Three board games that let you live out campfire ghost stories
Under the dark void of the night sky with flames licking our shadows, we share tales occupying the thin border between terror and glee. Little compares to the disturbing tradition of the campfire ghost story. Film, art, and music have all captured this ritual with their own unique flair. Yet board games do so by offering shared narrative experiences that revel in dread. These tabletop designs connect you physically to their horrific settings by providing tactile conduits to the carnage that’s about to ensue.
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Nyctophobia from Pandasaurus Games is one of the most bizarre tabletop games ever crafted. This survival experience has up to four players working together to escape a dark forest while pursued by a bloodthirsty murderer. The horrific twist is that the players being hunted must wear sunglasses with opaque lenses, blocking their vision. This simulates their characters wandering in the dark, unable to find their way. Participants must feel their way around the labyrinthine forest, relying on tactile sensation to perform actions on their turn and attempt to find their lost car.
Meanwhile, the hunter runs the game, immersing themself into the role of a psychopath by whispering in players’ ears and supporting the thick haze of confusion blanketing the table. They’re responsible for moving their own piece, inching closer to the survivors and attempting to corner them in the maze.
The result is a tabletop experience that is wholly unique. It occupies a space between traditional board games and grim performance art. It presents an encounter no one
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