Sometimes, a board game becomes famous for its scarcity as much as its quality. Camp Grizzly is one of those ghost stories, an out-of-print game that can only be found haunting second-hand markets at scarily high prices. All that changed on August 12, though. A new Kickstarter, crowdfunding a second printing, means that Camp Grizzly is back from the dead.
First released in 2015, Camp Grizzly is a thematic horror board game where you'll play as camp counsellors trying to escape Otis, a classic slasher in a bear mask. It's only partly a co-op board game. Everyone works together to find weapons and escape routes, but it's easy for counselors to throw their friends under the bus to save their skin.
Like other thematic horrors, such as Betrayal at House on the Hill, a lot of the game is driven by luck. The objects you find are sourced from shuffled decks of cards, and your attempts to fend off Otis will be decided by a roll of the dice. Another deck of Cabin Cards, stuffed with plot twists, cameos, and special cards, can change the tide of play in an instant. This might put off lovers of calculated strategy board games, but it makes for great narrative play.
A first-edition copy of Camp Grizzly can sell on eBay for $300 or more. Thankfully, the Kickstarter page offers the new edition for a far more reasonable price. A basic copy of the game, which includes all existing expansions, will set you back $60 (£45). There's also a limited edition version for $79 (£59) that offers acrylic standees, chipboard mats, and wooden tokens to upgrade your game.
All stretch goals go towards adding further component upgrades to the game, plus extra camp counselors to get killed off. Fulfillment is expected to take place in August 2026. All I know is that, as a fan of both horror and the best board games around, I've been waiting for this resurrection a long time - and I've already put my pledge in.
What's your holy grail board game? Tell us in the Wargamer Discord. Or head to our new board games guide to see what hot new titles you should keep an eye out for.