Vampyre

About this board game

Vampyre is a 1981 horror-themed board game for 2–6 players, with a playing time of approximately 45 minutes. Based on Bram Stoker’s original novel, it casts players as vampire hunters racing across Transylvania to defeat Count Dracula.

The basic game takes place on a map of Transylvania. Players compete to be the first to find and destroy three of Dracula’s hidden coffins, which provide the vampire with secret places to hide during the day if his principal lair is discovered.

Dracula’s supernatural forces draw directly from the novel. He has vampire brides at his command and can summon wolves, rats, bears, and other supernatural beings. The hunters must rely on traditional tools and protections when facing these undead threats, including:

• The Host
• Holy water and crucifixes
• Silver bullets
• A hammer and stake

After the basic game is complete, the extended game moves to the reverse side of the map: Dracula’s Castle. With his hidden coffins already destroyed, the players must track down Count Dracula himself in his heavily guarded lair.

This two-stage structure gives Vampyre a clear progression from searching the wider region to confronting the vampire at home. Each player takes the role of one of Stoker’s characters, bringing the game’s map, hidden coffins, supernatural creatures, and vampire-hunting equipment together in a compact adaptation of the classic story. As part of TSR’s minigame series, Vampyre offers a focused race through Transylvania followed by a final hunt inside Dracula’s Castle.