FFG Arkham Horror Card Game

You can easily get by with just the one core set for the game, but I wanted to buy a second core set as I felt that the extra copy of cards for 'Agnes Baker' in particular was definitely needed. For example there is a spell called 'Shriveling' which has four charges. That's pretty much the only way that Agnes and Daisy (the Seeker investigator which can use Mystic class-cards) can reliably do damage to enemies. So if you can't find that one copy of the card you feel pretty helpless, especially Daisy given her low evade/agility stats and health. It is a fantastic game however. I was not a fan of the whole Cthulhu mythos but I am a fan of co-operative board games. Having played Netrunner for a couple of years, I was curious as to how a co-operative Living Card Game (LCG) by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) would work. Having watched the demo online last year, I was sold. There is great depth in the core set, which gives you enough classes/investigators to try out before deciding on whether purchasing a second core set (which was my case) and/or 'The Dunwich Legacy' big-box expansion. From there, you can purchase the monthly mythos packs to continue on the story which starts with 'The Dunwich Legacy' box. Scales well from one to four players; great game to play solo or even with your significant other. Just a word about whom I purchased the game from: My friendly local game store had been unable to get the game in stock (given it's popularity) and found 'Shop4World' selling the game around £5 cheaper than everyone else. Surely too good to be true? Turned out much better than I thought! Ordered around 11pm on Thursday night, arrived on Tuesday morning over a bank holiday weekend in Ireland. Delivery was so fast, the money for my purchase hadn't left my account by the time it had arrived! Delighted with the speed of delivery (as you might know) and cheaper than most other suppliers. Could not be happier!

I am quite new to board games and I wanted something interesting to play with my flatmate during the lockdown. The game is quite challenging and offers different difficulties. Even though the campaign felt a little bit short (about 2 hours for each of the 3 scenarios), no campaign feels the same because of the option to choose different characters and difficulties, as well as options that have their consequences and resolutions. As with all luck-based games, it can be quite frustrating at times but nothing too crazy. PROS: co-operative (you all play against the game rather than each-other), quite dynamic, fast-progressing rounds; interesting and detailed storyline to really enhance the role-playing experience; beautiful artwork; good mechanics for beginners; customisation options with DLCs and expansion packs; CONS: game rules can be quite tricky and hard to learn at the beginning, we had to look up a few instances online; if you're looking for a long-winded, intricate campaign then this is definitely not the game for you (although with DLCs and expansion packs it could be); luck plays a big role so no matter how good you character is you can still lose; some cards have weird wording on them so it's useful to look up online what they mean OVERALL: I would definitely recommend this game if you're into similar role-playing, storyline games. As for the materials themselves, the game looks well-made and printed on nice stock :).

This edition of Arkham horror is for 2 players only, it's a great way to experience the system and see if you like it. If like me you do enjoy it and want more though you might regret not going for the revised edition which plays up to 4 and is more user friendly for beginners. 3 mission campaign included is a good experience but realistically you'll need expansion content to really get the most out of this box. The campaign is replayable but alot of the fun comes from the discovery element of the game/story. A full run of the three missions takes about 4 or 5 hours, I've replayed the campaign twice now and there are increased difficulties you can try and different results depending on how you perform but realistically what's included here will give you about 20-30 hours of game.

Lets get the negative out of the way first The cons: It has a very steep learning curve, I recommend watching some YouTube videos there are a load of them(the Arkham Chronicle ones are very clear and entertaining to boot) but once you get your head around them you'll be okay. It's brutal... prepare to fail. I have no idea how anyone could survive on hard or expert! But it is very tough. Okay now lets get positive. You maybe wondering why I've given the game 5 stars with cons. It's because once you learn the rules it's not a problem and if I went through the story in one sitting it wouldn't be any fun at all, but for you if you get frustrated with games you can't pick up right away or that are tough on you maybe this isn't the game for you. The Pros: The story is very well done. The artwork on the cards is excellent. The gameplay is loads of fun with unpredictable events and challenges. Don't worry about replay value. Okay once you have played through the first time you will know the story but trying it with different characters and difficulties + deck building and fan made scenarios on boardgamegeek will keep you busy

