Before we get into how to play Disney’s The Haunted Mansion Call of the Spirits, here’s a little background info. This enchanted board game invites six players as guests into The Haunted Mansion, based on the Disneyland attraction of the same name. As they go through the many rooms and sections of the mansion, players attempt to befriend the ghostly inhabitants of the mansion. Players win by accruing the highest number of points, which are earned by collecting Ghost Cards. Read on to discover how to maneuver around the mansion and best other players.
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Object of The Haunted Mansion Call of the Spirits
The main objective of the game is to win by amassing the highest number of points. Players can do this by collecting as many Ghost Cards as they can. All Ghost Cards have a points value printed on their face. You can pick a Ghost Card by landing in the Endless Hallway space adjacent to the room during normal gameplay or by ‘stealing’ another player’s ghost cards.
What’s in the Box?
- One game board divided into eight areas
- One rotating Endless Hallway piece
- One first player marker
- Six player movers
- One Hitchhiking Ghost mover
- 120 Haunt Cards
- 99 Ghost Cards
- 14 event cards, including one Final Round card
- Two bidding dials
- Instructions manual
Setting up the Game
- Lay out the board representing the mansion and its different sections.
- Install the Endless Hallway piece in the middle of the board. It should be able to rotate if placed correctly. The six sections of the Endless Hallway should correspond to a section of the haunted mansion.
- Give each player a player mover along with its corresponding reference card. Place all player movers in the middle of the board in the séance room.
- Shuffle the ghost cards and place them on one side of the board facedown. Repeat the same for the haunt cards.
- Place the bidding dials on the other side of the board.
- Place the Hitchhiking Ghosts in the Crypt of the mansion.
- Lay down the Event cards near the edge of the board.
- Pull out the Final Round card from the Events deck and shuffle the remaining cards.
- Randomly take out a number of cards equal to the number of players plus three.
- Shuffle the remaining cards and pull out the three bottom cards from this deck. Put the Final Round among these cards and reshuffle them. Place these cards at the bottom of the Events deck.
How to Play The Haunted Mansion Call of the Spirits
After setup is complete, the player who last heard a ghost story is selected to take the first turn. Gameplay is divided into the Events phase and the Action phase.
1. Events Phase
In the Events phase, the player flips over the first card in the Events deck. Then move the Hitchhiking Ghosts the number of spaces indicated on the card.
The player in the Endless Hallway section that the ghost lands in must draw two Haunted Cards. If the ghost traveled through your section, then you can draw one haunted card.
Now put Ghost Cards in the rooms of the mansion. The number of cards used is equivalent to the number of players plus three. The first two of these will be placed in the same room as the Hitchhiking Ghosts and the rest of the cards are placed sequentially in the other rooms in a clockwise direction.
The rules of the event card are now read aloud to all players.
2. Action Phase
Here the player with the first player marker begins play with the others taking their turns sequentially in a clockwise direction. During their turn, a player can perform three actions in any order which they choose. Some actions, such as Move, Rotate and Collect, can be done any number of times during a turn. Others, such as Duel and Discard, can only be performed once per turn. Let’s look at these actions individually:
Player Actions
- Move: With this action you can move your player mover to the adjacent room.
- Rotate: This action allows the active player to move the Endless Hallway in one direction as many spaces as they want. You can use this action to move competing players into an empty room or one in which the Hitchhiking Ghosts occupy.
- Collect: Pick the Ghost Card in the room your player marker is adjacent to and add it to your personal collection. You will then receive the number of points on that card.
- Duel: You have to be in the same room as another player to be able to perform this action. Using the bidding dials, you and the competing player will secretly select numbers. If yours is higher, you get to steal their Ghost Card, and vice-versa. If you bid the same number, it will be a tie and everyone gets to keep their cards. Either way, both of you will have to draw the number of haunt cards equal to your bid number.
- Discard: This action can only be performed if your player mover is in the Séance Room. It allows you to remove one Haunt Card from your personal collection and return it to the bottom of the Haunt Card deck.
After each player has completed their actions, the first player marker is passed to the next player in a clockwise direction to begin another round. The game ends after the conclusion of the last Action Phase after the Final Round card has been drawn.
Scoring and Winning
At the end of the round, every player will tally their Haunt Points as indicated on the Haunt Cards they have collected in the course of the round. The player with the most Haunt Card points will remove all the Ghost Cards from their most populous ghost type. This will cost you points as each Ghost Card has a value based on the type of ghost. The winner will be the player with the most Ghost points.
Number of Players and Playtime
Disney’s The Haunted Mansion Call of the Spirits is playable with two to six players. The average playtime stipulated is around 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age group is Disney’s The Haunted Mansion Board Game most suitable for?
Disney’s Haunted Mansion board game is for ages 9 and up.
Are two players allowed to occupy the same room?
Yes, but this will most likely lead to a duel in which you’ll have to draw Haunt Cards.
