Game review 49: Ghost Castle
Spooky but simple ghostly goings-on with Milton Bradley's childhood nostalgia-fest board game
Wooooo etc.
Ever seen a ghost? I have. It was standing next to me in the dark – I thought it was a friend of mine, but suddenly… it vanished…
OK, OK, so this was during a ghost walk in York as part of a school trip, led by a ghost tour operator egging us on to see something, so I may have been a little more susceptible than I would have been.
Someone else said they saw the face of a Viking leering at them from the window of a derelict tower. So, not the only one.
Still, proper frightening stuff. As is putting together the 3D board for this 80s childhood nostalgia-fest: Milton Bradley’s version of Ghost Castle.
Our bruised-and-battered copy that has seen decades pass literally needs sticking together to hold up, but despite the lengthy set-up, this 3D game is a firm favourite of my daughter, E.
The gameplay is simple, even if setting up the thing isn’t.
The players are a bunch of kids roaming through various rooms in a haunted mansion, with the goal of putting a ghost to rest who puts various traps in your path.
The winner is the first to climb to the top of the steps and shut the coffin lid.
Obviously, the big draw for a young opponent is playing the ghost and sending the skull down the chimney.
If a trap triggered by it hits a player, they’ll have to return to an earlier part of the game. But that clunk is a sound that takes me right back to my own childhood.
There’s practically no strategy to the game: the only real choice players get is whether to take the long or short path around the creaky floorboard trap. There might be some skill involved in sending the skull down a particular route, but it’s mainly potluck.
As such, if nothing else, it’s the perfect leveller. Younger children will stay involved and will always be in with a chance of winning.
Of course, playing with the kid means that I end up playing with some unique house rules.
This chap pictured above, it’s decided, must stand on the board and block the path of any unlucky soul who’s been frozen to the spot and has to roll their way back to freedom.
Game facts and stats
Year released
This version, 1985, but originally, 1970
Publisher
Milton Bradley
Designer
Marvin Glass and Geoffrey Hayes
Player count
2–4
E’s review
What did you like best about it?
“The skeleton falling down.”
How difficult is it?
“It’s not tricky.”
Marks out of 10
“20”
My review
Setting-up time
That depends on what state your copy is, but it’s never going to be the quickest in any collection. My best guess: about 15-20 minutes – never idea when you’re playing with a youngster short on patience.
Advised age range
“6-12 years” it says on the box, but of course it’s fine for slightly younger players.
Price
A complete set in good condition will probably cost at least £35 on eBay. At least. Or, go for the newer edition from Ideal: Plus points: A higher player count and exterior walls that a) boost the haunted house vibe and b) work practically in preventing the loss of components; bad points: the ball-bearing is nowhere near as fun as the glow—in-the-dark skull and the replacement of the coffin means the update loses the one area of skill that the vintage version had, which meant you could attempt to aim for your chosen trap.
Practicality
The box is standard MB family games size. But it’s fiddly to put up, so be warned if you lack patience.
Fun for parents?
No brain-power or skill required and the gameplay is basic. But that artwork is amazing, there’s an enormous stench of nostalgia to the thing, and enormous and who it still feels impossible to dislike a trap-filled, retro, 3D board funhouse, no matter how simple the gameplay.