Bought this about a week ago and my wife and I have played it almost every night. The story is great and the challenge is right up there. We couldn't successfully complete the campaign in our first few plays but it was fun chatting after losing about what we could've done better. Once we tried a different 2 investigators and dumped the suggested original 2 we started to make progress. On our second attempt we absolutely smashed the 1st scenario, scrapped through the 2nd and are playing the 3rd and final one tonight. There's lots of cards that I think will keep replayability high, not to mention the options that the expansions bring to the table. The components are the usual FFG great quality although I would've liked some more resource tokens but that's just nit picking. We REALLY love this game, so much so that the postie delivered the 1st upgrade "The Dunwich Legacy" to us this very morning! I've never bought a game expansion so soon after buying a core set so that should tell you something. If you like The Lord of the Rings LCG or something similar like Warhammer Adventure Card game and enjoy a bit of tension and horror then this game could be right up you street. A keeper!

This is the core set needed to play this series of Arkham Horror living card game. Unlike others, this is not about building decks and competing against another deck, rather you work together to beat the scenario and advance the story. This game really immerses you in the world of Arkham and is as much fun solo as co-op. Cards, as expected from Fantasy Flight, are well made as are the illustrations. Its fairly simple to learn and pick up and I loved that scenarios have randomness so no 2 play-throughs are exact the same; choices you make in previous scenarios affect future ones during your campaign, which the idea of building your character XP to continue is quite exciting and will be continuing to purchase the expansions. Great game.

The game itself is fantastic, lots of fun with plenty of replayability, we're already planning on grabbing the expansions after just 2 weeks. The cards are beautiful, in a maggot-eye, squidfest kind of way and the counters are surprisingly sturdy for cardboard. Arrived quickly and in great condition. My only complaints would be that the package design is a little frustrating; lots of wasted space and a pretty dire storage system. Also, as most people have said, no dedicated bag. Not a big issue, but it would have helped the purchase feeling complete

Arkham Horror: The Card Game is an immersive and thrilling game that offers an exciting experience for players who enjoy strategy and adventure. My partner and I, who are new to this type of game, initially found it challenging to understand the rules and mechanics. However, after watching some instructional videos, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the game and truly appreciate its depth and complexity. The gameplay involves a combination of strategy, exploration, and storytelling that keeps players engaged and invested in the outcome of the game. The variety of characters and decks allows for endless replayability, as each game offers a unique and exciting experience. One of the standout features of this game is the high-quality artwork and design. The attention to detail in the cards, tokens, and game board creates an immersive and atmospheric experience that draws players into the world of Arkham Horror. Overall, Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a challenging and rewarding game that is well worth the investment. While it may take some time to fully grasp the rules and mechanics, the payoff is a thrilling and engaging experience that is sure to captivate both new and experienced gamers alike.

Good packaging and quality of the product is top notch

Took hours of reading and watching and playing to understand the game. Do not buy if you're not patient with learning games as this is the hardest table top game I've learned. The instructions and manual books are clear, but there are MANY rules and technicalities to learn. That said, now, after 2 scenarios complete, I understand the game well enough that I do not need to refer to the Rules book while playing. The deck building with a single core box is quite good for 1-2 players but made better (or just wait for the revised box) with a second - and necessary for 3-4 players. All 5 investigators are unique in multiple ways and have their own personality. The Lovecraftian theme is present from the introductory scenario and sets the tone for the game. While you won't lose the game in a traditional sense, you may not get a favorable outcome. The artwork is also great across the cards. This has become my favorite table top game for the time being.

