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Monsters overlooking the moonlit town of Startleton

Clever choices. Wild combos. One very frightened town.

Players

1-4

players

Play time

45-90 minutes

Complexity

Medium-weight strategy

The party starts here

Welcome to Startleton

Monsters on Board set up for play with player boards, colorful dice, monster standees, and cards

It's Halloween night, and the Grim Lords are competing to throw the greatest monster ball. But every good party needs Spook Juice, distilled from human fear. Luckily, Startleton is full of unsuspecting citizens! Draft Guests, terrorize the town, and attract legendary Arch Monsters. The most prestigious host becomes the new Pumpkin Jack.

Multi-use dice Combo building Modular gameplay

Multi-use Guest Dice

Every die does more

Guest Dice on the dice board in Monsters on Board

Every Guest is a delicious dilemma. Draft for its color, value, or actions, knowing you'll want all three. Use four Guests to move your Monsters, then seat three to trigger their abilities. The fourth? Trade it for Candy.

Build the combo

Big monsters. Bigger chain reactions.

Monster standees on the Startleton board, with a skeleton and mummy leading the lineup

One action sparks another. Move Monsters, collect rewards, and serve Spook Juice to unleash even more actions or score your Guests. Set up Minion shortcuts, stoke your Flames, and orchestrate glorious chain reactions.

A town worth frightening

Terrorize Startleton

Send Monsters rampaging through town, collect rewards, and take Minion shortcuts. Reach Spook Manor to score big with matching Guests.

Panoramic view of Startleton in Monsters on Board
Colorful Monsters rampaging through Startleton in Monsters on Board

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Modular mayhem

Your party. Your game.

Choose one Party Theme for the night. The core stays familiar. The experience changes.

Colorful Party Theme tiles with ghost, kraken, mystery, and monster symbols
Murder Mystery
Solve the case.
Casino
Read the table.
Witches and Hexes
Curse your rivals.
Secrets of the Manor
Explore and uncover.
Pandemonium Imps
Unleash chaos.
It's a Race!
Turn Startleton into a monster race.

+ More coming

A thoughtful rebuild. A new edition.

Monsters on Board: Second Edition

Everything you loved, rebuilt with everything we've learned. The Monsters on Board experience we always wanted to deliver.

Refined gameplay

The familiar foundations revisited with years of experience at the table.

Clearer rules and iconography

A cleaner path from opening the box to making your first deliciously difficult choice.

Deeper modular content

Party Themes reshape the night without rewriting the core game.

Improved production Improved components

Components and presentation reconsidered around usability, clarity, and table presence.

Guided learning

Support designed to get everyone through setup and into the first round with confidence.

Beyond the Box Play Beyond the box

Optional digital experiences add hidden information, guided systems, and solo play where cardboard cannot.

Play beyond the box

The table stays at the heart of it.

Optional digital companions give selected Party Themes possibilities that would not fit inside the box. The physical game stays at the heart of every session.

  • Solve a new Murder Mystery every game.
  • Race Monsters through Startleton.
  • Challenge an Automa, even when playing solo.
Explore Beyond the Box

Take a closer look

Monsters on Board: Second Edition box beside player boards, colorful dice, cards, and Fearmobiles
Monsters on Board: Second Edition, ready for the table.
A green Frankenstein Monster holding a lantern on the town board, beside Guest Dice and a Fearmobile
Monsters, Guest Dice, and a town full of possibilities.
A black Fearmobile with purple seating carrying green, blue, pink, and yellow Guest Dice
Fearmobiles deliver each round’s draft of monster guests.
A row of illustrated cards including Color Parade and Dice Widow, with colorful Guest Dice in front
A closer look at the cards and Guest Dice.
Colored Grim Lord pieces gathered on the purple numbered Prestige track
Grim Lords on the Prestige track.
Blue and purple ticket tokens decorated with glowing lanterns on a wooden table
Ticket tokens, up close.
A yellow mummy Monster beside a deck of cards, lantern ticket tokens, and colorful Guest Dice on a player board
Cards, dice, and a little monster mayhem.

Reception of the original game

What players say

“This is exactly the kind of game Jen and I love!”
Rahdo · Rahdo Runs Through
“It felt like a big puzzle with a really fun theme and a neat aesthetic that drew me in.”
Mike Dilisio · The Dice Tower
“I love love love the mechanisms of this game!”
Camilla Cleghorn · The Dice Tower

Game resources