One of the games I like to break out as we near Fall is Betrayal at House on the Hill. This game has been around awhile and for good reason. It's a fun dungeon-crawl/adventure style cooperative game. Recently we played Betrayal at my game night and in doing so it conjured up some concerns and issues with the game. Betrayal at House on the Hill The second edition of this game was released in 2004 and was designed and developed by Bruce Glassco & Bill McQuillan. By modern board-game standards its a bit old. When we played Betrayal at House on the Hill recently some of these more dated mechanics and issues were apparent while others were less of a concern. None-the-less, I thought it would be fitting to give a critique of the concerns I have regarding the game and some of the fixes (if any) to mitigate them. Make no mistake. I still really enjoy Betrayal at House on the Hill. I think its a fun game that has truly stood the test of time and continues to be fun to pull out and play with friends. I am just highlighting areas that might be worthy of noting and making adjustments for when you play. Recent versions and expansions have made some of these improvements already. Overview of the Game For those unfamiliar with this game, let me briefly summarize how the game is played. This is a "cooperative" game for 3-6 players. Each player selects an explorer character card and miniature from among 12 combinations. The explorers are tasked with entering a mysterious "haunted" house and adventuring through it to unearth its secrets. During the early course of the game, characters move throughout the house venturing through doors to reveal new rooms. Rooms are added to the game by selecting an appropriate tile, flipping it over, and placing on the ever-changing board/map. Many times the room has text describing any special rules for that location and may also show an icon for an event, item or omen. Events are cards that when drawn and read add to the story of the adventure. They describe something that happens and many times have an effect that requires an explorer to make a roll against one of the attributes. Items that are picked up in the locations allow for explorers to collect useful equipment and prepare for what is certain to be a battle of some sort later in the game. Omen cards are more mystical in nature. They too add to the story, and may also reveal a special item that the explorers can use. When a tile requires an explorer to draw an Omen card the player must make a haunt roll at the end of his/her turn. This roll determines when the next phase of the game will start, the "Haunt". The haunt roll consists of rolling 6 of the special dice containing sides with blank, one pip, and two pips. If the sum of all pips is less than the number of omen cards played by all players, then the haunt begins. The Haunt is the turning point in the game. When the dice roll doesn't meet the required number, the haunt will start. Players refer to a table which cross-references the Omen card that triggered the haunt with the room in which it was found and assigns a haunt number (50 in the base game) and explains which of the explorers has now become the "traitor", while the remaining explorers are "heroes". Each has a special haunt booklet. The traitor moves to another room to read the specified scenario and rules for how he/she is to now win the game. The heroes typically stay put and read the scenario in their booklet explaining how to proceed and win the game. Once both parties have read their new roles and possibly gathered additional tokens as specified in their haunt instructions, they come back to the table to complete the second half of the game. It has now become a one versus many game. Neither party is required to divulge the secrets of how they are to play and win the game unless it becomes necessary to explain certain actions, etc. In many scenarios the traitor may gain the control of monsters or special abilities to use in an additional turn each round. Once either the traitor or heroes have completed their win objective the game ends. This is such a fun game. A unique and innovative concept, especially at the time it was released. Starting the game working together gathering information and items, only to have one of the group turn against everyone at the mid-point changing the way the game is played. Just like in a good horror file, this game provides a plot twist in the form of the "haunt". This game usually leads to a lot of table banter and discussion, further lending itself to an enjoyable group experience. Though a lot of fun, Betrayal at House on the Hill still has its shortcomings. Some of those stood out to me as we played this week, while others are issues that have been discussed by many over the years. Let me explain some of these concerns and how to possibly keep them from having a negative impact on your experience. The Issues and/or Concerns Character cards with clips
Traitor Apprehension
Final Thoughts
If someone were to look only at my laundry list of concerns/issues, they might assume that Betrayal at House on the Hill is not a good game or that I don't like it. In fact, the opposite is true. I really enjoy this game. I have had many fun experiences playing and plan to break it out again in the future. I have just become more cognizant of these areas of concern and want to share options on how to mitigate potential issues. I hope by sharing this with other gamers, we can ensure that everyone continues to have fun playing this modern classic. To link to the Board Game Geek entry for this game click here. It is also pertinent to mention the new variations and expansions for this Betrayal at House on the Hill. Some of the concerns I mentioned above have been addressed and altered in these newer iterations.
Game on!
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