This is an excellent game for two folks holed up together trying to survive a pandemic – with a couple assumptions: 1) You either have to have at least one person who is fairly confident with tabletop games and will be responsible for learning a pretty complex rule system – or at least be willing to dedicate a pretty decent amount of time understanding the rules. 2) You understand that this game is a whole system, where you will continue to buy new scenarios and campaigns and is absolutely not a one-time investment Provided the above are true, this is a very fun strategic co-op game. This core set is actually our second set. We have been playing as a couple for about a year and a half now and we finally gave in and bought a second core set. Unless you are a person with a lot of money on your hands who wants the absolute best experience, don't buy two core sets for two players right off the bat. Definitely start with just one core set, do those scenarios and see how you feel about the game. This review will talk about the game as a system, not just the core set. TYPE OF GAMEPLAY This is technically a deck-building game, however it is very easy to find suggested decks online so if that isn't your thing, that's okay. I don't like deck-building so I often do that and then tweak as I go on. My partner loves deck-building, so he builds his own. Sometimes he manages to make terrible decks and we struggle, but that’s fun for him. There is a lot of cohesion opportunity with mechanics so if you are the kind of person who likes to maximize systems you will probably find that very satisfying in this game. You can pick a type of character you really like and keep rolling with that style, or you can try new things. If you want to play a character that's all fight you definitely can. You DO have to consider team composition though and will struggle if you play with two players and both want to be all fight all the time. LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY I'll be real, the rules are complex. We have been playing for over a year and while we understand the game well we do still sometimes have to stop and look up the exact order a certain event may happen in. Every scenario we play there is at least one quick google search to see how other's thing a particular card interaction should work. It's not bad, but it is cumbersome. Most of the time you don't notice it once you get in a groove, but when you have to stop to look something up it can bring the game to a grinding halt which has been frustrating before. LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY I would recommend this game for people who are already tabletop gamers, or are willing to be a good sport. You might fail in this game, and you might fail a lot. The good thing is that there are multiple settings for difficultly. If your crew is the type that wants to do everything the hard way then they can play with the hard rules, if you want to just enjoy the story and not feel like you could lose at any minute then play on easy. We play on standard and it's usually fine. We have had a couple scenarios that just seem totally unnecessarily punishing but that's okay. It's normal to not succeed at every single scenario in a campaign. The rules and the campaigns are laid out very well that your choices, your successes and your failures all matter and that can be really fun to see payoff later in the campaign. TEAM You will have to select a "lead investigator" who will take their turn first. At the beginning I'd recommend having that be the person most comfortable with the rules. There is also some notetaking that has to happen, so having the other person take charge of that is a nice way to split responsibilities. SPOOKINESS The content of this game is obviously inspired by the world of Lovecraft. If you don't like the Occult, you won't like this game. If you don't like spooky, you might not like it or you might be fine with it. There's always "Barkham Asylum" which is a cute spinoff of this game that is with dogs and cats. If you have a friend who might want to play but is put off by the content, maybe start with that. If they end up finding the gameplay compelling enough you might get them to join the regular game later. The Forgotten Age is also more tomb-raidery/Indiana Jonesy so that might also be a good entry point for those folks. DIVERSITY IN MAIN CHARACTERS Board games can be hit or miss when it comes to showing varied and complex characters that don't all look the same. I am a woman (a white cis woman if that lens is helpful to you as a reader), and I like to play as women in games if I can. I have played as a woman character in every campaign we have done. I have enjoyed every single one of those characters. The core set comes with three female characters and two male. Further campaigns seem generally balanced, sometimes having slightly more male characters or slightly more female characters. I believe in the core set and the first campaign (Dunwich Legacy) all the women are white. That does change later but it's still a little limited. That being said, you don't have to do the campaigns in order of release, so if you want a particular character, you can buy that campaign and play with her in any other campaign. To my knowledge there are no explicitly mentioned non-binary characters and sexuality isn't mentioned for any characters except if it’s a part of their backstory (I can only think of one person off the top of my head and that's Mark Harrigan who seems to be straight). Racism, sexism and homophobia do not appear to have been used as plot points at all in this game (at least in the campaigns I have played). While I would call this game dark and gritty, I wouldn't say it’s the type of dark that is used as an excuse to be gross to groups of people so that's nice. There are a couple cards that borrow from themes of Native Americans without a lot of context. The campaign I am currently playing (The Forgotten Age) does discuss indigenous peoples. I believe the people in that campaign are fictional and because I haven't finished the campaign I can't say whether I think there are any missteps with how it's been handled. CONCLUSION All in all, I love this game. It's challenging, its interesting, but it can be cumbersome. If it's worth it for you to do a bit of work and pay quite a bit of money, then it's a nice way to spend quality time with the person you are stuck social-distancing with. Much to our chagrin, our cats love it too and often cause havoc at the table (there are some little bits and pieces that they find attractive). In the pic I included we are using special upgraded tokens that we purchased. This set comes with cardboard tokens. Because the campaigns are long and interesting I think we will replay them once we have finished all the ones that are currently out, so long term there is some replay ability but probably not right away. Playing as different characters would definitely add some novelty as well.

Great Co-op card game. It highlights the feeling of dread greatly.

Es un juego que mezcla roles ocultos y cartas como Dixie, es muy entretenido. Ideal para 4 personas. Bonitas cartas y presentación, no le falta detalle.