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5 Games That Inspire Terror Toad: Tabletop Games We Love

  • 3 min read

At Terror Toad, we make games that are playful and accessible. Our inspirations come from all over — stupid puns, hungry cats, asking what would happen if you merged scabby queen with a pigeon, — but today we’re focusing on five tabletop games that helped shape how we think about design.


These are games that tickle our brains, spark ideas, and remind us what tabletop games can be. If you love compact strategy, surreal art, or fantasy fun, you’ll probably love these too.



♟️ 1. Hive


What it is: An abstract strategy game for 2 players, where players compete to surround the opposing queen bee using insect-themed tiles with unique movement patterns.


Why we love it: Hive is elegant, portable, and surprisingly intense. With no board and zero setup time, it’s the kind of game that rewards pattern recognition and spatial thinking — but never feels dry. We admire its tight ruleset and how it immediately feels like a classic. It's a reminder that strong mechanics don’t need complex packaging.


Takeaway for Terror Toad: Keep it simple, but make it clever.



🐉 2. Dragon Farkle


What it is: A light, fun, and ridiculous fantasy dice-rolling  game where you recruit an army, battle monsters, and try to defeat a dragon — while chaos inevitably erupts.


Why we love it: Dragon Farkle is unserious in the best way. The tone is absurd and playful, and the randomness keeps things spicy. It doesn’t pretend to be high art — but it is high fun. It hits that perfect balance of silly mechanics and fantasy theming, with just enough backstabbing to keep friendships interesting.


Takeaway for Terror Toad: Don’t be afraid to be weird. Fun is a design value.



🎨 3. Dixit


What it is: A dreamlike card game where players use beautifully illustrated cards to tell cryptic, poetic clues — and try to guess who said what.


Why we love it: Dixit proves that games can be emotional, interpretive, and nearly non-verbal. The open-endedness of its storytelling encourages creativity and invites everyone to participate. It's soft, beautiful, and unafraid to be different — and it’s been quietly influencing indie designers for years.


Takeaway for Terror Toad: Games can be artful, gentle, and open-ended — and still be unforgettable.



🩸 4. The Bloody Inn


What it is: A delightfully morbid game set in 1800s France where you, an innkeeper, murder guests to steal their money... then try to hide the bodies.


Why we love it: The Bloody Inn is all about tone. It’s dark, cheeky, and completely committed to its weird premise. Mechanically, it’s clever and strategic, but the real joy is in the storytelling it creates as players juggle corpses and suspicious policemen. It walks the line between strategy and absurd theatre.


Takeaway for Terror Toad: A strong theme can elevate a simple mechanic into something memorable and moody.



🚧 5. Quoridor


What it is: A minimalist and abstract game of mazes and mind games. Move your pawn across the board while using walls to slow your opponent — but don’t trap yourself.


Why we love it: Quoridor is stunning in its simplicity. There are just two actions (move or place a wall), but the decisions get rich, fast. It’s tense, clean, and always satisfying. We love how the physical components reinforce the puzzle — each move feels important.


Takeaway for Terror Toad: Less can be more — and tactility matters.



💭 Final Thoughts: Designing With Joy, Chaos, and Curiosity


Each of these games teaches us something: about mechanics, tone, pacing, art, or absurdity. As we build the strange little worlds of Terror Toad, we carry these lessons with us — even if our games involve death plotting or pretend pigeons.


Whether you're a designer, a collector, or just love game night, we hope these picks spark your curiosity too.



🐸 Want More from Terror Toad?


 

🎲 Why Play Is Political: What Games Teach Us About Power and Possibility

  • 2 min read

Is play political? We believe it is — not because every game is an activist tool, but because every game is a system. And systems reflect values.


At Terror Toad, we create fun, accessible, offbeat tabletop games. We come from performing arts and community art backgrounds — where play and participation aren’t just creative acts, but deeply human ones. In our experience, play can be silly and joyful… but it’s never neutral.


In this post, we’re exploring why play is political, and how games can subtly challenge — or reinforce — the world around us.



🌍 1. Play Creates Alternative Realities — and That's Radical


When you sit down to play, you agree to a new set of rules. Suddenly, success might depend on empathy, absurdity, chaos, or chance — not profit or authority. That temporary shift matters.


Games create space to imagine different ways to live, act, and relate. In that sense, every game world quietly asks: What if things could be different? That question alone is revolutionary.



🛠 2. Games Are Systems of Power — Just Like Society


Games teach us how to operate within systems: follow rules, bend them, break them, negotiate them. And just like real-world systems, games often reward some behaviours and suppress others.


When we play, we get to examine those dynamics:

  • Who holds power?

  • Who wins easily, and who’s left behind?

