D&D Meets Gothic Terror in Horrified: Ravenloft

Horrified from Ravensburger is back, and we are returning to the realms of Dungeons and Dragons with this horrifying new release. Horrified Ravenloft heads into the dark and gothic realms of Barovia, where you can expect to defend the cursed land by battling legendary monsters, and thinking tactically.

The Chaos Cards team were really lucky to be sent a preview copy by Ravensburger, and we thought it would be fun to share our thoughts on the gothic themed game.

Horrified: Ravenloft is a cooperative board game for between 1 and 5 players (age 10 and above) that lasts between 45 and 60 minutes. The game is designed by Peter Lee, the person responsible for over 15 Dungeons and Dragons inspired games.

Horrified: Ravenloft marks a move away from the classic fantasy vibes of the previous Horrified: Dungeons and Dragons installment, as it heads into a world submersed in Gothic Horror. Players must work together in order to defeat four monsters from the fan favourite D&D horror setting; Ravenloft.

There are two distinct phases to Ravenloft and we thought it would be a good idea to break these down.

First up we have the hero phase where players move across the board as they escort villagers to safety, find valuable items as well as prepare for your assault. Each hero can be aligned within the iconic D&D classes; Ranger, Druid, Sorcerer, Paladin and Warlock. As a nice touch, their abilities can be triggered by rolling a D20, this is a nice nod to the classic mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons.

We then have the monster phase where the villains have their turn. Havoc is wreaked as the monsters hunt down both the heroes and villagers. There are even some new ‘Dark Gifts’ you can use within the game to help swing the battle in your favour. All of these elements work together to make the game fun and immersive, and appealing to both fans of the D&D franchise, as well as the Horrified franchise. 

Horrified: Ravenloft includes four lore heavy villains from the land of Barovia. Dungeons and Dragons fans may recognise these characters straight from the The Curse of Strahd.

1. Carrionette – The creepy, living doll.

2. The Gulthias Tree – A supernatural, blood-drinking terror.

3. Baba Lysaga – The infamous, powerful witch.

4. Strahd von Zarovich – The Dark Lord of Barovia himself.

Don’t forget, you can combine this edition of Horrified with previous sets. This opens up the chance of endless replayability as well as the opportunity to create your own home brew version of the game.

Despite the dark and tense atmosphere, the game maintains the smooth and accesible mechanics of its predecessors. This is definitely part of what makes the Horrified games series so popular, and also makes the game a great starting point for newcomers to the series of games, whilst maintaining the depth, strategy and customisation is sure to keep die hard gamers hooked.

So if you are a big fan of classic horror, and gothic fantasy, and enjoy elements of teamwork and high stakes strategy, this terrifying follow up is a must add to your board game collection. If tile laying games are more your thing, why not check out our recent post on the Carcassonne Labyrinth cross over coming to Chaos Cards this Summer. Both games are sure to be hits with friends and family over the holidays!

Have you played any of the Horrified games yet? Do you think you will be braving the mists of Ravenloft? Let us know over on our socials!