7 Tabletop Games That Bring the Halloween Dread (Without Derailing Game Night)

Vibe: Folk horror meets emotional collapse

Why it works: The Crooked Moon is a 350+ page campaign setting from Avantris Entertainment that traps players in Druskenvald—a haunted realm where the moon is wrong, the train is haunted, and the villagers are definitely lying.  You get 15 subclasses, 13 playable species (including pumpkin-headed Harvestborn), 85 monsters, 156 curses, and a soundtrack by The Blasting Company (yes, the Over the Garden Wall folks). It’s not just spooky—it’s narratively cursed.

Best for: DMs who want to run horror that respects mechanics and wrecks souls.

2. Mansions of Madness: Second Edition

Vibe: App-guided Lovecraftian descent

Why it works: This one’s for the players who want to feel like they’re in a horror movie they can’t control. The app handles the GM role, throwing puzzles, monsters, and sanity checks at you while you explore haunted mansions and cursed streets. It’s cinematic, stressful, and deeply unfair in the best way.

Best for: Story-driven groups who want dread with a soundtrack.

3. Mists Over Carcassonne

Vibe: Cooperative tile-laying with ghost math

Why it works: It’s Carcassonne, but haunted. You and your friends build graveyards, contain ghosts, and try to keep the mist from swallowing the board. A ghostbusters dream board game. Who you gonna call?! (not me, ghosts are rude af lol) It’s fast, clever, and surprisingly tense for a game with no combat.

Best for: Casual groups who want Halloween flavor without full horror immersion.

4. Horrified (Any Version)

Vibe: Monster-hunting with tactical teamwork

Why it works: Whether you’re fighting Bigfoot, Medusa, or Dracula, Horrified gives each monster its own mechanics and win conditions. It’s cooperative, replayable, and just hard enough to make you sweat.

Best for: Groups who love classic monster tropes and want to feel like the final girl squad.

5. Don’t Go in There

Vibe: Haunted house with cursed card drafting

Why it works: You drop glow-in-the-dark ghost dice through a cardboard tower, collect cursed items, and try not to doom yourself to the terrrifying house you and your friends are trapped in. You know, just a typical Saturday night! It’s fast, thematic, and just creepy enough to make you second-guess your luck.

Best for: Players who want tactile fun with a haunted twist.

6. Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters (New Edition)

Vibe: Kid-friendly chaos with real strategy

Why it works: You’re sneaking through a haunted house, grabbing treasure, and dodging ghosts. The new edition adds a 1-vs-all mode, so one player can go full poltergeist. It’s colorful, chaotic, and surprisingly strategic.

Best for: Families or groups who want spooky without scary.

7. Scream!

Vibe: Campground survival with sabotage

Why it works: It’s a fast-paced card game set in a haunted campground. Think golf, but with ghosts, traps, and betrayal. It’s easy to learn, hard to master, and perfect for party nights.

Best for: Groups who want quick rounds and lots of yelling.