How to play Betrayal at House on the Hill if you hate rulebooks

I hate rulebooks! This condensed How to Play Betrayal House on the Hill rules (3rd Edition) help players get the essential instructions without having to trawl rulebooks

Game Introduction

The house in the game is an abandoned and eerie place. A group of explorers enters, each with unique motivations, such as investigating mysterious disappearances or simply exploring a potential fixer-upper.

Before the “haunt,” players explore the house and strengthen their characters.

After the “haunt” begins, players aim to achieve their victory conditions, either as a hero or a traitor.

Rules Structure

Rules are organized into five major sections:

• Preliminaries: General introduction and game overview.
• Game Components and Setup: Lists all components and how to set up the game.
• How to Play – Before the Haunt: Rules for the game’s first phase.
• How to Play – After the Haunt Begins: Rules for the second phase when the haunt starts.
• Reference: Detailed explanations of specific rules and action

Preliminaries

New to Betrayal Players

Payers explore a haunted house, but one of them will turn into a traitor, leading to a twist known as “the betrayal.” The game has two parts:

• Part 1: All players cooperate, exploring the house by adding tiles and drawing cards representing items, events, or omens.
• Part 2: After enough exploration, the “haunt” starts. The players are divided into heroes and one traitor, and the goal becomes completing specific objectives to win.

Exploring the House

• Players place tiles that represent new rooms they discover in the house.
• Cards drawn in these rooms can reveal items, omens, or events, like mysterious objects or strange encounters.
• There are 50 unique haunts, ensuring varied gameplay each time.

The Haunt

• After a certain point in the game, the haunt begins. Players may no longer be on the same team.
• Most players become heroes, while one player becomes the traitor.
• Both sides are given their own haunt book with unique objectives and special actions. Heroes get Secrets of Survival, and the traitor gets the Traitor’s Tome.
• The first team to complete their objectives wins.

Players of previous editions

The Scenario Cards

• The haunt is now triggered by Scenario Cards, which dictate the reason for entering the house.
• Scenario cards determine which haunt will occur and which player becomes the traitor.
• The previous “haunt matrix” system has been removed.

The Haunt Roll

• Players now roll one die for each Omen discovered when making a haunt roll.
• The haunt begins if the roll is 5 or higher.
• The last Omen drawn automatically triggers the haunt if it hasn’t already begun.

New Terminology

• Several new terms are introduced, such as general damage, heal, bury, critical, special actions, and line of sight.
• Definitions for these terms are provided throughout the rulebook.

No More Stealing

• In previous editions, players could steal items from enemies after winning a Might attack.
• Stealing is no longer a default ability. If a haunt involves stealing, it will be specified.

Turn Ending Rules

• A player’s turn now automatically ends when they discover a new room tile.
• After resolving the room’s effects, the turn is over.
• Players can still end their turns voluntarily without exploring a new room.

Reading Setup and Introduction Text

• At the start of the haunt, both heroes and traitors must read their setup and introduction texts aloud before separating into different rooms.

Open Information

• All actions performed during the haunt are open information.
• When a player takes an action, the other team can ask for a full explanation, and the player must read the entire text of the action out loud.

Dead Explorers Leave Corpses

• When a character dies, their figure remains on the tile where they died.
• Other players may take items or omens from the corpse.
• In some haunts, traitors may have special uses for the corpses.

Game Components

The game contains:

• Two haunt books (Secrets of Survival and Traitor’s Tome)
• Six double-sided character boards
• Six character figures
• 74 game cards (Omens, Items, Events)
• Six character figure bases
• Plastic clips to track character traits
• Dice
• Monster and Traitor reference cards
• Player reference cards
• Five Scenario cards
• Room tiles and tokens for game mechanics
• A Number Track and pointer

Game Setup

1. Haunt Books: Set aside the two haunt books (used after the haunt begins).
2. Character Selection: Each player picks a character and takes the matching board, figure, and base.
3. Character Traits: Attach four clips to the character board to track Might, Speed, Knowledge, and Sanity at their starting values.
4. Dice: Place the dice within easy reach of all players.
5. Cards: Sort and shuffle the Event, Item, and Omen cards into separate face-down decks.
6. Reference Cards: Place the Monster and Traitor reference cards on the table.
7. Player Reference Cards: Give each player a Player reference card for turn instructions.
8. Starting Room Tiles: Place the three starting room tiles (Ground Floor Staircase, Basement Landing, Upper Landing) in the center of the table, 8–10 inches apart.
9. Room Tiles: Shuffle the remaining room tiles and place them face down in a stack.
10. Character Placement: Place all characters on the Entrance Hall of the Ground Floor tile.
11. Scenario Selection: As a group, choose one Scenario card, which determines the players’ motivation for entering the house and the eventual haunt.
12. Number Track: Set aside the Number Track, pointer, and tokens, which will be used later in the game.
13. Determine First Player: The player whose character’s birthday is next starts the game.

