Gothic Cards & Games
Gothic art draws its inspiration from life’s darker themes| the things that are macabre, morbid, and still part of life. The Gothic genre is all about castles and mansions, about mist and forests, about darkness and the moon… We say that sounds like a damn good premise for board and card games – if you’ve got the right soundtrack!
Here’s a look at some of the best card and board games to bring a little Gothic to game night.
The Gothic Game
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2016/gothic-game
The Gothic Game is the closest you can get to an old-school first person shooter Deathmatch, but instead played with dice and a board. The goal of the game is to chase other players around the board (with a large, imposing haunted mansion) – and to kill other players as you go.
While dark, The Gothic Game is a little bit like a game of Clue where there’s no body…yet.
Play the game with your household, and you might discover that everyone in your family has a dark side.
Enjoy.
The Goth Trivia Game
https://www.amazon.com/Goth-Trivia-Board-Endless-Games/dp/B000068WMG
The Goth Trivia Game is a Gothic-themed version of the trivia game series, with specific questions centered around Gothic culture and art. How well do you and your friends really know the Gothic genre? Here’s a quick-playing game that puts your knowledge to the test.
Vampire: The Masquerade
https://www.vampirecardgame.com
Vampire: The Masquerade is one of the biggest vampire-themed TCGs, and a personal favourite. The original was released in 1991 by White Wolf Publishing, and since then the game has underwent several phases – including as a highly successful video game by the same name.
Join the night shift, and sharpen your fangs: VTM is ever-expanding, and heavily reliant on the attributes of your class and character.
Wearing a cloak is optional.
Golem
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/298383/golem
Golem is a strange game with an intricate back-story, and that’s the first thing you should know about it.
The game is made by Cranio International, and follows a mythical creature known as the Golem. Players are tasked with the creation of their own Golem, and mopst reviews for this game are good – but most also mention that it’s a damn hard game.
If you want to play something that’s not as straightforward as Monopoly, here you go: dim the lights, and get the Golems out.
Masque of the Red Death
https://www.amazon.com/Masque-of-The-Red-Death/dp/B079TJSV24
Masque of the Red Death is one of the most known works by Gothic author Edgar Allan Poe.
The board game version is, again, much like a darker version of Clue or Clue. Players have to collect clues throughout, and predict in which rooms of the board the Red Death will appear.
Players don’t have to be familiar with the story (or the author) to enjoy the game: that’s one of the best things about it.
Edgar Allan Poe Cards
If you hear the call of the Raven, it might be time to get these appropriate Edgar Allan Poe playing cards. Perfect for bridge, poker, and bringing some darkness to the average game night.
Alchemy Playing Cards
https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Arcana-Playing-Cards-Gothic/dp/B00CB58HC0
The Gothic genre isn’t just about Poe, but includes many other elements and authors too. Here’s a set of Alchemy Arcana Playing Cards, with each card containing something from the Gothic world. Have fun!
Anne Stoakes Gothic Tarot Deck
https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Stokes-Gothic-Tarot-Collection/dp/0738733644
Does tarot happen to grab you more? Here’s a great Gothic tarot deck, credited to Anne Stoakes. Now, let’s dim the lights and deal the cards.
