Games like Betrayal at House on the Hill you can play online
Betrayal at House on the Hill made a whole kind of game famous: friends explore a haunted house together until, halfway through the night, the story turns and someone at the table may be working against everyone else. If you want that feeling with friends who aren't in the same room, here's what to look for, and a free option you can open in your browser right now.
What makes a haunted-house game like this work
- A house you build as you explore. Rooms are revealed one at a time, so every game's house is different.
- A slow first half, a sharp turn. Early on you're gathering items and poking into rooms. Then something wakes the house and the rules change.
- Maybe a traitor. The best moments come from not knowing who's still on your side.
- Dice against your traits. Brave or strong or clever enough? You find out by rolling.
- Many different endings. The finale should be different enough each time that you want to play again.
Candlewake: free, in your browser, on everyone's phone
Candlewake is an original haunted-house exploration game by Rucksy. It's free, runs in any browser, and each player uses their own phone, with a TV or laptop as the shared board. Empty seats are filled by AI investigators, so three friends are enough for a full table.
| Candlewake | |
|---|---|
| Players | 3–6 (AI fills empty seats) |
| Length | About 45 minutes |
| Price | Free |
| Where | Any browser: phones, tablets, laptops; a TV can show the house |
| The turn | Find enough Relics and the house wakes. One of 48 different finales begins, some with a known traitor, some with a hidden one, some where it's every investigator for themselves |
| Atmosphere | A narrated story, a voice for every investigator, sound for every room and card |
| Download or account | None needed |
How is it different?
Candlewake's rooms, cards, investigators, finales and story are all its own. The family resemblance is the kind of game it is: exploring a house that builds itself, a turn in the middle of the night, and a table that may not all be on the same side. It's made for playing together online, with a narrator reading the story aloud, private cards on your own phone, and the house on the big screen.
How to start a game
- Open rucksy.fun and host a game.
- Friends join with the room code on their own phones.
- Choose your investigators and open the front door.
Candlewake is an original game by Rucksy. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Hasbro, Avalon Hill or Wizards of the Coast. Betrayal at House on the Hill is a trademark of its owners and is mentioned here only to describe a kind of game.