The Night Cage Cooperative Horror Board Game

About this product

Your candle is fading, the maze keeps changing, and the only way out is together.

Fully cooperative horror board game • 1–5 players • Ages 14+ • Approx. 50 minutes

Explore an ever-changing labyrinth by candlelight, find the keys and reach the gate together before the darkness closes in.

Product Description

You wake in a pitch-black labyrinth with several other prisoners, a dim candle and no clear way out.

In The Night Cage, your candle illuminates only the passages immediately around you. Move forward and new paths emerge from the darkness, but as your light moves away, the passages behind you disappear forever. The maze continually builds and destroys itself around you, making every decision matter.

Work together to explore the labyrinth, help each Prisoner secure a Key and eventually gather at a Gate to make your escape. But you are not alone in the dark. Wax Eaters lurk beyond the glow, waiting for movement to bring an unfortunate Prisoner into their path.

Simple tile-placement mechanics create an atmospheric cooperative challenge built around communication, timing and collective strategy. The constantly changing maze keeps every game uncertain, while an Advanced Game and adjustable difficulty options give returning groups even more ways to test their nerve.

How long will your light last?

Why You’ll Love It

• An ever-changing labyrinth: Passages disappear once they fall beyond the reach of your candlelight, so the route behind you may never be there again.
• True cooperative play: Communicate, plan and make difficult decisions together as you search for Keys and a way out.
• Atmosphere without heavy rules: Accessible mechanics create tension and strategic decisions without requiring an overly complex ruleset.
• Plenty of replayability: Changing tile draws make every labyrinth different, while advanced rules and difficulty adjustments add further challenges.
• Solo or group play: Enter the darkness alone or work together with up to five players.

Quick Details

• Players: 1–5
• Recommended Age: 14+
• Playing Time: Approx. 50 minutes, typically around 40–60 minutes
• Game Type: Cooperative horror board game
• Core Mechanic: Tile placement and exploration
• Setting: An ever-changing underground labyrinth
• Objective: Each Prisoner must secure a Key before the group gathers at a Gate and escapes together
• Designers: Chris Chan, Chris McMahon and Rosswell Saunders
• Publisher: Smirk & Dagger Games
• Standalone Game: Yes

Good to Know

• The Night Cage is fully cooperative , the Prisoners escape together or lose together.
• Candlelight reveals only nearby connected passages, and tiles that fall back into darkness are removed from play.
• In a solo game, one player controls four Prisoners.
• The standard game introduces the Wax Eaters, while the rulebook also includes an Advanced Game, optional difficulty adjustments and additional threats.
• Setup is designed to be quick, while the changing maze keeps repeat plays unpredictable.
• Expansion available but no expansion is required to play the base game.
• Ready to discover what waits beneath the maze? Continue the cooperative horror with The Night Cage: Shrieking Hollow Board Game Expansion, adding the Hollow, The Other, new monsters, Pathway Cards and even more ways for the darkness to fight back.

• Rulebook: View The Night Cage Rules (PDF)

Components

• 120 Tiles
• 1 Dimensional Tile Holder
• 5 Metal Key Tokens
• 5 Wooden Prisoner Tokens
• 14 Nerve Tokens
• 1 Double-Sided Game Board
• 1 4th Prisoner Marker
• 5 Prisoner Status Cards
• 1 Double-Sided Discard Board
• 1 Rulebook with scaling difficulty