Halloween party games
Halloween is special because it’s a festivity with ancient origins created by and for the people.
Nowadays, it’s celebrated all around the world, and even though the official day is October 31st, most folks enjoy the festivity for up to two or even three weeks before that. They decorate their homes, cook Halloween-themed recipes, watch horror movies, dress up, join themed parties, and, of course, have a blast with mystery, spooky, or horror games!
On this page, we provide you with a collection of typical Halloween games and games that are perfect for these days. Pick one and have a great time with your friends or family!
Perfect Party Games for Halloween
Just for laughs and to have a blast!
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Halloween edition
A wild party game where players have to say the word sequence “taco cat goat cheese pizza,” one by one, while they play one of their cards, and if the card matches the word… chaos ensues! It’s impossible not to have fun with this game
For 2-8 players | Ages 8 and up | 10-30 minutes per game
“Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza” is a bestseller. It has become very popular in recent years because it achieves what it aims for, making people have a blast! 100% recommended.
Halloween Charades
It’s a typical charades game that challenges you to guess words related to Halloween: characters, places, objects, horror movies… for example: “cemetery.” It’s a fantastic Halloween party game.
For 4-20 players | Ages 8 and up | 20-40 minutes per game
It’s a very fun party game and very easy to play: you create two teams, decide the time for guessing, place the word cards in a bowl, and let’s play!
Death Charades
Similar to the previous one, but in this case, the player acting must, solely through charades, get their teammates to guess a way to die.
For 2-20 players | Ages 13 and up | 15-60 minutes per game
Players divide into two teams. In timed rounds, each player has 45 seconds to act out a cause of death from a card, trying to get their team to guess. No words allowed, and teams alternate until each member has acted. The team with the most correctly guessed cards after two rounds wins!
Stupid deaths
It’s a board game that combines dark humor with history and general knowledge. Players face a series of questions related to historical deaths and must decide whether the description of the death is true or false.
For 2-6 players | Ages 12 and up
This game is known for its humorous and educational approach to history and can be an entertaining choice for social gatherings and game nights. Certainly, it’s perfect for Halloween days.
Halloween Fun Go Fish
A Halloween-themed deck of cards for playing Go Fish, Old Maid and Slap Jack.
For 2-6 players | For kids : ages 4 to 8
A Halloween-themed deck of cards for the little ones. It comes with instructions for playing Go Fish, Old Maid, and Slap Jack. Kids love the design and illustrations on these cards.
Pin The Eyeball on The Zombie
It’s a fun skill Halloween party game. Players, blindfolded, have to try to put the eye – reusable stickers – on the zombie in the poster.
For 2-6 players | Ages 6 and up | 15 min per game
The poster is big (21 x 28 inch) and super cool, perfect for decorating as well as playing. The game is hilarious, both for kids and adults looking to have a good laugh with friends.
Board games of mystery, horror, zombies…
Unlock the thrills, embrace the chills: mysteries and horror await!
Trivial HORROR
It’s a horror-themed trivia game. It features questions about horror movies, series, books, comics, and related categories such as Paranormal, Monsters, Gore, Psychological, Comedy, and Terror.
For 2-6 players | Ages 17 and up | 30 min per game
It’s a Trivial Pursuit-style game tailored for horror enthusiasts, offering 300 cards with 1800 questions for a spooky and entertaining experience.
Misterium
It’s a cooperative game where one player takes on the role of the ghost of a murder victim and must provide visual clues to the other players—the mediums—to help them identify the murderer, the crime scene, and the weapon used.
For 2-7 players | Ages 10 and up | 42 minutes per game
Estamos ante uno de los grandes, un juegazo premiado en 2016 en Cannes como mejor juego del año en Cannes. Su ambientación —casa encantada, fantasma, misterio— lo hace perfecto para los días de Halloween.
SCREAM, the game
It’s a board game inspired by the iconic horror movie franchise “Scream.” Players take on the roles of characters in a horror movie and work together to survive a series of challenges and mysteries.
