Halloween is on the near horizon and today I’d like to share our favorite Halloween games. Members of the My Little Poppies Gameschool Community have been asking me about holiday gameschooling and I am determined to share oodles of holiday-themed games with you!
If your kids are anything like mine, they get super pumped as soon as October rolls into town. Because, in their world, October means one thing and one thing only: HALLOWEEN.
For real, this is an actual scene in my house. My kids were watching CuriosityStream together and, naturally, they let Fergus Femur in on the fun!
The only trouble with Halloween excitement is that it can make traditional learning a bit… tricky. And that’s why games are such a wonderful learning resource! Whenever learning feels tricky in our house, I pull out some games and connect with my kids. The play decreases my homeschool mama stress and my children always learn something!
If your children are over-the-moon excited for Halloween, you’re going to love the resources in this post!
The Best Halloween Games
{A Holiday Gameschooling Series}
The Best Halloween Board Games
Let’s face it- When our children are super-excited for a certain holiday, not a ton of learning is happening, at least not in the traditional sense. Our new Holiday Gameschooling series will help you through those holiday hiccups!
In no particular order, here are the best Halloween-themed and Halloween-ish games for your gameschooling enjoyment!
The Best Halloween Games for Your Homeschool
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus is a cooperative board game for 2-6 players. In this game, the black flame candle has been lit and the Sanderson Sisters are back. Players must work together to protect the town of Salem and its children and put a stop to the Sanderson Sisters’ mayhem. Pair this game with the movie and you have yourselves a spooky and fun-filled family night!
Hocus Pocus I have tried to fix this photo (which is properly oriented on my cell and computer, half a dozen times, and I give up. You get the idea!
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Halloween Edition
If you’ve played the original, you’ll love this Halloween-themed version. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is a new take on Slap Jack; a slap-happy gave of hilarity. And now there is a Halloween Edition! This is an uproarious card game for 2-8 people. Players must act quickly when a taco, cat, goat, cheese, or pizza card is played. Some other cards require certain movements or gestures.
Cold Case (series) by ThinkFun
Our family has loved these Cold Case mystery games from ThinkFun. This series is a set of cooperative mystery games for 1-4 players. This year, we added Murder with Interest to our gameschool collection. This cold case takes place in Ireland, where Dave Connelly celebrated his 25th birthday… but it was his last birthday. Together, players must solve this cold case. Who poisoned Dave and his bank manager? (We haven’t played it yet; we are waiting until it gets closer to Halloween!)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf (and its many fun-tastic iterations)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a quick-to-play card game for 3-10 players that involves deduction, bluffing, and role-playing. In this game, each player becomes a character. The goal is for the players to guess who, among them, is the werewolf. Games are super fun and are played in ten minutes. There is a free app that can be used in place of a moderator. To take your play to the next level, add One Night Ultimate Daybreak, One Night Ultimate Alien, and/or One Night Ultimate Vampire! (And there are even more!)
Shadows in the Forest
Shadows in the Forest is a board game for 2-8 players that is unique in that you play in the dark! How perfect for Halloween! In this game, one player is the seeker (the seeker controls the LED lantern) and the other players help to hide the Shadowlings. One winter, my kids would play this all the time in our pantry with the door closed. I have so many fond memories!
Shadows in the Forest (This kid is in high school now! Where is the pause button?!)
Mysterium
Mysterium is a cooperative murder-mystery game for 2-7 players. In this game, one player is the victim (who was murdered and is now a ghost) and the other players are psychics. During the game, players must collaborate to solve a mystery through psychic communication with the victim. Meanwhile, the victim tries to help the players find the perpetrator. The caveat is that the victim, who is a ghost, cannot speak. The victim must use visual cards to communicate with other players.
Patchwork Halloween
Patchwork Halloween is a Halloween version of Patchwork, a 2-player puzzle-like game of quilt making. My husband and I adore this game and often play on date nights. If you loved Tetris as a kid, this one is for you!
Campy Creatures
Campy Creatures is a card game for 2-5 players. In this game, players are mad scientists who use campy creatures to capture humans for science experiments. Gameplay involves set collection, bluffing, and deduction.
Spider Web
Spider Web is a spider-themed 1-player logic game with 40 challenges ranging from beginner level to expert. Players stretch elastic bands across the board to try to capture as many bugs as possible.
Mansions of Madness
Mansions of Madness is a cooperative board game for 2-5 players. This is a fairly complex game, so it’s great for big-time gamers. It requires an app to play.
Pandemic is a cooperative board game for 2-4 players in which players must work together, using their characters’ strengths, to defeat four diseases that are spreading across the globe. In the Pandemic Cthulhu game, players are working together to seal four gates, working to prevent anyone from entering and/or waking the Cthulhu.
