Monster-Themed Board Games for the Family
In celebration of the Halloween season, we’ve been playing every single one of our monster-themed board games in our collection. There’s certainly no better time of year for a spooky family game night, and it’s fun to see the imaginations of our kids come to life. After all, they enjoy being a little bit scared, and it’s their imaginations that do most of the work.
Our kids are currently 8 and 4, and all of our monster games on this list seem to fit neatly into two categories - either primarily for our youngest and or primarily for our eldest - with only a little bit of crossover. Typically, our son is always more than happy to play simpler games with his sister, and she is always willing to team up with someone to play more complicated games. So we’ve played every single one of these games together with the whole family.
But for the sake of organization, we’re splitting our list into two groups this time: Ages 7 & Under, and Ages 7 & Over. Depending on the age of the kids you’re playing with, hopefully this will help you decide at a glance if it’s the right monster game for you, and get you on your way to a spooky family game night in no time.
Not all of the monsters on this list are scary. In fact, some of them are downright adorable. Most of the monsters in these games are of the wacky, fun-loving variety. And there are probably only 2 games on this list that might be spooky enough to elicit nightmares. But there’s really no telling what the imaginations of little ones are capable of. Monsters are monsters, after all, and it can be a lot of fun to face them together.
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Monster Board Games - Ages 7 & Under
Go Away Monster!
Published by Gamewright and Designed by Monty & Ann Stambler
Go Away Monster! also made our list of the best board games for teaching shapes, because you’re supposed to reach into a bag and pull out different items that you need for your bedroom. The trick is that everything has its own shape, whether it be regular or irregular, and you should be able to feel which piece you need. But feeling with your fingers for the shape that you need can be a novel concept for very young ones, and that’s why I think it makes for a great gameschooling game.
Our 4-year-old loves this game a lot, and she pulls it off the shelf all the time. It’s definitely the one game on this list with the very youngest players in mind. The rules are very simple, and the only thing to watch out for are the monsters hiding in the bag. If you accidentally draw a monster, you basically lose a turn. The art is great and it definitely captured our daughter’s imagination for a long time.
Monster Chase
Published by Scorpion Masqué & IELLO and Designed by Antoine Bauza
Monster Chase is also on our list of the best memory games, and it’s a perfect good example of a game that both our 4-year-old and 8-year-old really love to play together. I also really love how much you can adjust the difficulty of the game up or down, depending on what kind of challenge you need for your family.
But best of all has to be the fold-out closet that comes inside this game. When you successfully find the right toy to scare away a monster, you get to stuff it inside the closet and say “get back in the closet, monster!”. And I probably don’t need to point out to you how much kids really love to do things like that. It also takes a classic, spooky theme of monsters in the bedroom and flips it on its head - empowering kids to get rid of the monsters themselves.
The Color Monster
Published by Devir Games and Designed by Josep M. Allué & Dani Gómez
Based on the outstanding picture book that made our list of the best picture books about colors, The Color Monster is a very different kind of board game - and it’s also decidedly not scary. The Color Monster is a very different kind of monster, and he’s much more interested in teaching you about all of the different emotions that we feel.
While this game is definitely best suited for younger players, I find a lot of joy in playing games like this with the whole family, when a little bit of communication and bonding is woven into the fabric of the game. The gameplay itself is a simple memory game, but the wooden pieces are fantastic and great to play with, and the highlight is undoubtedly the conversation about emotions. Players have several opportunities to talk about the real life things that make them happy, or sad, or angry - and I think that’s really a spectacular concept.
Monster Factory
Published by Rio Grande Games and Designed by Nina Paley & Donald X. Vaccarino
Monster Factory is another game that suits both our 4-year-old and our 8-year-old perfectly. It’s also a very well-executed concept and funny to watch unfold. It’s a tile-placing game where everyone is building their own monsters. Everyone is trying to build the biggest and most elaborate monsters. There are rules about the ways the tiles fit together, but there are so many different random combinations possible that it’s hilarious to see what everyone ends up with.
It’s easy to learn how to play the game too. We have lots of games where you have to place a tile to continue a path, and Monster Factory is a lot like that in many ways. That makes it great practice for spatial reasoning and awareness, but of course the highlight for everyone is the crazy monsters you’re building.
Monster Board Games - Ages 7 & Up
Squirmish
Published by Gamewright and Designed by Steven Stwalley
Squirmish is a very original card-battle game with the most incredibly imaginative monsters. I can’t stress enough how funny the creatures are in this game. From their pictures, to their descriptions, to their powers - it’s all so creative and hilarious.
I played this one with our son for the first time when he was 7, and it works great as just a 2-player battle or with more players. And I kid you not, half the fun of this game is simply appreciating the monster cards. Every time we draw a new card for our hand we have to pause and read the whole thing, and appreciate the creativity on display. Gameplay consists of placing your cards onto the battlefield, and rolling to try to attack the monsters around you. And the first one to defeat enough monsters wins.
Horrified
Published by Ravensburger and Designed by Prospero Hall
Undoubtedly, Horrified is the most classic of all the monster games out there. That’s because it actually features all of the world-famous, classic monsters that we all know well. Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Wolf Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon - they’re all here and it’s utterly amazing.
Horrified is a cooperative game where you must work together to defeat whichever monsters you’re facing up against that night. There are several combinations of monsters to face and many heroes to choose from - so there is a lot of variety built into this game. Our son was easily able to play it as a 7-year-old, but it’s also the one game on this list that we’d most likely play without the kids as well. If you’re looking for a spooky family game night, look no further.
For a closer look at Horrified, make sure to read our featured article.
Mighty Monsters
Published by Queen Games and Designed by Markus Erdt
Mighty Monsters is a very creative game with interesting mechanics we hadn’t experienced before. Each player represents a different monster clan - like water creatures, demons, dragons, trolls, etc. - and you have to cooperate to storm the castle and plunder the king’s treasure. But it’s not entirely a cooperative game, because whoever ends up with the most treasure is declared the winner.
All of the monsters in your hand have different strengths, as do the different guards that block the way. And during each round you lay claim to a guard you want to fight. Together with the other players, you want to make sure that you defeat the guards and win some treasure, but you also want to make sure you’re the one on top at the end. The theme and the art is fantastic, and our son definitely loves choosing his monster clan.
The Legend of the Wendigo
Published by and Designed by Christian Lemay
The Legend of the Wendigo is the one game on this list that captured the hearts of our kids the most. Our son, in particular, is obsessed with this game - and the story behind it. The setup is incredibly spooky. A monster has infiltrated a scout camp and is stealing the kids one by one. One player plays as the monster trying to be stealthy and steal as many kids as possible, while everyone else tries to identify the monster before it’s too late.
The trick is that the monster is impersonating a kid, and every round it takes the location of the new kid it stole. So if everyone pays close attention, there is actually one particular kid moving around the table every round. If they’re able to identify the monster before it’s too late, then they all win. Otherwise, the monster wins. This spooky game absolutely captivates our son. It scares him a little bit, but he’s also incredibly good at it - and it really fires up his imagination.
For a closer look at The Legend of the Wendigo, make sure to read our featured article.
For more Halloween game night ideas, make sure to check out:
The Best Board Game Ghosts
The Best Halloween Board Games
What’s your favorite board game to play in October? Have you played any of our favorite monster games before? Let us know in the comments!
