For as much fun as it can be to gather all the friends and family around the TV for a rousing game of Super Smash Bros (or a friendship ending bout of Mario Party), sometimes there’s nothing that quite beats the experience of wiping out a table and slapping down some tabletop board-gaming goodness. And, in the realm of board games, there’s hardly a better option that Betrayal at House on the Hill (hereafter shortened to Betrayal), before I develop carpal tunnel.
Released in 2004 (then reprinted in 2010, then reprinted AGAIN just last year), Betrayal is a cooperative/competitive team-based board game that focuses around exploring an abandoned haunted house. You and the other players take on the roles of hapless explorers (comprised of children, teens, and adults), and you must explore the house while collecting valuable items and priceless weapons, and fending off spooky terrors.
See, what makes this game so brilliant is its endless replayability, in nearly every regard. You physically construct the house room by room while you explore, ensuring that every playthrough results in a dramatically different house (I had one game where the house was barely fifteen rooms big, and another lengthy game where the house was almost forty). The rooms themselves are, of course, randomized as well, as are the tricky events, spooky omens, and rewarding items that players will stumble across.
Of course, Betrayal is most known for its namesake twist, which occurs halfway through the game. The entire first half is cooperative, as you and your teammates explore the house. Then, after discovering enough cursed omens while exploring, the Haunt Phase will begin. Depending on who discovered the final omen, and what room they were in, 1 of 100 extremely varied scenarios will occur (as detailed in the rulebook).
The important part, though, is that one of the players is now a traitor, and the competitive showdown begins!
The first half of this board game classic is fun, but its the second half where it really shines. Though there are admittedly a few duds in the pack, most of the 100 Haunt Phase scenarios are exciting, engaging, and bursting with unique twists that ensure an incredible time is had by all. They never overstay their welcome, either. Each half of Betrayal takes about an hour to complete, so the game doesn’t drag out.
In one haunt, the evil traitor becomes the lord of bats, sending a horde of the vicious creatures after the rest of the players. In another haunt, a zombie virus is spreading, and if you become infected you end up joining the traitor’s ranks! In another, the traitor is kept a secret, and tries to manipulate the players into turning against each other. In yet another, there is no traitor at all, because the house is attacked by a monstrous bird and everyone needs to escape before its too late!
Betrayal is a game that seemingly never runs out of creativity. You could realistically play ten or more rounds in a row with the same crew of friends and family, and experience a wildly different spooky adventure each time. The replayability is honestly the reason why I love this game so much, and the reason why it’s my number one board game choice to introduce to new players or to whip out at parties. It just doesn’t get old.
If you’re interested, go grab yourself a copy of the latest reprint. You won’t be disappointed!
The Contrarian Corner 