As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Full details on our Affiliate Disclosure page.
Betrayal at House on the Hill is the haunted house game where friends explore a mansion together until one of them turns traitor. Betrayal Legacy takes the same idea and stretches it into a campaign across generations, where the house remembers everything you do. Both are from Avalon Hill, and both deliver spooky stories and a dramatic twist. The right one depends on how often your group can meet.
Quick verdict for most groups: Betrayal at House on the Hill (3rd Edition)
Open the box and play any night, with 50 different haunts. It costs about $56.
Price band: $30+ (about $56) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Betrayal at House on the Hill vs Betrayal Legacy at a glance
| House on the Hill (3rd Ed.) | Betrayal Legacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Standalone games | Campaign: a prologue and 13 chapters |
| Players | 3 to 6 | 3 to 5 |
| Game length | About 60 minutes | About 45 to 90 minutes per chapter |
| Changes over time | No, the box resets every game | Yes, permanent stickers and new rules |
| Price | about $56 | about $139 |
How Betrayal at House on the Hill plays
Each player picks an explorer with different strengths. You move through the house, placing new room tiles as you discover them, and draw cards for events, items and omens. Omens are the dangerous ones: every omen brings the haunt closer. When the haunt starts, a chart picks one of 50 scenarios, and usually one explorer becomes the traitor with their own secret goal.
From that moment, the game becomes a race. The heroes and the traitor each read their own rules and try to win first. The third edition, released in 2022, updated the haunts, clarified the rules and added painted explorer figures. Because the house layout and the haunt change every time, two games rarely feel alike.
How Betrayal Legacy plays
Betrayal Legacy follows families living in the same house over many decades. A prologue sets things up, then 13 chapters move the story forward through time. The choices you make stick: rooms get permanent marks, items can become heirlooms passed down to your family, and later chapters change the rules and open sealed content.
Each chapter still builds toward a haunt and a traitor, so it feels like Betrayal, but the story builds from game to game. When the campaign ends, you keep a house that is unique to your group and can keep playing it with the haunts you unlocked.
Pick House on the Hill if
- Your group changes from night to night. Anyone can join any game.
- You want six players. The third edition supports one more than Legacy.
- You want the lower price. It costs much less than Legacy right now.
- You like variety. Fifty haunts give plenty of different endings.
Pick Betrayal Legacy if
- You have a steady group. The campaign is best with the same players every time.
- You love story. Watching the house and its families change is the main draw.
- You enjoyed other legacy games. The surprises and permanent changes feel familiar.
- You want a one-of-a-kind copy. No two finished houses look the same.
Tips for your first haunt in either game
- Explore, but not too fast. Every omen you draw brings the haunt closer, so grab useful items before you trigger it.
- Spread out. Heroes who have seen more of the house are better placed once the haunt begins.
- Read your scenario carefully. Heroes and the traitor get separate rules, and the win conditions are rarely obvious.
- Talk openly as heroes. The traitor is allowed to hear your plans, but a shared plan usually beats secrecy.
- Enjoy the story. Reading the flavor text aloud adds a lot to the spooky mood.
In Legacy, also think about the long game. Items and rooms you mark early can come back chapters later, so a choice that seems small can echo through the rest of the campaign. Keep the box organized between sessions so the next chapter starts smoothly.
Curious about other campaign games? See our best legacy board games and Risk vs Risk Legacy.
Which Betrayal should you buy?
For most players, Betrayal at House on the Hill, 3rd Edition is the better buy: it is cheaper, plays up to six and works with whoever shows up. Choose Betrayal Legacy if you have three to five friends ready to commit to a campaign of more than a dozen sessions and you care about story above all. Legacy currently sells for about $139, so check the price before you commit.
Betrayal at House on the Hill vs Betrayal Legacy FAQ
Do you need House on the Hill to play Betrayal Legacy?
No. Betrayal Legacy is a complete game with its own house tiles, cards and rules.
Can you replay Betrayal Legacy after the campaign?
Yes. Once the campaign is finished you can keep playing in the house you built, using the haunts you unlocked.
How many haunts does House on the Hill have?
The third edition includes 50 haunts.
