A good idea for an Halloween moment with board game : Atmosfear / Nightmare

Very few board games have particularly affected me during my early childhood or adolescence. Coming from a single-parent family, I had very few opportunities to practice this kind of fun. Having developed a solitary character that was not conducive to socialization through play during this period of childhood, my taste for interaction nevertheless changed when my cousin introduced me to various titles that were significant for me. Finally, I was able to engage in an activity that developed collaboration and imagination, while stimulating reflection. I still remember with a certain nostalgia the nights spent around Hero Quest, who was my gateway to the world of board role-playing. A great fun and more than rewarding experience ! But among the myriad of games available in my playful companions' cupboard, there remained a box that aroused more than all my interest and lust, especially for its atmospheric virtues and for its connection with the occult. On the eve of Halloween, I suggest you to immerse yourself in a game with a unique atmosphere that will perfectly accompany this evening full of strange and frightening moments.

Video at the centre of the game

In the early 1990s, board games went round in circles and were in desperate need of innovation. Despite the public's plebiscite with the great classics Monopoly or Risk, which are gradually showing their age, the fact remains that other playful forms are gradually emerging for their innovative qualities. The video game has serious assets in terms of evasion and interactivity. Gradually, the demand for these new forms of gambling will increase. The only problem is that the individual nature of these new technologies makes it difficult, or even impossible, to travel on an adventure together and thus maintain a semblance of a social bond. It was then that a crazy, but brilliant, idea came from an Australian television production company, known as A Couple'A Cowboys PTY LTD. Although the FMV (Full Motion Video) game is not an example of interaction, the company nevertheless suggests creating a board game using a central element that has made its way into the majority of homes : VHS. In collaboration with Parker and Village Roadshow, the first version of Atmosfear (Nightmare for the North American market) was launched in 1991.

Original in its process and development, Atmosfear will gain a fine reputation among the general public for its macabre and horrific appearance. As genre films had a very special aura during this period, it did not take long for amateurs, including myself, to find an interest in this dark title outside the box. For the first time, a title of this type offered a gloomy and frightening experience, featuring popular fantasy myths that reinforce the supernatural character of the whole. This is how we will embody or submit to the orders of characters better known for their enigmatic sides such as the Gatekeeper, the beast of Gévaudan, the Baron Samedi, Anne de Chantraine or Elisabeth Bathory ! A casting that is well rooted in the minds of those who have all lived through the ages with their horrific stories !

A snorkeling dive !

The game takes place in a cemetery composed of mass graves, a kind of place of detention designed to delay the player's progress. A maximum of six people can take part in the adventure. As a preamble, they write their greatest fears on a piece of paper and then place them in the coffin located in the centre of the tray. To access it, you must progress in the cemetery by turning clockwise, while avoiding the famous mass graves. Then follows a one-hour race against the clock when you start the video ! The game is won if one of the participants manages to collect six special keys. Then, he must return as soon as possible to the central coffin where the players' fears are stored. The player then picks up a fear, if this card is the one of another participant, the latter stops the tape and wins the game.

However, your journey will clearly not be a serene one, as many obstacles await you! It will not be uncommon to be challenged by the master of the game then on the screen, trying in turn to make a fool of yourself and stop your progress, sometimes by penalizing you heavily ! Since yes, it is quite possible that none of you can achieve his goal, leaving the victory to the host who supervises it ! Tension goes hand in hand with the inexorable passage of time. The use of sound and image intensifies this frantic race, increasing the rhythm as the fateful moment approaches !

A moment of playful fright !

Atmosfear was one of my most beautiful social experiences and its very special atmosphere remains an excellent choice if you are eager for strangeness. The actors' acting can be surprising, as it is sometimes so grandiloquent and clearly overbidding to surprise the group. That being said, it is part of the atmosphere if you let yourself be transported by the proposed context. The game was given four extensions in its "classic" branch before being reworked on DVD during its reboot in 2004. If you want to participate in this unique moment, it will be necessary to take into account the fact that video is an essential element, unfortunately stored on an obsolete medium (VHS). But don't lose hope, because all four adventures are available on Youtube. This will undoubtedly allow us to recycle this wonderful title that has shone in the past ! Note the existence of amateur extensions, the result of a cult dedicated by a small community. So don't hesitate to enter this game and your nightmare !