Betrayal at the House on the Hill

Betrayal at House on the Hill Instructions

The Betrayal at House on the Hill instructions are easy to understand, especially considering that the game is suggested for those 12 years and older. Between 3 and 6 players can participate, although 5 or 6 make for the most pleasing gaming experience. Games usually last between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

When you open the box, you’ll find the following items: Betrayal at House on the Hill instructions; 6 painted miniatures; 6 character cards; 80 cards for items, events, and omens; dice; over 100 game tokens; 45 room tiles; a Secrets of Survival book (for the heroes); and a Traitors Tome book (for the villain).

Each player will take control of a different character in the game, and each has their own strength and weaknesses. These characters include: Father Rhinehardt, Zoe Ingstrom, Darrin “Flash” Williams, Jenny LeClerc, Ox Bellows, Vivian Lopez, Heather Granville, Miss Dubourde, Madame Zostra, and Professor Longfellow. As you might have guessed from his name, Ox Bellows is the strongest character, and he has become a favorite of the online gaming community.

Heroes have four traits to determine how proficient they are in various areas, and these range from 1 to 8 (with 3.75 being the starting average). Most will either focus on the mental, the physical, or a blend of the two. Prior to the start of the haunt, players will have a chance to increase their traits to deal with the coming threat, and it’s not unusual to see someone reach 5 or 6 in a trait before all hell breaks loose.

Traits include the following:

Might - This trait is used for attacking and defending in combat. You’ll also take less damage with a high might score. This trait isn’t useful before the haunt begins, but a character with a high might will be a valuable asset once the monsters start running loose.

Speed - This trait determines how many spaces you can move and how many opponents you can run by. Useful for avoiding ranged attacks, it also determines your success with the revolver (the game’s most powerful weapon). Your speed cannot drop below two points, and most start with a value of at least four.

Sanity - This trait is used in mental combat, and it’s also the only trait that cannot be healed up once lost. The majority of the events in Betrayal at House on the Hill involve sanity, so don’t overlook this trait when it’s time to select a character.

Knowledge - Seven of the events in the game use knowledge, and it’s also a must for wielding the Medical Kit or the Crystal Ball, both very useful items. While it has minimal impact in combat, it can still be beneficial in a teamwork setting. Also keep in mind that having the highest knowledge trait increases your chances of becoming the traitor.

Betrayal at House on the Hill Rules

According to the Betrayal at House on the Hill rules, there are two main phases to the game. The first phase is the exploration phase, where the heroes enter the haunted house and have a look around. As players move through the House on the Hill, new tiles are drawn to create the setting. When entering new rooms, players may also encounter Omen, Event, or Item cards.

Event cards detail something that happens, and the player might take damage or gain some sort of benefit. Items cards allow the player to pick up a new item, and Omen cards may also provide items. When a player draws an Omen card, they must also roll the dice. If the resulting number is lower than the number of Omen cards drawn to this point, then the haunt phase begins.

Once the haunt phase begins, a table in the Betrayal at House on the Hill rules determines the nature of the threat. The traitor is also determined at this time. The players will read through their manual to determine their conditions for victory, while the traitor will leave the room and look at their own manual on how to cause as much trouble as possible.

After both sides have read their respective tomes, gameplay continues as before. Heroes can still explore the mansion and draw new tiles, but both sides are now able to harm one another. There may also be monsters for the heroes to battle. In some cases, the traitor may be able to convert heroes to his side. Play continues until one side satisfies their conditions for victory.

*instructions from http://www.boardgamespub.com/board-games/betrayal-at-house-on-the-hill/