Nightmare: The Video Board Game

Nightmare: The Video Board Game haunted a generation of Aussie kids and brought jump scares and cheesy thrills to Halloween game nights. Best played in the dead of night with the lights off ('Turn the volume up and the lights down' screams the ad), Nightmare made smart use of a VHS tape to create an ‘immersive’ horror experience like no other title on the market. Key to enjoying the game was the deliciously over-the-top performance by Belarusian actor Wenanty Nosul as the menacing Gatekeeper who barked orders, unleashed surprises and jolted players out of their seats. Players had to write down their deepest fear and place it in the centre of the board. The goal was to be the first to reach the end before the time on the VHS tape ran out, while keeping your secret safe ... or else the Gatekeeper won. 

The interactive game's creators, former TV reporters Phillip Tanner and Brett Clements, first crossed paths on the kids' show Simon Townsend's Wonder World! The duo launched their board game venture after filming a story with the wildly successful games distributor Crown and Andrews. Nightmare spawned three expansions and was resurrected in the 2000s as Atmosfear, swapping VHS for DVD but keeping the screams intact. It's a '90s cult classic that lives on in the memories of grown-up fans who still remember hearing, 'Whose turn is it next, maggot?'.