Am I the only one who hates Betrayal at House on the Hill? (Forked Thread)

[Asmor]

Forked from: Board games you own and would recommend

I was beaten to the punch on Betrayal at House on the Hill. After a move, it's the only game I still have, and you'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

I think Betrayal at House on the Hill is one of the most overrated games ever. I can't stand how poorly thought out many of the scenarios are, with vague rules which don't address situations quite likely to come up. I hate the billions of tokens that all look alike-- especially given that you never know which scenario you're playing until well into the game, you've then got to stop and spend half an hour sorting through the tiny cardboard chits to find the ones you need...

It seems like a good idea, but the execution is just terribly flawed. It's not entirely without merits, though. I like the system it uses with the 0/1/2 dice, for example, and as I said it is a good idea. I think one of the things that really annoys me most is that most of my friends absolutely love the game.

So... Yeah, I just had to get that off my chest. Don't take this for any more than it is-- my personal opinion. If you like the game, groovy, just keep enjoying it. That's all that matters. I just can't enjoy it.

 

[Ayrk]

I certainly understand why people don't enjoy the game. It can drag on too long, the first half is pretty random and the second half can be one-sided.

On the other hand, I see why people love the game. In my eyes, it is more a game you play to experience than play to win. Knowing going in that the game will probably not be balanced is the best mindset to have. Heck, you might get lucky and have it tilt towards you in your favor.

What it does very well is create vivid images in the players' heads about what is going on and that is why I think it is so popular. My game group still talks about the time the demon threw my guy into the chasm or when we all hid in the room thinking we were safe from the blobs when they suddenly sprinted in and killed us all. That is the appeal of the game and why it overcomes its warts for some people.

As for the counters, the Boardgame Geek page for the game has an excellent way to sort all the counters so that when a particular Haunt comes up it only takes us ten seconds to grab all the counters we need.

So I undestand why some don't like the game and I equally understand why people love it. I'm neutral about the game but anything that gets people to play more boardgames is good as far as I'm concerned (except Munchkin;-)).

 

[stonegod]

I have to agree with the above: We play it for the fun "horror movie aspect". It has some serious design problems, somewhat addressed by errata (but not fully), and we spent our first 4hrs w/ it sorting the pieces. But its one of our most requested games.

However, in the thread quoted, I did ask if anyone had experience with similar games they'd recommend. No responses though.

 

[MerricB]

However, in the thread quoted, I did ask if anyone had experience with similar games they'd recommend. No responses though.

Closest I can think of is Last Night on Earth: the Zombie Game. Several scenarios, really horror movie theme, and with pretty good mechanics.

Cheers!

 

[deadplayer]

I quitd the game for a while.

 

[stonegod]

Closest I can think of is Last Night on Earth: the Zombie Game. Several scenarios, really horror movie theme, and with pretty good mechanics.

Cheers!

I've heard a lot of good things about it; I'll put it on my list. Thanks!

 

[Dog Moon]

I agree that the game has some flaws, but I enjoy the game despite those flaws. I LIKE the fact that everyone's just trompin through the house and then BAM! someone's trying to kill you all. You don't know who the bad person is going to be and THAT'S the main thing I like about it. I don't know any other games quite like that, though if you knew of any and suggested them, I'd be willing to check them out.

The numerous cutouts is annoying, but I guess sort of needed in order to cover every scenario.

And sometimes, the game is one-sided, but until the bad guy appears, you don't know WHO the game is going to be lopsided for.

 

[Dog Moon]

Oooo, haven't had the infamous doublepost for a while.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

"Hate" is a strong word; while I DO think BaHotH is highly overrated, I don't "hate" it, per-se.

 

[juggler434]

I like it, but I couldn't play it very often. Its not like A&A which I played every weekend for a while. Its more of a, pull it out on halloween kind of game that is fun for the mood it creates, but the mechanics need work.