Ghost Castle

When the evenings start to get darker earlier, the leaves start to turn and the air gets that crisp chill, you know it’s time to break out the sweaters, the pumpkin spice, and, of course, the Halloween-themed games. Because what’s Halloween without a little bit of spooky fun around the table with family and friends? And Ghost Castle is a family board game that promises to send shivers down your spine while you navigate through its treacherous halls. This game is not for the faint of heart – or is it? Let’s find out!

Ghost Castle is an excellent game for the Halloween season, with a perfect setting. The game board is a three-dimensional castle that looks like it came straight out of a Scooby-Doo episode. The walls are adorned with classic horror tropes: cobwebs, creepy portraits, and the occasional bat. It’s like someone took the haunted house experience and flattened it into a board game, but in 3D!

The objective of Ghost Castle is simple: escape the haunted castle! Players are paranormal investigators that have woken a vengeful ghost and must make their way through the castle without getting scared silly by the resident ghost. But beware, this ghost has a sense of humour and a penchant for jump scares. One minute you’re confidently striding through the dungeon, and the next, a hidden mechanism triggers a ‘BOO!’ that has you jumping out of your skin – and possibly out of your seat.

Ghost Castle is a board game for 2-6 players, aged 6+, with a playing time of 25-40 minutes. Can you avoid the traps and escape the castle?

In the box:

  • Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost, Metal Ball, 8x Pawns, 8x Glow-in-the-Dark Pawn Bases, Die, Ball Randomiser, Roof Surround, Tower Roof (2 parts), Stairs, Bookcase Card, Bookcase Funnel, Bookcase Slide, Shaky Walkway Card, Shaky Walkway Base, Portrait/Bookshelf Card, Bucket, Gallery Shelf, Axe, Axe Support, Upstairs Floor, Tower, Short Wall, Long Wall, Game Board/Box
  • Instructions

Ghost Castle is a 3D board game. There is no traditional board as such, the game box itself is the board and is used as the base to construct the 3D castle within in. A perfect setting for the Halloween season.

Setting up the game board castle is straightforward but there is some assembly needed as the castle needs to be built inside the game box (which unfolds to a 60cm playing board). On my first assembly it took me 25 minutes – but this was with watching the video tutorial and looking at the instructions (the video requires lots of pausing). It is easy to assemble. Future assembly will be faster as some pieces will already be assembled and the more you get used to where bits go the faster it will be. There are also instructions for putting the game back in the box correctly (so that it fits properly for putting back on the games shelf – have a read of our post about how to store and protect board game collections).

The game mechanics are a delightful blend of chance and strategy. You roll the dice to move, but you also need to plan your path carefully. Do you take the shortcut through the Phantom’s Parlor, or play it safe and skirt around the edges? Choose wisely, because the wrong turn could land you right back at the start – or worse, in the ghost’s clutches.

Now, let’s talk about the pièce de résistance: the glow-in-the-dark ghost. That’s right, this game literally shines in the dark, adding an extra layer of eerie ambiance to your Halloween gaming. It’s all fun and games until the lights go out, and you find yourself being chased by a glowing spectre.

Ghost Castle

Overall, Ghost Castle is a fun ghost-themed board that is perfect for Halloween fun. Roll the die, move around the board (the footprints on the board represent one space) and watch out for the traps and the ghost that drops the metal ball through a random path. Be the first to escape the castle to win.

It’s a race to the finish with a twist – each player controls two pieces and must navigate through a mansion filled with traps set by mean-spirited ghost of Count Spooksalot. The goal? To escape the castle without being sent back to the start by the myriad of traps that await at every turn.

It’s an engaging and fun game, the perfect addition to any Halloween festivity. The premise is for players to work their way through the spooky castle; down the stairs, through secret passageways and across wobbly floors and keeping fingers crossed that you don’t upset the castles ghost that sits at the top – it might just get angry and drop its metal ball that could hinder your progress (or maybe even help).

Setup can be slow on the first play but does get faster with subsequent plays, but the fun gameplay makes it worthwhile. And the glow in the dark ghost (depending on your lighting conditions) adds a bit more fun. Once assembled the 3D board is easy to navigate, until you upset the mean ghost. Once the ghost releases the ball, it does work 99% of the time, springing traps etc. (we found that on the odd occasion it did fail to activate the axe so wouldn’t fall to hit the seesawing walkway and sometimes completely missed the cradle to open the hidden passageway).

We loved playing the game, it is fun and easy to play but we do feel that there is a downside. As the walls are made of cardboard with plastic parts attached to them, we do feel that the pieces won’t last long with folding and unfolding for assembly/disassembly. When built it does seem very sturdy so time will tell how long it stands up to lots of play.

A game of strategy and luck, with a healthy dose of laughter as players watch their family and friends fall victim to the 3D castle’s haunts. A fun and thrilling immersive experience for kids and families.

Rating: 4/5

RRP: £24.99

Available to buy from Amazon here.

4 Stars

DISCLOSURE: All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which we may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the Amazon link.

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