CHICAGO — A board game based on famed killed H. H. Holmes’ “murder castle” is raising money on Kickstarter.
The game, called “Crimes in History: H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle” and created by Blueprint Gaming Concepts, boasts that it’s about “backstabbing and thrilling absurdities” on Kickstarter, where it’s raising funds.
Once finished, two to six people will be able to play the game, which sees competitors search the infamous castle for evidence of Holmes’ crimes.
Holmes was a serial killer who built a mansion in Englewood and lured people to it during the 1893 World’s Fair, torturing and killing his victims.
The mansion at 63rd and Wallace gained international fame when Holmes’ misdeeds were revealed, and it’s been dubbed the “murder castle.” The home — which supposedly had hidden rooms, gas chambers and a basement for disposing of Holmes’ bodies — was badly damaged in a fire and is now gone. A post office sits at the site.
The game will allow players to build and explore Holmes’ castle while encountering booby traps like brick walls and seeping gas, according to its Kickstarter page. Participants can choose to play as six fictional characters, including actress Lola Radcliffe, architect Jeremiah Pinkerton and Ald. Hoyt Flemming.
The game was co-created by Holly Carden, an artist who also made a popular jigsaw puzzle based on Holmes’ mansion. When Blueprint Gaming Concepts saw Carden’s puzzle, they reached out to her to do the art of the new “Murder Castle” game.
Blueprint Gaming Concepts behind “Murder Castle” is trying to raise $27,600 to produce the game, and so far has gotten more than $7,800 on Kickstarter.
If the Kickstarter goal is met and surpassed, the company will also be able to fund expansions and improvements to the game.
The Kickstarter fundraiser ends in mid-February. Backers can pledge any amount of money, but the minimum pledge needed to get a copy of the game is $49. Higher pledges can get access to expansions and allow donors to design their own room tiles in the castle, among other things.
