appeal and keeps you entertained.

We also love how Ghost Blitz has no player elimination, and everyone is in the game until the end. So you don’t have to worry about leaving someone out of the fun.

Our only gripe with Ghost Blitz is that it can be repetitive, so it may not be ideal for longer game nights. But this is where the new versions come in! Regardless, Ghost Blitz is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a spooky, family-friendly board game for Halloween that tests manual dexterity and reaction time.

How to play

Ghost Blitz is a game of quick thinking and reflexes. Compete with other players to decipher which item is right and then outwit them by grabbing it before anyone else.

To start, put all game pieces in the center of the table or group. Then shuffle and stack the cards face down in a place everyone can easily reach.

To start the game, flip over a card and have everyone playing attempt to identify which item they must pick up. If you guess correctly, snag it and receive the card or point!

Remember that you have five game pieces: a white ghost, a green bottle, a red chair, a grey mouse, and a blue book. Let’s say the card displayed has a blue book and a red ghost; in this case, you should take the blue book since it’s the only one that matches with one of the game pieces.

The first player who grabs the correct item receives a score. Keep playing until all the cards are gone, and the player with the most points wins!

4. Best Cooperative: Mysterium

Available on

• Player count: 2-7 players
• Duration: 45 minutes average playing time
• Ages: 10+

Explore a haunted mansion and solve the mystery behind a ghost’s death in this interactive, cooperative board game. Be a psychic or a ghost and work together with your friends or family as you unravel the truth behind the ghostly tragedy!

Why we love it

We love how Mysterium immerses you in such a thrilling, supernatural world. You’ll get to enjoy a unique gaming experience by playing either as a ghost or psychic — something you don’t often get to do in other board games — and each role is tailored to its unique set of rules that are just fun to experience.

We also like how you need cooperation and communication to win the game. You either win or lose as a group, which encourages teamwork and socializing. The unique mechanic of one person not being able to talk while being on the same team also provides a unique challenge that makes the game even more exciting.

Mysterium has infinite replay value thanks to each game’s ever-changing clues, cards, and puzzles. The ghost in the game is an amnesiac, so you must start over and figure out the mystery anew in each game. This helps keep the game fresh every time you play it.

The only caveat we have with Mysterium is that the setup can be a little cumbersome at first since there are a lot of components. But if you’re looking for an engaging, spooky adventure to play with family and friends this Halloween, Mysterium is an excellent choice.

How to play

Players first decide who will play the role of the ghost. The chosen player receives the ghost screen, the 3 decks of ghost cards (characters, locations, objects), and the deck of Vision cards.

The other players are Psychics and each receives a player pouch, crystal ball pawn, and clairvoyance tokens. Players will choose a certain amount of Character Psychic cards based on the number of players and desired difficulty. For example, six random character cards must be selected from the deck for five participants at the easy level and laid face-up in front of them.

Then, each one should read out their numbers from behind their card so that the Ghost player can later pick those same 6 Character cards from the Ghost Character stack. Do the same thing with the Locations and the Objects.

Once setup is complete, the ghost will start sending Vision cards to players. Every Vision card contains one of the six characters, locations, or objects they chose earlier. Psychics must try to interpret these visions and make their guesses under the time limit. All players discuss their cards and decide on a consensus answer when the time is up.

If the guess is correct, the ghost confirms it by either knocking once for yes or twice for no. You’ll need to continue doing this until each player advances to the final progress board. If all players are successful in completing it within seven hours (turns), they will move on to the second and last phase - otherwise, you lose!

5. Most Unique: Gloom

Available on

• Player count: 2-4 players
• Duration: 60 minutes average playing time
• Ages: 13+

For those who’ve had an emo phase or lifestyle, this darkly humorous card game Gloom is the perfect fit for you. This gothic-inspired game aims to make your family of misfits suffer the greatest tragedies imaginable before helping them achieve their ultimate end.

Why we love it

What we love about Gloom is just how uniquely grim and morbid the game can get. At the end of the game, when every family has met their ‘Untimely Death’, you need to be the family with the lowest self-worth to winning. That’s right; this is a perfect game for those with a darker sense of humor because you need to make your characters suffer the most out of all the other families to succeed.

There is an excellent level of straightforwardness in the gameplay, making it suitable for all players. The artwork and card design are top-notch and capture the exact gothic vibe that this game is meant to be. It’s also portable, making it an excellent option for long trips or road trips.

The only downside to this game is that it is too dark for younger players. The theme is quite dark and macabre, so consider the age range of your players before introducing this game.

