Tabletop board game veterans are likely familiar with theBetrayalfranchise whether they have actually playedall of the various versions and spin-offsof the game or not. For those who haven’t had the pleasure,Betrayal at House on the Hillis a survival horror-themed cooperative board game that is played in two parts. First, the players (3-6 individuals) work together to explore a creepy house and stock up on supplies and information. Then, in the second half (usually) one player is corrupted in some way or another and the solo player is pitted against the rest of their former allies with one of the two groups emerging victorious.
It’s an exciting premise and the variety of haunts that can occur during the second half of the game add a lot of replayability and excitement to each session. Avalon Hill recently returned to the house on the hill (similar to their revival ofHeroQuest) to clean up some of the more cumbersome mechanics, freshen up the minis and other pieces, and drop the new and improvedBetrayal at House on the Hill 3rd Edition. After a handful of exciting play throughs, we’re sold on this being the greatest version of the core game yet.
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It’s important to note up front that the 3rd edition is still very much the sameBetrayal at House on the Hillin terms of core features and gameplay experience. Veteran gamers who didn’t vibe with the flavor or two act structure of the older versions aren’t going to suddenly love the game because of any changes here. The 3rd edition is much more about cleaning up the experience for players who already enjoy the franchise and making it more accessible for new players who want to jump in for the first time.
Players who are new to the franchise will want to take note of the fact thatBetrayalhas also been a game that includes some serious swings and luck is a big piece of the puzzle. The game involves rolling a lot of dice and, as a result,sometimes players can end up feeling pretty unluckyno matter what strategic decisions they have made. The same can be said of the haunts, which include a variety of difficulties. That said, whereBetrayalreally shines is its flavor. The game perfectly captures the tone, look, and feel of a spooky haunted house movie and those creepy vibes are what the experience is really about.
When unboxing the 3rd edition, we were particularly happy with the format and presentation of the Traitor’s Time and the Secrets of Survival resources. These books both looked fantastic and are very easy to use and read when the time comes in each game for players to refer to them. The rest of the components from minis to cards to board tiles are all well-made and in line with the sort of professional quality gamers would expect from a Hasbro/Avalon Hill production.
It’s likely not worth diving too deep into all the rules differences here, but a few are definitely worth calling out. First off, players now use a Scenario card to establish why the players are all visiting the house. This adds some nice prologue lore to the session, but also will directly connect to which haunts could be triggered when the second half of the game rolls around. There are also some tweaks to the rules that help determine exactly when the haunt is triggered to begin.
