The heavy oak clock over the mantle of a cold, dead fireplace chimes loudly. One . . . Two . . .
You can feel your flesh crawling as if it had a life its own . . . Three . . . Four. . . You cough as the house's ancient collection of dust invades your lungs . . . Five . . Six . . . The chiming seems to be getting louder with each tinny dong. . . Seven . . . Eight . . .
Is that your dear friend, the professor, at the door in the hall? . . . Nine . . . Ten . . . What's with the large battle ax in his hand? Did he steal it from the suit of armor? . . . Eleven . . . Twelve . . . Midnight . . . The professor opens his old sunken eyes. The are unnaturally red. Then with a wild and ungodly scream he raises the ax above his head and swings at you.
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a haunted house themed board game by Wizards of the Coast designed for 3-6 players. It's design is in praise and homage to the Old Dark House movies from the old days of the horror film. In this you get the funky old cheese of House on Haunted Hill or the original 13 ghosts. On top of the dark old macabre there is also a slight twist of modern fright.
You can feel your flesh crawling as if it had a life its own . . . Three . . . Four. . . You cough as the house's ancient collection of dust invades your lungs . . . Five . . Six . . . The chiming seems to be getting louder with each tinny dong. . . Seven . . . Eight . . .
Is that your dear friend, the professor, at the door in the hall? . . . Nine . . . Ten . . . What's with the large battle ax in his hand? Did he steal it from the suit of armor? . . . Eleven . . . Twelve . . . Midnight . . . The professor opens his old sunken eyes. The are unnaturally red. Then with a wild and ungodly scream he raises the ax above his head and swings at you.
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a haunted house themed board game by Wizards of the Coast designed for 3-6 players. It's design is in praise and homage to the Old Dark House movies from the old days of the horror film. In this you get the funky old cheese of House on Haunted Hill or the original 13 ghosts. On top of the dark old macabre there is also a slight twist of modern fright.
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a random exploration game with a hidden traitor element thrown in the mix. You and your friends are stuck in the mansion until morning. An unrelenting storm pours its fury down upon the house. So you and your friends are exploring and trying to find another way out of the cursed mansion.
On a players turn they move through the house and explore rooms by putting out a random tile for each new door they move through. As you explore you will find different items and encounter many haunting experiences which are all provided by separate decks of cards. It seems pretty simple and straight forward . . . the is until someone in the house goes nuts and betrays the group.
Randomly, half way through the game, one person is named the traitor and a random horrible scenario, called a haunt, is chosen. Then the traitor leaves the room to read their instructions and plan their evil schemes. Meanwhile the remaining survivors read their instructions for the scenario and plan their escape from the house.
On a players turn they move through the house and explore rooms by putting out a random tile for each new door they move through. As you explore you will find different items and encounter many haunting experiences which are all provided by separate decks of cards. It seems pretty simple and straight forward . . . the is until someone in the house goes nuts and betrays the group.
Randomly, half way through the game, one person is named the traitor and a random horrible scenario, called a haunt, is chosen. Then the traitor leaves the room to read their instructions and plan their evil schemes. Meanwhile the remaining survivors read their instructions for the scenario and plan their escape from the house.
All the players then continue the game until either the traitor triumphs or the players manage to escape or purge the evil. The final act of the game is usually exciting and competitive.
The first time I played this game I wasn't expecting a lot. I'd played other tile based exploration games and they are pretty straight forward. They are usually fun but not the best. But this game takes it for a new and frighteningly fun ride. My group of friends were and their feet, and a few of them literally jumping up and down, as we reached the climax of the game. Needless to say it was a hit. It was probably the most well received game I've played with a group.
There are fifty different scenarios and some are better then others. The game can also be slightly boring in the middle or if the players aren't that into the theme. Each play-through I've had has been exciting and fun but you have to make sure you have people who aren't sore losers because the ending is usually a close call.
The first time I played this game I wasn't expecting a lot. I'd played other tile based exploration games and they are pretty straight forward. They are usually fun but not the best. But this game takes it for a new and frighteningly fun ride. My group of friends were and their feet, and a few of them literally jumping up and down, as we reached the climax of the game. Needless to say it was a hit. It was probably the most well received game I've played with a group.
There are fifty different scenarios and some are better then others. The game can also be slightly boring in the middle or if the players aren't that into the theme. Each play-through I've had has been exciting and fun but you have to make sure you have people who aren't sore losers because the ending is usually a close call.
Summing it Up
As far as horror themed games go, Betrayal at House on the Hill is one of the best games on the market. It is fun and the theme is rich but it is also very accessible to people who are not hard core gamers. Other games out there like Arkham Horror or Mansions of Madness are long and extremely complicated. Betrayal can be played in as little as 45 to 60 minutes depending on the game. If you are a fan of old black and white haunted house movies, like I am, you will love this game. It's one of my favorites.
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 3
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 5
Overall Rating: 5