Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle

About this board game

Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle is a competitive horror board game for 1–7 players, with an approximate play time of 105 minutes. Set in 1893, it challenges players to explore the twisted World’s Fair Hotel, collect evidence, and evade H. H. Holmes.

Each game uses unique modular room tiles inspired by the original castle’s blueprints, allowing the castle to be built differently from one playthrough to the next. As players move through its rooms, they must contend with trapdoors, greased chutes to the basement, brick walls, seeping gas, and other elaborate booby traps.

The winner is the first player to complete their evidence board and rack back to the Pharmacy. Holmes knows the castle’s layout and can appear in any room with only a moment’s notice, while overnight guests can turn the investigation into a battle of deception and interference.

• Modular exploration: Build the castle differently each game with distinctive room tiles.
• Player interaction: Draw from 79 event cards to gain advantages or sabotage opponents.
• Engaging turns: An action-drafting system inspired by Puerto Rico and San Juan keeps players involved with little downtime.
• Macabre presentation: Hand-drawn illustrations by Holly Carden bring the house of horrors to life.

The included 2nd Story Expansion adds an Automa mode and allows players to play as Holmes with 4–7 players. With its competitive exploration, unpredictable hazards, and high player-to-player interaction, Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle turns a notorious setting into a tense race for evidence and survival.