My favorite horror board game is $22 today. Here's why you should play it

With September finally here, Halloween is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the spooky season than by playing one of the best horror tabletop games? Betrayal at House on the Hill has been a longstanding favorite in the board game community for its high replayability, thrilling scenarios and strategic co-op gameplay. While it normally costs $50, Betrayal at House on the Hill is down to $21.81 today, its lowest Amazon price in years. That means now's the perfect time to pick it up, gather a few friends to play with and prepare to survive a night in a haunted mansion.

Though Betrayal might sound like a game for adults, it's actually recommended for ages 12 and up, and it truly is fun for the entire family. I've played sessions that included both my 13-year-old niece and family members in their 30s and 40s. Everyone always has a blast with Betrayal. Each playthrough lasts about an hour, and it's easy to pick up and learn. 

Here's the simple premise: You and up to five other players enter a haunted mansion in the middle of the night and begin exploring its rooms, uncovering secrets, finding treasures and possibly encountering traps and other dangers. About halfway through, an event will be triggered that causes one player to become the "traitor" and turn against the rest of the group. At this point, the traitor is given their own secret goal, special powers and storyline, while the remaining group of players are given their own cooperative goal and explanation of what's happened. From there, it's a race against the clock with both parties attempting to achieve their goal first and -- most importantly -- survive.

The best thing about Betrayal is its high replayability, which is part of why today's deal is so enticing. For just over $20, you'll get a game with 50 horror-themed scenarios, or "haunts," which make the second half of each playthrough unique every time. Different players can become the traitor (and after they see one playthrough, people are usually begging to try the role out), and your mansion will look different every time as well, depending on how you choose to explore it. 

I can't recommend Betrayal at House on the Hill highly enough; it's one of the rare hour-long board games that's genuinely fun to play over and over in one night. If you do end up playing through all 50 scenarios somehow or just want more rooms to add to your mansion, you can pick up the $25 Widow's Walk expansion to add 50 more haunts, 20 new room tiles and more. And if you really get into this game, look into Betrayal Legacy, a 13-episode story campaign meant to be played over multiple sessions.