For my first class, I got to play a game that I am quite familiar with. Betrayal at House on the Hill has been a staple in my family game nights since we first picked it up in 2014. It definitely isn’t my favorite game, but it is the one that got me excited in board games as a hobby.

Playing Betrayal requires many of the qualities a good leader also needs: rational thinking in the face of adversity, keeping track of the team’s skills, and pre-planning. My favorite leadership topic that comes out of this game, however, is knowing when to pass the work off to someone else or let someone else have the glory. Everyone wants to be the hero, but each character has specific disadvantages that may make them not the ideal choice for each task. Players must realize when another player may be better for the job and willingly hand off the responsibility so that they can defeat the traitor. Similarly, a good leader knows the strengths of each of their group members and can delegate tasks for the advantage of the team.

The most difficult part of this game is the imbalance within the haunts. It can make the game tedious for the players who don’t seem to have any way to win. In our game, the traitor was defeated after just a few turns and never seemed to get closer to her objective. The game was still enjoyable, but the rest of us felt bad for succeeding when it seemed as though she had no chance. I am excited to try Betrayal Legacy, which is supposed to be a much more balanced experience.

I think my friend Nathan would enjoy this game, as it has a good story behind it but still requires some good strategy.