Overview of Game Components

Cards

The game uses several types of cards:

• Event Cards: Represent spooky occurrences, like Flickering Lights or Wandering Ghost. Events can have positive or negative effects and often require a trait roll.
• Item Cards: Represent useful objects like a Flashlight or Chainsaw. These items help explorers survive with special abilities.
• Omen Cards: Similar to items, omens have eerie qualities like a Dog or Idol. Omens can trigger the haunt when drawn.

2. Scenario Cards

• Scenario cards provide the context and theme for each game, including the players’ reason for entering the house.
• These cards also determine which haunt will be played.

3. Player Reference Cards

• These cards offer reminders of the actions available to players during their turns, ensuring smooth gameplay.

4. Traitor and Monster Reference Cards

• These cards offer step-by-step instructions for the traitor and monsters, outlining what actions they can take during their turns.

5. Room Tiles

• Players construct the haunted house using room tiles during exploration.
• Each tile belongs to a region of the house (Basement, Ground Floor, or Upper Floor) and may trigger Event, Item, or Omen cards, depending on the symbol on the tile.

6. Tokens

• Tokens are used primarily during the haunt to represent various conditions, objectives, or game mechanics, such as steps in a ritual or the amount of blood collected.
• Each haunt will explain how tokens are used and what they represent.

7. Character Boards and Figures

• Players choose from 12 characters, with each character having a matching figure and a double-sided character board.
• Each board tracks four traits: Might, Speed, Knowledge, and Sanity, which are modified using plastic clips.
• Trait values are public and adjusted throughout the game.

8. Gaining, Losing, and Healing Traits

• Traits can be increased or decreased as players encounter events and challenges.
• If a card instructs a player to “Gain 1 Might” or “Lose 1 Speed,” they adjust the clip accordingly.
• If an effect instructs healing, the trait returns to its starting value unless already at or above that value.

9. Critical Traits

• Traits become critical when they reach their lowest possible value (marked by a skull symbol).

10. Character Death

• Characters cannot die before the haunt. Before the haunt, traits reduced to critical will remain at critical.
• After the haunt begins, characters die if any trait is reduced to the skull symbol.

11. Damage and Its Effects

• There are three types of damage:
  • Physical Damage: Lowers Might and/or Speed.
  • Mental Damage: Lowers Knowledge and/or Sanity.
  • General Damage: Affects any trait of the player’s choice.
• Damage reduces trait values by moving the clip downward. The amount of damage dealt determines how many spaces the clip moves.

How to Play – Before the Haunt

On Your Turn

Before the haunt begins, players take turns in clockwise order. During your turn, you may:

• Move around the house and discover new room tiles (discovering a new room ends your turn).
• Trade items and omens with another explorer on the same tile (with their permission).
• Use Items/Omen Cards to perform special actions (each special action can be used once per turn).

Movement

• The number of tiles a player can move through on their turn is determined by their character’s Speed trait.
• If the Speed changes during a turn, it does not affect movement until the next turn.

Adjacency

• Tiles are adjacent if they share a doorway.
• Some tiles have special connections to other tiles, such as staircases, which are noted on the tiles.

Forced Movement

• Items, Omens, or special actions may require moving a character a certain number of tiles.
• The player controlling the movement decides how far to move the character, even if another player usually controls that explorer.

Discovering New Room Tiles

• When you move through an unexplored doorway, you draw a new room tile.
  • The back of the room tile determines the region (Basement, Ground Floor, Upper Floor) where it can be placed.
  • Align one doorway of the new tile with the doorway you entered.
  • Place the explorer on the new tile and resolve any effects noted on it, such as drawing an Event, Item, or Omen card.

Ending Your Turn

• A turn ends automatically when a new room is discovered and its effects resolved.
• Players may voluntarily end their turn without discovering a new room if they choose.

7. Other Actions on Your Turn

Players can also do the following during their turn:

• Trading: Exchange items and omens with explorers on the same tile, as long as neither player has used or attacked with the item during the current turn.
• Special Actions: Use special actions linked to certain items and omens (indicated by a special action symbol). Special actions can only be used once per turn and cannot be used by items obtained that turn.

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How to Play – After the Hunt Begins

Starting the Haunt

• The haunt begins when a player draws an Omen and rolls 5 or more on the haunt roll.
• The Scenario card selected at the start of the game determines which haunt will occur.
• The player who triggers the haunt is the Haunt Revealer, and this player may become the traitor depending on the Scenario card.

Types of Haunts

There are four types of haunts:

• No Traitor: All players work together using the Secrets of Survival book.
• One Traitor: One player becomes the traitor, and everyone else becomes heroes. They have different objectives.
• Hidden Traitor: The traitor’s identity is not initially known, and players can attack each other to reveal the traitor.
• Free-for-All: Every player is for themselves, and the goal is individual survival.

