Board Game Event: Games About Running From Things in the Dark

Join us at Pandemonium for our 3-hour, bi-weekly session to learn and play games! You’re especially welcome if you’ve never before played hobby board games (and are curious about where to start). 

What is the meaning of this theme?

Horror is a difficult emotion to create in board games, because the very emotions you need to hit — surprise, uncertainty, unknowing — run counter to an experience where you need to have information to play. But some games, especially the two we’re featuring tonight, use either luck or social interaction to cultivate dread in the mind of the player. 

That Dread, due to its unpredictability, can spiral into Horror at any moment and can create truly memorable and thrilling tabletop experiences. Tonight, you can experience this with either a new-ish, cooperative release or a classic (if not verbosely titled) game of cat-(read: hungry alien)-and-mouse:

The Night Cage (1-5 players) is a cooperative adventure of path creation and communication. You are a bedraggled prisoner of on oubliette who suddenly finds themselves fallen into a series of earth tunnels with only a sputtering candle to light your way. Can you cooperate with your fellow prisoners to find keys and keep the exit lit by your light? And can you do that amidst the threat of pits and other creatures hungry to make your acquaintance?

Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (2-8 players) is not cooperative, per se. The game wears its inspiration on its sleeve (it’s Alien), and cuts straight to the heart of that film: you’re trying to escape your alien-infested ship before becoming lunch. You do this by plotting your journey through the ship in secret from the other players. Why? Because one (or more) of your fellow players is an alien trying to hunt you down. But the game is more than just running away. As human players, you can choose either a long route that will hide your movements or a short route that will reveal exactly where you are; as an alien, you can move slowly, like a human, in order to deceive, or pounce like a xenomorph, letting everyone at the board know your exact intentions. 

It’s part hidden traitor, part deception, part luck, and mostly frantic strategy as you run towards hope — or certain doom. Or, if you’re lucky, get the alien players to attack each other. 

So if you ever wanted to learn these games or just want to spend time with others who like playing, come on out! And if you aren’t feeling either of these games, stay tuned for announcements of the next demoed session (and future announcements about the board game event celebration on October 26th!). 

RULES FOR ATTENDING: 

• Proof of COVID vaccination is required at EVERY EVENT. Either the presentation of the physical card or a clear picture will suffice. Pandemonium does not keep any records, written or otherwise, of vaccination status.
• Advance online registration is required.
• Anyone not registered in an ongoing event will not be allowed in the event space to maintain capacity limits.
• No food will be allowed in our event space for the time being. Drinking is allowed.