Arkham Horror

by Fantasy Flight Games

Product Features

• The classic cooperative game of Lovecraftian horror
• Based upon the works of renowned horror writer HP Lovecraft
• Age: 12+
• Number of Players: 1 - 8
• Playing Time: 2-4 hrs

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 11.8 x 11.8 inches ; 5.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: 1589942108
• Item model number: VA09
• Manufacturer recommended age: 12 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #872 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #65 in Toys & Games > Games > Board Games
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Arkham Horror was originally published by Chaosium, Inc., in 1987. This new, updated edition features stunning new artwork and graphical design (including a new gameboard, counters, cards, and playing pieces) as well as revised and expanded rules from the game's original creator, Richard Launius.Players can select from 16 unique playable investigator characters, each with unique abilities, and will square off against the diabolical servants of 8 Ancient Ones, including Ithaqua, Hastur, and the terrible Cthulhu! No fan of the Cthulhu Mythos will want to miss the opportunity to acquire this classic Call of Cthulhu board game!Arkham Horror is a cooperative game for 1-8 players ages 12 and up, and can be played in 2-3 hours.

Product Description

The town of Arkham, Massachusetts is in a panic. Horrific and bizarre events have begun to occur with increasing frequency -- all seeming to point towards some cataclysmic event in the near future that may spell disaster for everyone. Only one small band of investigators can save Arkham from the Great Old Ones and destruction. This new, updated edition features stunning new artwork and graphical design as well as revised and expanded rules. No fan of the Cthulhu Mythos will want to miss this opportunity to acquire this classic Call of Cthulhu boardgame! The game contains the usual high-quality components used by Fantasy Flight Games. For 1 to 8 players, the game takes 2-3 hours to play.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best board game ever made, May 8, 2007

By 

Mark Twain (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

I bought this game when it came out. Since then, i have purchased the Black Pharaoh and Dunwich expansions, and we (a group of 5 of us) easily say this is one of our favorite board games ever. The game assumes that you already know something about Lovecraft and the Cthulu Mythos, although if you don't, it does not mean you can't enjoy the game. It just means you might not really understand why a Hound of Tindalos drives you so insane, or what exactly an Elder Thing is.

The unique aspect of the game is its cooperative play. With 2-8 players (with 4-5 being the sweet spot) you work together to defeat one of many Great Old Ones that are intent on destroying Arkham and possibly the entire world. Each game changes the GOO you fight, and there are multiple investigators to pick from, so you aren't playing the same hero each time either. Add to this mix hundreds of common item cards, unique items, spells, and encounters for dozens of locations, and you have a game with practically unlimited replayability.

The object of the game is to move around the board, either fighting or evading monsters that spawn from gates, while collecting clues and having encounters. You can try to seal the gates and prevent monsters from coming through them, but if you don't act fast enough, the GOO will eventually awaken and it comes down to a final combat that is sometimes impossible to win.

One thing dissenters say about this game is that you have to manage lots of "fiddly" bits. And true, you have a ton of playing pieces to arrange and manage throughout the game: your health, Sanity, clues, cards, skill sliders. But once you get into rhythm of the game it all comes naturally (although it will take around 3-5 games to get used to it).

[...]

Note however, that the game becomes increasingly harder with each expansion you add. As of this writing, The King in Yellow comes out this month, and it is going to add a whole new level of difficulty to an already hard game. But the key to AH is this:

THE FUN IS NOT IN THE WINNING.

It is just in the playing, even if you lose horribly (and you will) it is fun seeing just HOW bad you lose. Sometimes the game seems to be alive and is plotting against your every move.

Ok, that's enough ranting. I can't say enough good things about Arkham Horror. Buy the base game, and then slowly integrate the expansions to keep the options coming. It only gets better.

75 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining romp into unspeakable horror (Lose 1 Sanity Point Now), March 17, 2006

By 

Mojo Jojo - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:1.0 out of 5 stars 

I liked this game quite a bit. I will say it's only loosely based on Lovecraft's themes. But then again, if it were accurate, it wouldn't be much of a game. TURN ONE: Draw Encounter Card. "Oh, you've run across an unnameable horror. Lose all Sanity points. Go directly to Arkham Asylum. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Do not do anything for the rest of the game."

No, thankfully, it's a little more upbeat.

The game isn't perfect. It's rules, while not actually all that complicated, are easy to get wrong the first one or two times you play. And it takes a little longer to play than I normally like. Also, I almost always use house rules (less Clue tokens to seal a gate, spending less time in the Otherworlds, etc.) But as a sort of fantasy adventure game where the players work against the game, it works pretty well. I enjoy it mostly for its storytelling aspects, and the fact that the game has so many items, characters, and monsters that you'd have to play several times to see them all.

The biggest flaw is a bit of randomness in the gameplay. At times, it can seem like the players are just wandering around, but usually I always feel like I'm working toward something. It's neat having a character with different strengths and weaknesses, and facing a variety of monsters. And each Ancient One affects the basic aspects of gameplay enough to be interesting.

The components are of amazing quality. Thick cardboard chits with full color, great illustrated character and Ancient One sheets. The monster tokens are a bit small, but still nicely illustrated.

A fun game. Not to be taken too seriously, but worthwhile for a bit of weird atmosphere. (NOW LOSE ANOTHER SANITY POINT AND GO BACK TO ARKHAM ASYLUM FOR READING THIS REVIEW THAT MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO KNOW)

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Play the game that hates you and wants to eat your soul!, February 15, 2008

By 

Scott Richardson (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Arkham Horror is extraordinarily complex, and can be a very long game, but it's a ton of fun. Investigators search Arkham and the realms beyond for clues, weapons, and other tools to fight the Ancient Ones. What makes it such a great game is that the mechanics make it a constantly-shifting battle. The investigators can have one thing planned, and everyone knows what their part is going to be, and then suddenly a new effect occurs, entirely shifting the dynamics of what's going on in the game. Teamwork, communication between the players, collaboration, and strategic planning are all vital to the group's success.

Another great feature of this game is that it can be played solo--an option I recommend for first-timers, before introducing it to a group. I solo'd the game before introducing it to my game group, and it was very, very helpful. As I mentioned, there are a LOT of mechanics at work in this game, and it helps to play through it a time or two to get used to what's going on. Ultimately, it's great to play with 4-5 people.

The biggest potential drawback for more casual gamers is that it's a very, very long game. 5-6 hours is probably a fairly accurate estimate of how long an actual game will take. However, the game does a pretty solid job of capturing the feel of Lovecraft's works, and for those hours, you'll feel like you're really battling for your life. Each time my game group plays this game, we come away exhausted, but also exhilarated.

I strongly recommend this game for fans of Lovecraft, horror games, and cooperative strategy games in general.