Haunt Setup

Once the haunt is triggered, perform these steps:

1. Read Introductions: The heroes and the traitor each read their side’s introduction to all players.
2. Setup Actions: Both sides perform any additional setup steps as outlined in their respective haunt books.
3. Separate Rooms: The heroes and traitor move to different rooms and read the remainder of their haunt-specific rules in private.

Attacking

• Players can attack monsters or other explorers not on their team.
• Both attacker and defender roll the relevant trait (usually Might), and the loser takes damage equal to the difference in the rolls.
• Special items may allow attacks using different traits, such as Sanity or Knowledge. In such cases, mental damage is dealt instead of physical.

Weapons

• Some items and omens are designated as weapons, enhancing attacks.
• Only one weapon can be used per attack, and a weapon used in an attack cannot be traded or used again in that turn.
• Weapons cannot be used to defend against an attack.

Line of Sight

• Two tiles are considered within line of sight if a player could move between them without changing direction or region.
• Characters on tiles within line of sight can see and interact with each other.

Looting Bodies

• When a character dies, their items and omens remain on their corpse.
• Other players can take items from the corpse by moving to the same tile.

Obstacles

• Some tiles and characters act as obstacles, requiring two points of movement to leave the tile.
• Monsters or opposing team members also act as obstacles after the haunt begins.

Controlling Monsters

• The traitor may control monsters during the haunt.
• Monsters have fixed traits and typically cannot be killed, only stunned. A stunned monster flips its token and skips its next turn.
• Monsters move by rolling for speed and follow specific rules for their abilities.

Dying

• Characters die when any of their traits reach the skull symbol.
• A dead character leaves their items and omens on the tile where they died.

End of the Game

• The game ends when one side (heroes or traitor) completes their objectives.
• The winning side reads the “If You Win” section of their haunt book for the closing story

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What is a Haunt?

This section provides a breakdown of how each haunt is structured and what players can expect. Here’s a concise summary of each part:

1. Haunt Identification

• This section helps confirm you are reading the correct haunt by matching the haunt number found on the Scenario card.
• Both the traitor and the heroes should verify they are looking at the same haunt.

2. Introduction and Setup

• Introduction: Each side (heroes and traitor) receives a different introduction, setting the stage for the haunt’s story.
• Setup: Each side follows its own setup instructions, which may change the house layout or add specific conditions before gameplay resumes.

3. Main Haunt Gameplay

• Special Rules: Each haunt has unique rules that may change standard gameplay, such as modifying tile discovery or introducing new objectives.
• Special Actions: Certain haunts allow players to take special actions, marked by a special action symbol. These are optional, and each action can be performed once per turn.

4. Other Information

• Objective: A brief summary of what each side (heroes or traitor) must do to win the haunt.
• Tokens Needed: A list of tokens required for the haunt and a description of what they represent. Both sides may use different tokens with varying purposes.
• Important Locations: Some haunts depend on specific room tiles in the house. This section provides a list of tiles to watch for, along with their regions (Basement, Ground Floor, Upper Floor).
• If You Win: This section provides a narrative conclusion, read aloud by the winning side once they complete their objectives.

5. Monster Boxes (Traitor’s Tome Only)

• Monsters, controlled by the traitor, have their own section in the Traitor’s Tome.
• Each box includes the monster’s traits (for rolling during gameplay) and any special rules or actions specific to the monster.
• Some monsters may walk through walls or perform unique actions on their turns, which are detailed in the monster box.

Playing the Haunt

Playing the Haunt:

• Heroes and the traitor continue taking their turns normally.
• Traitors and monsters act as obstacles for heroes and vice versa, making it harder to leave tiles.

More to Know About Haunts:

• Selecting the Traitor: The traitor is usually the haunt revealer. If it’s based on a trait value and tied, the closest player in turn order becomes the traitor.
• Reluctant Traitors: If a player doesn’t want to be the traitor, another player can volunteer.

Variable Player Count:

• Some haunts adjust values (e.g., monsters or other factors) based on the number of players (e.g., 1/5/7/9).

The Traitor’s Special Powers:

• Traitors can ignore damaging tile effects like the Collapsed Room or Furnace Room.
• Traitors may also ignore Event symbols on tiles but must resolve an Event card if they choose to draw one.

Controlling Monsters:

• Monsters have fixed traits and cannot die, only be stunned.
• Stunned monsters skip their next turn.
• Some monsters are killed instead of stunned.
• Monsters move differently from explorers, rolling for speed at the start of their turn.

Dying:

• Explorers die when any trait reaches the lowest point (skull symbol).
• Dead explorers leave corpses that other players can loot for items.

End of the Game:

• The first side to complete their objectives wins, and the winning side reads the “If You Win” section of their haunt book.