Matthew BaileySpooktacular might be one of my favourite light-to-medium weight games of all time. Let me explain.
Spooktacular takes place on Halloween night in 1986, when an old, rundown cinema has opened its doors to an all-night horror film festival. During the course of the evening, all of the monsters from those films come to life, stepping out of the screens and invading the real world.
You play as one of those horror movie monsters, and your job is to scare and devour as many guests at the cinema as possible to earn the most points and win.
What I love most about Spooktacular is how simple the rules are, yet how much depth comes from whichever monster you choose to play. And this is where the game really shines. In the base box you get 20 different monsters to choose from, ranging from very simple to highly complex — each with its own play style and level of strategy. This means that someone who enjoys a deep, thinky game can quite happily play alongside a younger child, and it’ll still feel balanced and competitive.
You start by laying out the cinema board and placing guests in each room based on the number of doors. Then you choose your monster and set them up with their unique cards and components. Each player has a set of basic cards that are the same for everyone, plus a deck of monster-specific cards that you shuffle together to form your draw deck — this is what drives your turn. Player tokens are used to track score around the edge of the board, though this is one small part I’m not entirely keen on. I’d have preferred tokens that actually represent each monster rather than generic markers — an easy fix, and one I might just make myself! But honestly, that’s such a minor quibble.
On your turn, you follow the actions listed on your monster board — which can be completely different from what others are doing. This is where the asymmetry and complexity come in. Most turns involve playing cards, taking actions, moving yourself or guests, and using your monster’s unique abilities. You can also “spook” (moving guests out of your room and through doors to adjacent rooms, earning you points) or “devour” (eating guests and placing them in your devour pile). If you manage to collect five guests of different colours, you can trade them in for a cinema ticket, which scores extra points at the end of the game.
There’s also a great solo mode that uses Kill-Tron as an automaton — and you can even use that same character as a regular playable monster, which is a brilliant touch I haven’t seen before.
Where Spooktacular really shines, though, is in its roster of monsters — all dripping with glorious 80s horror movie energy. You’ve got Grim Hive, the killer bee who looks like he’s buzzed straight out of a slasher flick; Howl Party Chef, who somehow makes wielding a cleaver look both festive and terrifying; and Mummy Gator, a swamp-dwelling nightmare who’s clearly had a bad day at the pyramid. Regoo is a clear nod to The Blob, splitting into smaller pieces as it spreads, while The Pack of Werewolves lets you play as multiple monsters at once. Then there’s Killer Car, giving off serious Christine vibes, and What Lurks Below, which feels straight out of Critters. It’s a line-up that feels like a love letter to practical effects, fake blood, and the kind of VHS horror that kept you up way past your bedtime though there’s nothing here that would actually scare younger players.
Each monster plays differently, and that’s what makes this game so special.
What Lurks Below is probably the easiest, on your turn, you simply play two cards, move, and draw back up to three. Killer Car lets you pick up guests as passengers, unlocking special actions based on who’s in your back seat. The Remover (a demon fitness instructor) cycles through her fitness regime, giving you a new action each turn.
The mid-complexity monsters add even more variety. Grim Hive lets you spread hives around the map for bonuses. Hell Party Chef has you serving dishes into connected rooms for rewards. Screamin’ Eagles introduces its own colour of meeples representing team members.
And then there are the advanced monsters the real stars of the show. My personal favourite is The Beasts of Business, a group of demon economists who manipulate the scoring track by placing various tokens along it, affecting how points are gained throughout the game (a mechanic I’ve never seen before). Doctor Terror sets traps around the map for other players and guests, while The Deadline, a haunted phone system, forces other players to answer ringing phones and deal with whatever horrors come through the line.
Games with asymmetry are nothing new, but I’ve never come across one that offers such a generous variety of starting characters. I’ve played Spooktacular several times and still haven’t tried them all. The possible match-ups are practically endless. (Level 99, if you’re reading this, please make an expansion! Or even better, a few licensed ones: Freddy, Jason, Leatherface, Alien, Pinhead, Pumpkinhead… honestly, I could go on for days.)
The components ooze quality. The monster meeples are wonderful, and the artwork for each character is stunning — packed with nostalgic nods for long-time horror fans like me.
Overall, Spooktacular is a fantastic family game, and despite its creepy aesthetic, it might honestly be one of my favourite family-weight games of all time. I’ve played it with my kids Jack (10) and Toby (7), with friends, and even with my school board-game club — and everyone has loved it.
The only real downside is that it’s been far more popular than Level 99 expected, and stock has been a bit tricky to find. It’s still available at a few European retailers (check BoardGamePrices), and several stores have it up for preorder. On the official Level 99 site it’s currently on back-order, with more stock hopefully arriving soon.
But honestly, this one’s worth tracking down. Spooktacular is an absolute joy to play. Even if you’re not into the horror aesthetic, there’s so much replayability and personality here that I cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Disclaimer: A copy of the game was given to me as a gift from Level99 Games. I have not been paid for this review and my thoughts and opinions are those of my own and my children.
