Co-op and multiplayer horror Haunted house

Boo Men

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Rob the ghosts' houses, and stay in the light.

Platforms: PC
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (87% of 2,648 reviews)
Players: 1 to 4 (online co-op); up to 5 in PvP with one as the Boo Man
Made by: Twisted Corridor
Released: 2022

What frightens You are a burglar robbing homes in the dark, and the Boo Men, ghostly monsters, lurk wherever the light does not reach. Every lamp you turn on drains the power, a blackout sends you hunting for the breaker in the dark, and one may already be standing in a lit room waiting for someone to switch it off.
Content: gore, blood.

Boo Men is an online co-op horror game for one to four players in which a crew of burglars steals from houses haunted by monsters called Boo Men. The lights keep you safe, but every one you turn on drains the power, and when it runs out the house goes dark.

About Boo Men

Boo Men is a first-person co-op horror game by Twisted Corridor, released in Early Access on Steam in September 2022. You are a thief sent to burglarise homes with a list of items to steal before you are allowed to leave. Play with up to three friends and split the money, or go in alone and keep it all.

The rule is in the subtitle: stay in the light. The Boo Men lurk in the dark, so you switch lamps on as you go. The more lights are on, the faster the power drains, and when it fails the house drops into darkness and someone has to find the breaker to turn it back on. A Boo Man may also be hiding in a lit room, waiting for someone to turn the light off.

There are eight Boo Men, each with its own way of playing, eight maps from small houses to large ones, five difficulties and randomised spawns, and custom games can stack several of any Boo Man at once. A PvP mode lets one player be the Boo Man against up to four friends. Between jobs, the money you steal buys burglar masks, perks and access to richer houses. Proximity voice chat means you hear a friend scream from the next room.

The game is still in Early Access, and Steam notes that its last developer update was over two years ago. It suits small groups who want a co-op night in dark houses with a heist to finish and a power meter to watch.

How to play Boo Men

Pick a house and go in alone or with up to three friends.
Check the list of items you must steal before you can leave.
Turn on lights as you search, since the Boo Men lurk in the dark.
Watch the power: when too many lights drain it, find the breaker and switch it back on.
Grab every item on the list and get out, then spend the money on masks, perks and richer houses.

Screenshots

Bloody footprints across a bathroom floor beside a towel rail and toilet

During a power outage, a dark room seen by green glow stick light with 'Don't steal from ghosts' written on the wall and a figure in the doorway

A green-lit monster standing in a doorway as the player holds up a glow stick

Two giant clown-faced figures in a colourful polka-dot funhouse corridor

Tips

Only light the rooms you need; every lamp drains power faster.
Learn where the breaker is early so a blackout does not catch you lost.
Do not trust a lit room completely, since a Boo Man can wait in the light.
Talk to your crew over proximity chat so you know who is still alive.

Questions

How many players can play Boo Men?

One to four in online co-op. In PvP, one player can be a Boo Man against the others, up to five players in all.

Is Boo Men finished?

No. It is an Early Access game, and Steam notes the developer's last update was over two years ago.

What platforms is Boo Men on?

Windows PC, on Steam.

Is Boo Men scary?

It is built on fear of the dark: monsters lurk wherever the lights are off, and the power keeps running down. Steam lists gore and death in its content notes.