- BGG rank
- BGG #7,609
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Nyctophobia
- 3–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,020
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter
2018
Rules assistance for Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 30–45 min
- 9+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter is a board game released in 2018 for 3–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Catherine Stippell and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Memory, and Team-Based Game.
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About the game
The night is cold and dark. It's hard to see where you are or where you've been. "A road trip gone awry" is a charitable description of the world you and your friends find yourself trapped in. No one will ever believe you. Vampires aren't real. Right? Well, tell that to the bloodsucker that's been hunting you. Tell that to your friend who wandered off into the forest with him. In Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter, you attempt to outrun and outsmart a vampire who is hunting you. The forest is a dark and lonely place. Players must blindly navigate it while wearing blackout glasses, trying to find and rescue their friend — "the familiar" — who the vampire has kidnapped and hidden in the forest. Only the vampire can see what's going on around them. The hunted players have the navigate the board through touch and memory only! Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter differs from Nyctophobia in that the hunter player takes on the role of vampire instead of the axe murderer or mage in the original game. The vampire can control the familiar and the player who is leading them out of the forest, leading to tricky situations for those in the dark. The game includes two pre-set maps for players to work through while they're trying to rescue the NPC familiar and return them to the car without anyone dying.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Pandasaurus Games
Questions and answers
Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter is 30–45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter for ages 9 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter belongs to these categories: Horror. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Memory, and Team-Based Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter are: Catherine Stippell. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Nyctophobia: Vampire Encounter as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.