The house at the end of the block is dark, scary and everything that you love in a residence. The floors squeak, the crashing and moaning through the home continue to strike fear into the ghost hunters who wander through your perfect home. You and your fellow ghosts are out to see who is the scariest of them all in the game Haunt the House!
Haunt the House is published by Kids Table Board Gaming with design by Josh and Helaina Cappel, illustration by Apolline Etienne and graphics by Josh Cappel. It plays 2-5 players in 30 mins.
Overview
In Haunt the House, you play a ghost trying to frighten the most ghost hunters from the house you all live in. Each player has a deck of card with various Scares that will allow you to scare the hunters. Players take turns trying to play scare cards visibly or invisible to set up a scare or yell BOO to scare a Ghost Hunter right out of the house! The first to collect four hunters will end the game, most points wins!
Gameplay
On your turn you will either take 2 actions or yell BOO! When you take 2 actions you may use any of the following:
-Draw to three Scares
-Play an invisible (facedown) Scare
-Play a visible (faceup) Scare
With Draw to three Scares you are able to draw your hand up if you have o or 1 cards in hand. To Play an invisible (facedown) Scare players will play any one Scare facedown adding it to other facedown to other cards. The facedown cards do not have to match the Ghost Hunter in the room, but if it does match it will earn you a reward when someone BOO’s the house.
To Play a visible (faceup) Scare from your hand, chose one and add it above the room with any others already there. The Scare must fit one of the ones on the Ghost Hunter. When you play a visible scare, you may immediately trigger the power of the Room.
If you chose to, instead of taking actions you may yell BOO! and try to take out the Hunter. For it to be successful, you need to assess the visible Scares you can see, the invisible ones that are now revealed and any extra from your hand. If they satisfy all of the Scare types for that Hunter, the Boo is successful and you add the card to your pile. Play continues until one player has 4 Ghost Hunters and then all players continue play for one more round.
Scoring is calculated by adding all of your Skull points and Gear Collections together. Having more of the same type of Gear increases their value for each type.
Phantoms are an optional addition that really add to the challenge of the game. You can gain them as a reward during game play or from some of the locations as well. The Phantoms can be played on an Action turn, and do not cost extra actions. These are a great addition to the game for giving it a little more weight if you are moving from playing with younger kid or inexperienced gamers.
Impressions
Things that could be better:
Scoring. I really like how the set collection and increased points work for this game. However trying to score it with kids and some other gamers makes it kinda tough for them to tally their totals. We have had to break out a pad of paper a few times to get it done well.
2 player. This game plays best at a 3-5 player count. It is playable at 2 players but for a game with hidden information it plays better at the higher counts. I really enjoyed it more with 3-4 at the table. Keeps it moving at a quicker pace as well thorough the game when the two player version feels the same but faster.
Things that I liked:
Art. Kids Table Board Games continues to knock it out of the park in art and graphic design. Their previous and upcoming titles all look great, and this one is no exception. I really like the details on the ghosts, the hunters and all of the extras. The colors are vibrant and really pop on the table. It draws in the eyes of players and onlookers alike!
Design. I love the gameplay, it feels like a lighter version of Smash-Up with hidden information present. It is a smooth game in the way it moves during your turn, and balances out scaring a Hunter into your next turn.
Ease of gameplay. Haunt the House is smooth and easy to get into with a variety of players. It is very kid friendly and has enough decision making in it to be a challenge for younger and inexperienced players while still keeping older or experienced gamers interested.
Overall
Haunt the House brings everything to the table that a good family weight game should be. It gives you choices that are meaningful, strategy that is light but still challenges your ability to decide when to give and when to conceal information. I love the smooth nature of this game when it comes to getting it taught to new players of various ages and experience levels-it is one you can just jump right in with and everyone is ready to go fairly quickly. I can see this being a permanent addition to our family games and one we will continue to see hit the table to introduce it to family and friends.
I cannot recommend this one enough-make sure to check it out at your favorite game store or online. During this spooky season or really at any time of the year, consider Haunt the House from Kids Table Board Gaming as an excellent pick for your next gathering of family and friends around the table!
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