Each turn of the game is divided into two phases: the Hero Phase, where players move, find items, and take other actions, and the Monster phase, where monsters move and attack, as well as certain other actions dictated by the Monster Deck. Notably, each monster has a unique way of defeating them; Dracula, for example, requires each of his coffins be smashed before he can be destroyed, while Frankenstein and the Bride must be taught humanity so that they can live in peace. These objectives are accomplished by collecting items around the board. These monsters won't go down without a fight, however, and protecting yourself and the town's villagers is tantamount to vanquishing them. If the players or villagers fall to the monsters too many times, game over. Difficulty is defined by how many monsters are fought: 2 monsters is an easy game, 3 monsters is a decent challenge, and 4 or more is deadly difficult.
In 2021, Horrified: American Monsters was announced, being released in October of that same year. A less heavily branded, stand alone sequel, this version is more themed around cryptids and Fearsome Critters of American Folklore, featuring Bigfoot, The Mothman, The Jersey Devil, the Chupacabra, the Banshee of the Badlands, and the Ozark Howler.
In 2023, Horrified: Greek Monsters was announced. This version is themed around monsters from Greek Mythology featuring Medusa, Cerberus, Chimera, Minotaur, Siren and Basilisk hidden in lairs that must be discovered in order to defeat them.
Horrified contains examples of:
- Achilles' Heel: None of the monsters can just be defeated through being hurt by the players, conditions always have to be met before the players can get rid of them.
- Adaptation Amalgamation: The means of defeating each monster are drawn from all over the canon, sometimes with atypical results.
- Destroying Dracula's coffins before confronting him with holy items is an aspect of the novel. (Something similar does happen in Son of Dracula, but that just involves one coffin.)
- The goal of teaching Frankenstein's Monster and the Bride humanity is hinted at in Bride of Frankenstein, though it fails. In the Universal movies, the Monster meets his end through fire, explosions, and burning sulfur.
- The conventional use of silver to defeat The Wolf Man is ignored in favor of curing him, as found in House of Dracula.
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: Bigfoot is one of the creatures featured in the American Monsters edition.
- Charm Person: Both Dracula and the Mummy are capable of this, moving heroes closer to their space through Powers and Monster cards.
- Chupacabra: Featured in the American Monsters edition.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Item tokens come in three colors, denoting the nature of their power: red for physical, blue for intellectual, and yellow for spiritual.
- Dual Boss: Frankenstein and the Bride are always fought together.
- Deus ex Machina: Most of the perk cards are meant to simulate this. They're able to be played at any time, and can have effects such as finding new items, moving certain monsters anywhere on the board, or even skipping the round's monster phase entirely.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The Universal Horror version is the only one that's based on a licensed property, with its item bag being made of cloth instead of plastic like the later two games. It also has seven monster figures instead of six (though both Frankenstein and the Bride count as one monster to defeat).
- Earn Your Happy Ending: The goal of "defeating" Frankenstein and the Bride is to teach them humanity, then bring them together. Essentially, this boils down to victory through couples counseling.
- Find the Cure!: The Wolf Man is "defeated" by curing him of his lycanthropy through scientific means, represented in-game through the collection and placement of blue item tokens. This echoes Larry Talbot's plotline in House of Dracula.
- Holy Burns Evil: Dracula is defeated by using spiritual items, rather than physical.
- Jack of All Trades: The Mayor is the only hero to lack a special action. To compensate, she can take 5 actions per turn, where most other heroes only get 4 (or 3 in the case of the Explorer). Same for the Journalist in American Monsters and the Traveler in Greek Monsters.
- Monster Mash: The raison d'etre of the game; it's you and your friends vs. horror's greatest hits.
- Monsters Stole My Equipment: If the Invisible Man is in play when the "Thief!" monster card is drawn, he instantly moves to the space with the most items on it and destroys them all.
- Mountain Man: One of the player characters in the "American Monsters" sequel. His ability is to instantly move to any space on the board.
- My Rules Are Not Your Rules: The Creature from the Black Lagoon can travel through water spaces, and is the only piece in the game that can do so.
- Mythology Gag: chock full of them:
- The first thing you see when you open the box is a mythology gag; one quadrant of the board has a title card printed on the back that's a riff on the 'word of friendly warning' speech
at the beginning of Frankenstein (1931). - Each villager is a character in one of the featured movies; even Wilbur and Chick make an appearance!
- The first thing you see when you open the box is a mythology gag; one quadrant of the board has a title card printed on the back that's a riff on the 'word of friendly warning' speech
- Race Against the Clock: Running out of cards in the monster deck is an instant game over.
- Starter Villain: Dracula and the Creature are the simplest monsters to defeat, and the game recommends them for your first game.
- In American Monsters, the Chupacabra and Banshee of the Badlands fill this role.
- The Jersey Devil: One of the American Monsters.
- The Mothman: One of the opponents in American Monsters.
- Tragic Monster: Implied; the Wolfman can only be defeated by curing him of his lycanthropy.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change:
- The search for The Creature's lair is represented by moving a boat down a Candyland-style trail of colored squares.
- Solving the Mummy's curse is represented by a sliding tiles puzzle, trying to match the right numbered tokens to the right slots.
- You Have to Believe Me!: The first step to defeating the Invisible Man? Gathering enough evidence to prove to the authorities that he even exists.
