It really is the best time of year. Things are getting cold, the ghosts are getting louder, and horror is behind every corner. Halloween parties have begun and as such we all need some new, horrifying games to bring out to fully enjoy the season. Luckily, it’s been a banner year for spooky games and there’s plenty to pick from. These are our picks for this year’s scariest games!
The Potion
Publisher: Foxmind Games
Something quick and fun here with The Potion, a release from Foxmind that perfectly hits the sweet spot of games fun for kids AND drunk adults. A bluffing and betting game centered around alchemists, you’ll be fighting over ingredients and trying to be the first one to get rid of all of yours before the other alchemists. It’s sort of like Liar’s Dice but more wizard-y. It’s super fun and extremely easy to take with you, since the entire game fits into what is essentially a big medicine bottle. Perfect to take with you to your next Halloween party or to one of those spooky theme nights at the bar!
Universal Monsters Funkoverse
Publisher: Funko Games
A new addition to the ever-expanding Funkoverse line of skirmish games, The Universal Monsters addition brings in Gill-Man, Dracula, The Invisible Man, and The Bride of Frankenstein as playable characters in both this stand-alone game and as additions to your possible lineup. As usual, each character has their own special ability (The Bride requires some assembly, Gill Man specializes in Ambushes, and of course Dracula sucks…blood). Plus it adds Castle Dracula and Frankenstein’s Lab as new battlefields for Funkoverse shenanigans. And, as a fun bonus, everything is rendered in spoooky black and white!
My Father’s Work
Publisher: Renegade Games Studios
MSRP: $125
I really can’t overstate how much this game feels specially made for me. I’m a huge fan of the gothic game (check out my review of Abomination: Heir of Frankenstein) and this one is maybe the biggest since Fury of Dracula! A sprawling, scenario and story-heavy game, it has players act as Mad Scientists completing the experiments left behind by their late father. The story branches as it goes along, and it makes every playthrough different. And that price tag, while steep, has some amazing production value involved including actual glass bottles and some great minis.
Zombicide: Gear Up
Publisher: CMON/Asmodee
Zombicide is a Halloween classic at this point, and you can’t go wrong pulling it out with friends this season to get into the spirit. But it’s a big game with a lot to keep track of, so why not make things a little easier with this new version that mixes the classic Zombicide style with the popular flip-and-write format? You’ll still be taking out zombies together as a rag-tag group of survivors, but you’ll be doing so by targeting spots on the Zombies with your weapons and trying to mark off all of their spots before they get you. It’s great for faster play or for if you want some of your less-hardcore friends to get involved in the zombie killing.
Yahtzee: Hocus Pocus
MSRP: $22.99
While there’s not much novel about it gameplay-wise (at the end of the day it’s just Yahtzee), The op has come out with something perfectly spooky for your party playing this Halloween season. Instead of regular dice, your dice will have different ingredients needed to the perfect potion. You mix it up in that super fun cauldron-shaped cup and then go from there! With the sequel out now on Disney+ it’s really a great time to be a fan of the Sandersons.
And if you want some more Halloween gaming, check out our previous list of recommended Halloween games! Happy haunting!
Images via respective owners
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