Escape the Room Games by ThinkFun
We also adore these escape room games by ThinkFun, as noted earlier in this post. In the past, we have played Secret of Dr. Gravely’s Retreat, Stargazer’s Manor, and Cursed Dollhouse.
This year, we added Murder in the Mafia to our collection. This cooperative escape room game is for 1-3 players. Mikey Malone, the chief enforcer of the local mafia, has been murdered. Who committed the crime? Players must explore the crime scene, find clues, and solve puzzles to prove their innocence. We have thoroughly enjoyed the other escape room games in this series and we cannot wait to read spooky stories with friends and then play this one together!
Horrified
Horrified is a cooperative board game for 1-5 players. In this game, cryptids from across the country have descended upon Cross Creek and players must work together to defend their home from Big Foot, the Jersey Devil, the Chupacabra, Mothman, the Banshee of the Badlands, and the Ozark Howler.
Werewords
From the makers of One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Werewords is an easy-to-learn, fast-paced word game for 2-20 players. To play, players try to guess a word by asking yes or no questions and if the magic word is guessed before time is up, they win. The catch is that there is a secret werewolf among the group and the werewolf knows the magic word and is working against you!
Gloom
Do you love dark humor? You might love Gloom! Gloom is a card game for 2-4 players which features transparent cards, making for an interesting experience. The object of the game is for your characters to suffer the most spectacular tragedies before dying. Below, you can see my youngest playing it at a game store on his 11th birthday. We had so much fun!
Disney Villainous
Disney Villainous is a board game for 2-6 players. In this game, players assume the role of one of Disney’s famous villains. Each character has its own objective and powers. This game can be played as a standalone game or with any of the other games in the series.
Zombie Dice
Zombie Dice is a party game for 2-99 players. In this push-your-luck dice-rolling game, players compete to eat the most brains while avoiding getting shotgunned. The first player to eat thirteen brains is the winner.
Disney’s The Haunted Mansion
Disney’s The Haunted Mansion is a board game for 2-6 players based on Disney’s much-loved Haunted Mansion. In this game, players explore the Haunted Mansion and earn points by collecting sets of ghost cards while avoiding haunt cards.
Stupid Deaths
Stupid Deaths is a dark-humor trivia game for 2-6 players. Players must figure out if the outrageous deaths are true or false. Players who guess correctly win the trivia card. The first player to six cards is the winner.
Echoes (series)
Echoes is a series of audio mystery games (so unique!) that require one player to download a free app to play. Games are for 1-6 players. In Echoes: The Microchip, players must listen to the audio (via the aforementioned app) and discover all the audio clues, working together to solve the mystery.
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Betrayal at House on the Hill is a cooperative strategy game for 3-6 players. In this game, players take on the role of certain characters and they must work together to build their own haunted house. Featuring 50 scenarios, the game has a high replayability factor.
Zombie Fluxx or Monster Fluxx
Fluxx is a popular card game for 2-6 players with constantly changing rules. If you’re a Fluxx fan and you are looking for some Halloween fun, check out Zombie Fluxx or Monster Fluxx.
Cauldron Quest
Cauldron Quest is a cooperative game for 2-5 players. Peaceable Kingdom makes the absolute best cooperative games for little ones and I highly recommend this one if you want to celebrate Halloween while gameschooling younger kids.
Let’s Split Up
Let’s Split Up is a party game for teens and is designed for 4-12 players. This game involves lots of running and hiding and can lead to lots of laughter.
Dead of Winter
Dead of Winter is a fairly complex cooperative survival game for 2-5 players. The object of the game is to survive the winter as a group in a land filled with monsters. Players must make tricky decisions as to what is better for the group, rather than the individual. Featuring tons of different characters, this game has a high replayability factor.
And Check out these fun Halloween-and-Scooby-Themed Puzzles!
I know these aren’t Halloween games, but I couldn’t end this post without mentioning these nostalgic Scooby-Doo-themed Halloween puzzles! How fun are these?!
Love Halloween?
Be sure to check out these related posts:
- The Best Halloween Books for Your Homeschool, Plus Spooky Spielgaben Play!
- Get Ready for Fall with Fantastic Picture Books and Hands-On Play
Do you love holiday gameschooling?
Me too! Find our favorites here:
Love Harry Potter?
I know, not technically Halloween-related, but if your kids are anything like my little Potterheads, that’s a frequent costume!
Your little Potterheads might like the resources mentioned in this article:
Do you love games and gameschooling?
Be sure to check out these related posts:
- Never Board Learning
- Gameschooling 101: How to Add More Play to Your Homeschool Day
- 7-Day Gameschool Kickstart
- 10 Tips for a Successful Family Game Night
- Top Educational One-Player Games