Nevertheless, Gloom is an excellent game for anyone looking for a darkly comedic and thematic experience this Halloween. Have fun making your family suffer!

How to play

Before the game begins, carefully divide the character cards from all other decks. Then, each player selects their family and draws a starting hand. Each family has five family members (which are characters from the character deck).

Now, players need to build their family’s story by taking turns choosing one card from the other decks (event, modifier, untimely death) and placing it over one of their character cards. Each card has a point value that will adjust the self-worth of the character it is placed on.

You make two plays when it’s your turn, then draw back up to your hand limit. You can choose to play a card from your hand, play an event or a modifier, discard one from your hand (which will activate any bonus effect), or pass and do nothing.

The game continues until the last character in any family dies. Add up all the self-worth scores of each family, and the player with the lowest score wins!

6. Best Icebreaker: One Night Ultimate Werewolf

Available on

• Player count: 3-10 players
• Duration: 10 minutes
• Ages: 8+

A fast-paced version of the classic Werewolf game, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a great ‘social deduction’ game that encourages conversation and plenty of hilarious accusations. This game is perfect for large groups and is great for a quick, fun, and interactive session.

Why we love it

We love One Night Ultimate Werewolf because it’s easy to pick up and play. This game requires no prior knowledge of the Werewolf game, so it’s great for introducing people to the genre. Plus, an app helps you set up and makes it much easier to keep track of the game.

This game is highly replayable with the variety of character roles that can be chosen. The game length is easily adjustable, and the unique characters add a lot of fun and intrigue in every round, so every game is always different.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf is also a purely deductive game, so it’s perfect for teaching young ones the basics of using deduction to solve problems. Because your roles change during the night phase, you can never be sure who’s a werewolf, so the game will keep you guessing.

We weren’t a fan of how the cards were easily marked and their edges easily frayed, so we suggest investing in card sleeves to make them last longer. But other than that, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is worth a try! So gather your friends, choose a role, and prepare for a night of werewolf hunting.

How to play

To prepare for the game, make sure that the playing cards are three more than the number of players. To make it easier, assign a narrator or download the app and let it take on this role while guiding everyone through the story-telling adventure!

Gather around the table and deal each player a character card face down. Place the three remaining cards, along with any tokens corresponding to those characters in the middle of everyone. After every person has received their card, let the announcer or app guide you through what comes next.

As the game begins, all players shut their eyes and go through actions that are assigned to each character. A few characters will stir during the night and open their eyes; however, the Villager, Hunter, and Tanner remain their eyes closed for the entire duration.

As the night slowly comes to a close, everyone wakes up and begins debating who they suspect is the werewolf. All players can use their deduction skills and intuition to come up with a conclusion. After the discussion, everyone can vote on who they believe the werewolf is.

The player who receives the most votes reveals their card. The village team wins if they take down all werewolves. On the other hand, the only way for the werewolves to secure a win is by having at least one werewolf that survives.

How we picked and tested

PsyCat Games is built by people who know how to have fun! We’ve been researching parties and games since 2018 and have published 400+ articles on our website. That’s why we’re confident that we know what we’re talking about!

We want you to have the best time possible and not waste your money on a subpar product. That’s why we spend over three months testing 20 games with groups of kids, teens, and adults. We’ve ranked the games by the fun factor, player experience, and replayability!

Our ranking is subjective, but we’ve tried our best to be as impartial as possible. However, if you stumble upon a halloween board game that you think deserves a spot on our list, please reach out to us! We would love to hear from you.

PsyCat Games is supported by readers clicking on our affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we might earn a commission if you buy something through our links.

FAQ about Halloween Board Games

1. What is the scariest board game?

The scariest board game has to be Gloom. This horror-themed game has players taking control of one of four families to ensure their family members suffer the most tragedy and misfortune.

Play cards that make your family members suffer, while trying to make opposing players’ families members experience the least amount of sorrow. It’s a morbidly intriguing game that will make you both laugh and cry with each play session. A unique card game experience, Gloom is sure to get your heart racing!

2. What is a spooky board?

Mysterium is a spooky board game that’ll satisfy any horror fan. Players explore a haunted mansion as ghostly spirits and try to solve a murder mystery. The ghost player communicates only in visions, represented by illustrated cards. The other players must interpret the ghost’s symbols and visions to guess the murderer and their weapon.

With its eerie visuals, suspenseful gameplay, and immersive storyline, Mysterium will put fear in you and your friends while you try to solve the unsolved murder. It’s a perfect game for Halloween night!