Spooky Board Games: Zombie Fluxx

You know, sometimes, old maid just doesn't cut the deck. Go fish rarely has enough bite to it. Poker never involves a red-hot fireplace instrument. Fluxx, however, can pretty go in just about any direction you want it to. There's a game for Star Trek enthusiasts, Hippies, Monty Python, Cthulhu (may he waken soon, Iah! Iah! Cthulhu fhtagn.) There's a Fluxx for everyone...even...

Zombies? That's right. Flesh-eating monsters stalking the world in re-animated corpses, primarily feasting on brains and the occasional intestine, the most love-able creatures on earth have got their own Fluxx game.

For those of you innocents who have not gotten the chance to enjoy a good round of Fluxx, this one is absolutely fantastic to start with. The basic rules are 'draw a card, play a card'. From there, you can play a goal, which gives everyone an idea of how they can win the game. The goal can be changed. You can play weapons/keepers, zombies/creepers have to be on the table when you get them, and you can even play rule cards. It can get pretty wild when you've got a 'draw 5, play all' card, or when the son of a bitch sitting next to you decides to change the goal right when you're about to win...but the worst card of all, the one card that can turn a five minute game into a five hour game when you're not careful...is Larry. When anyone changes the goal, he shifts clockwise. And so the pain usually begins.

Screw you, Larry!

This game taught me the meaning of expensive card decks, it also taught me the meaning of friendship, and now I truly understand what jerks my friends are. But hey, it's pretty fun! If you want to learn more about the wonderful world of fluxx, check out http://www.looneylabs.com for their whole line of cards. I've got my eyes on 'Are You a Werewolf' at the moment, but I'll probably never go to a party without this one.

Spooky Board Games: One Day at Horrorland

So, you know those games you used to see on tv as a kid, and thought to yourself: wow, that looks fun! The kind that have all the spinning bits, the cool colors, and the fun traps? The games you play when you first unwrap them, or go to a friend's house, and then realize each time you play that there's one more piece missing? This is one of those games. I don't remember too terribly much about this one, except for a few details:

- Incredibly simple instructions
- Incredibly annoying set-up and clean-up
- Really cool-looking
- And I actually spent more time making up stories using it as a 'playground' for other dolls, than as an actual board game.

There is something incredibly trippy about the black and shades of dark green, though, which somehow manages to make me think...even as an adult...that this guy is going to pop up at any moment to take me to the real 'horrorland'...

My whole point here is that it's not a game for kids who can't pick up after themselves, and you're going to want to make sure you have extra baggies at the end of the night to pack it up, but the game looks great, and I even saw it at Walmart for about 20 bucks, so there's no danger of it popping up at an incredibly high price on Amazon any time soon. I think it's pretty much worth that amount, before the pieces go missing. Afterwards, the game parts themselves make pretty nifty shelf decorations.

Spooky Board Games: 1313 Dead End Drive

For the many of you who've had the chance to play Clue, this game is pretty much the exact opposite. Your goal isn't to accuse or catch the murderer, but to be the murderer. Picture 'Mouse Trap' meets 'Clue' meets 'Monopoly' and you'll begin to get an idea of what I'm talking about. You get to bluff and hide your identity, move other people's pieces, kill fellow players, and all for the sake of money. In your average financial game like Monopoly, the bankrupt player generally sends most of their stuff back to the bank, or gradually sells it off until they have absolutely nothing left. In 1313 Dead End Drive, the dead person's cash just goes to the next heir in line.



This was my favorite game as a kid. As dark as it is, it's also incredibly funny. Did I mention it's really colorful, and the pictures are funny too?

Spooky Board Games: Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows

 

"This is Barnabas Collins. He lives in a strange world, a world of: vampires, werewolves, and DARK SHADOWS. Now the world of Dark Shadows is yours in a strange new game by Milton Bradley. The Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows Game!"

Your goal? Be the first person to assemble a full skeleton. You draw a bone or stake from the coffin each turn, though you're going to want to avoid the stakes. Oh, and the skeleton glows in the dark. "If you win, the curse of the vampire is yours!"

That last bit kind of leaves me confused. The curse of the vampire was not a good thing in the show, and generally isn't. Imagine if they revived it today, in the world of sparkles and lackluster love interests? I bet you there'd be cherry flavored lip balm too, and everyone would get a set of fangs...just to be fair.

That kid in the corner looks eerily like David...

Apparently a lot of people have lost those fangs in their vintage boards over the years. That's the genius thing about board game companies, when they put as many small parts in a board game as possible (I'm looking at you, Mouse Trap.) But the nice thing about the fangs, is that you can actually replace them with any old plastic pair of chompers you find at the store. Score one for creativity, even if it may not really help the value of the game.

It's more of a game for older kids, I think, due to all the tiny parts. It's also kind of confusing. If you manage to get your hands on a complete copy, with no missing pieces, hold on to it. Also, maybe try playing it a few times, too. It's basically 'Pretty Pretty Princess' with a few darker elements in place of all the freaking jewelry.