For 3-8 players | Ages 13 and up | 20 minutes per game
The game involves strategy, deduction, and survival as players navigate through the storyline, encountering various events and trying to outsmart the Ghostface killer. It’s a game that captures the suspense and thrill of the “Scream” movies, making it an engaging experience for fans of horror and mystery.
EXIT, The Haunted Roller Couster
How about an escape room? The EXIT series includes several games that are perfect for Halloween. Our favorite is “The Haunted Roller Couster” (beginner level). It’s very scary!
For 1-4 players | Ages 10 and up | 60-120 min per game
Since the first EXIT game—The Abandoned Cabin—won the 2017 Game of the Year award at the prestigious Spiel des Jahres awards, new and successful versions of the best escape room board game on the market have kept coming out. It’s a fantastic game.
Nightmare, horror adventures
A game to scare the living daylights out of you. It’s played using a combination of role-playing game cards and a video featuring “The Gatekeeper,” a sinister character who guides players through the game. You’ll need a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop with an internet connection
For 4-5 players | Ages 16 and up | 90 min per game
“Nightmare” stands out for expertly recreating a haunting atmosphere of terror and for the interaction between the board game and The Gatekeeper’s video. If you’re looking for a game that provides an immersive experience to “get scared”, without a doubt, this is the best.
LET’S SPLIT UP!
We saved the ultimate horror game for last. Introducing… “Let’s Split Up!”, an active horror game for medium and large groups, only suitable for the brave!
For 4-12 players | Ages 12 and up | 90 min per game
Designed for both teens and adults, it goes beyond typical board games and offers an outrageous escapade filled with suspense and hilarity. The game requires a front door, areas to run and hide, cell phones, suitable shoes, and a sense of humor. It’s an active horror game that involves running, hiding, and engaging in horror movie antics.
History and Meaning of Halloween
What is celebrated on Halloween?
Halloween has its origins in a Celtic festival called “Samhain” (pronounced “sow-in”) that was celebrated over 3,000 years ago.
Samhain marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter on the Celtic calendar, and it was observed between late October and early November. The Celts believed that during Samhain, the spirits of the dead returned to Earth, so from ancient times, this festival has had a connection with spirits and death.
Over time, it evolved into a holiday that incorporated elements from various traditions, including influences from Celtic, Christian, and popular traditions. Elements such as “trick-or-treating,” an activity where costumed children visit houses in search of candy, were added. While it has a playful aspect, it also has its roots in the ancient European belief that offering food to spirits could ward off curses.
With the expansion of Christianity in Europe, the Catholic Church adopted a strategy—criticized today, and rightly so—to Christianize existing pagan celebrations. They overlapped the Samhain festival, nullifying it and taking advantage of its popularity, with All Saints’ Day, which originally was celebrated on May 13 and was moved to November 1.
People, the community, turned the night before this date into All Hallows’ Eve —the eve of All Saints’ Day— which eventually shortened to Halloween.
How is Halloween celebrated?
The way Halloween is celebrated varies depending on age and personal preferences.
Children are often the most enthusiastic participants in Halloween. They dress up as their favorite characters, engage in “trick-or-treating” by visiting neighboring houses to collect candies and treats, and often attend Halloween parties at school or in local communities.
Teenagers may continue to participate in “trick-or-treating,” although some may choose to attend Halloween parties with friends. They also enjoy decorating pumpkins, watching horror movies, visiting haunted houses, and playing themed Halloween games.
Young adults often host and attend Halloween parties, where they dress up and socialize with friends. Some may participate in Halloween-themed events such as zombie runs or parties at bars and nightclubs. Themed game nights on Halloween, including a few drinking games, are also common.
Elderly individuals often decorate their homes for Halloween, distribute candies to “trick-or-treat” children, and may enjoy family gatherings with Halloween-themed meals. They may also attend community events related to Halloween.
Everyone enjoys the holiday! We hope you do too, along with your friends and family, and if any of the games we’ve suggested provide you with an afternoon or evening of fun, we consider it a success.
Thanks for reading us. Have a great day!
