I’m always on the lookout for horror/spooky themed games. So I was happy to find out that Wizards of the Coast will be re-releasing Betrayal at House on the Hill on October 5th, just in time for Halloween.
Originally released in 2004 by Avalon Hill, this game has been climbing the “Expensive” chart in the reselling market, and was way out of my range to purchase a copy. I’ve been longing for it though, because of its decent reviews and spooky theme. This version is supposed to come with Pre-Painted Miniatures!
Here is what Wizards of the Coast has to say about the game:
New spooky nights await you and your friends!
The creak of footsteps on the stairs, the smell of something foul and dead, the feel of something crawling down your back – this and more can be found in the exciting refresh of the Avalon Hill favorite Betrayal at House on the Hill. This fun and suspenseful game is a new experience almost every time you play – you and your friends explore “that creepy old place
on the hill” until enough mystic misadventures happen that one of the players turns on all of the others! Hours of fun for all your friends and family.
Designed for 3–6 players aged 12 and up, this boardgame features multiple scenarios, a different lay-out with every game, and enough chills to freeze the heart of any horror fan.
This game includes the following components:
- 6 pre-painted plastic Character miniatures and corresponding Character cards
- 80 cards (Event, Omen, and Item decks)
- Rulebook
- Traitors Tome booklet
- Secrets of Survival booklet
- Game dice
- 45 Room tiles
- Over 100 game tokens
While I’ve never played the original game, it is my understanding that there has been some updating by WOTC, Including:
- The Haunt books have been refreshed with 8 new haunts – some of which feature a new “hidden traitor” game mechanic.
- The Item cards have been updated with 5 new items!
- The die-cut game play tokens have been redesigned making them easier to identify.
- Exciting and compelling new art and design on the box.
I must admit, I like the artwork on this version better than the original, although I’m not sure how compelling it is.
I’ll be picking this game up, and I’m sure I’ll have a review later. There is a cheesy flash demo available at the Wizards of the Coast website, to give you an idea on how the game is played.
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I do have the old game and it has it's flaws (some pretty messy rules for some scenarios, some play scenarios better than others, and there are some ambiguities). But HOPEFULLY they will have everything ironed-out in this one! Lord knows, they've had enough time to fix stuff, and they have plenty of input from BGG for fixes. But it is a fun game (when it works smoothly), definitely worth bring to the table.
I am definitely grabbing this on the first deal I see.