  • What happens when we resist the rules?


That mirror — even in the goofiest party game — can reflect how we navigate systems of privilege, oppression, and structure in everyday life.



🚪 3. Access to Play Is a Political Choice


Not everyone feels welcome at the table. Some games assume prior knowledge, require expensive materials, or speak to a narrow audience.


At Terror Toad, we aim to make games that are playful, open, and inclusive — because who gets to play is just as important as what they’re playing. Games are each unique experiences - the best ones won't be for everyone - but the point is that anyone can try it out.


Designing for accessibility isn’t just good UX. It’s a statement about who belongs in this space.



🧠 4. Play as a Tool for Imagination, Subversion, and Resistance


Play lets us try on new roles, explore alternate selves, and rehearse transformation. That’s not escapism — that’s imagination. And imagination is essential for change.


Even when our games are about death-plotting or birds in disguise, we’re inviting players into a world with a different logic. Sometimes, that shift in perspective is the seed of something bigger.



💥 Final Thoughts: Play as Power and Possibility


Play is messy, joyful, weird — and full of potential.


It can reflect the systems we live in, or help us imagine something stranger and kinder. Not every game we make is political on the surface. But all of them invite players to connect, question, and explore. And in a world that often discourages those things?


We’d say that’s political.



🐸 Want More from Terror Toad?


 

The Best Horror Movie Board Games (And Why We Love Them)

  • 3 min read

There’s something irresistible about stepping into your favourite horror film — especially when it's through the medium of tabletop games. Whether you're surviving an alien in deep space or screaming your way through a slasher whodunnit, these board games based on classic horror movies capture everything we love about film, fear, and fun.


At Terror Toad, we’re artists, performers, and lifelong cinephiles. Chris studied film as part of his degree, and our love of cinema bleeds (sometimes literally) into the games we design and play. So today, we’re celebrating some of our favourite board games inspired by horror films — all perfect for your next game night.



🎲 1. The Thing: The Boardgame


🧊 Based on: John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982)

👥Player Count: 1–8

🎯Why We Love It:

This game nails the paranoia and mistrust of the film. You and your fellow players are trapped at an Antarctic outpost, and one (or more) of you is infected. The tension builds fast as you argue over who to trust and who to leave behind.


It’s a masterclass in hidden roles, social deduction, and thematic immersion. Every game feels like your own version of the film — with new betrayals and breakdowns each time.



🔪 2. Scream: The Game


🫦 Based on: Scream (1996)

👥 Player Count: 3–8

🎯Why We Love It:

Short, sharp, and full of tension. You download an app that makes Ghostface call you (very fun), and you have to work fast to succeed on your missions – will Ghostface target you next?


This game thrives on group dynamics and quick, chaotic rounds. It’s party-friendly and perfect for fans of meta horror and teenage mayhem.



👽 3. Alien: Fate of the Nostromo


🚀 Based on: Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979)

👥 Player Count: 1–5

🎯 Why We Love It:

This cooperative game captures the creeping dread of the original Alien film. You play as the Nostromo’s crew, gathering gear and trying to survive as the alien stalks the ship.


What sets this one apart is its pacing — it’s quiet, careful, and escalating. You can feel the tension build, and the design rewards strategy, teamwork, and just a little bit of panic.



🦈 4. Jaws: The Board Game


🌊 Based on: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975)

👥 Player Count: 2–4

🎯 Why We Love It:

The second one on our list from the publisher Ravensburger. This one’s clever. The game plays in two acts — one on the beach, one on the boat — just like the movie. One player is the shark, hidden at first, while others try to stop the attacks before heading out to sea for the final showdown.


It's thematic, theatrical, and genuinely fun. Plus, the asymmetrical gameplay means it stays fresh across multiple sessions.



🪓 5. Evil Dead 2: The Board Game


🪵 Based on: Evil Dead II (1987)

👥 Player Count: 2–6

🎯 Why We Love It:

Evil Dead 2: The Board Game is a chaotic, semi-cooperative romp through the cult horror classic. Search the cabin, battle Deadites, and seal the portal — but beware: one of you may secretly serve evil.


The rules are a tad messy in this game, but the chaos of it all, sort of made the game? If you want to play Ash Williams scrambling for pages while Deadites swarm, this is the opportunity!



🎬 Why We Love Film-Based Games


As artists who care deeply about performance, visuals, and group dynamics, we’re drawn to games that feel like interactive cinema. Great movie-based games:

  • Capture the tone and tension of their source material

  • Use creative mechanics to reflect story themes

  • Let players become characters in their favourite worlds


At Terror Toad, we make weird, joyful, offbeat games — but our design brains are always learning from games like these.




🐸 Want More from Terror Toad?


 
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