Elder Sign Board Game

Although I've always been a big gaming fan I only recently started getting into the hobby seriously, after taking some time to read several reviews I decided to make Elder Sign one of the first additions to my collection - and I'm so glad I did.Initially I was interested in Arkham Horror because I really love the theme of the game but its so huge and detailed I wanted something a bit lighter that still had the feel and atmosphere that Arkham brings, which is where Elder Sign steps in. This is set in the same Lovecraft universe as Arkham but takes that rich theme and condenses it into a 60 to 90 minute gaming experience instead of the colossal 240+ minute marathon that Arkham delivers. So obviously this makes Elder Sign a much less intimidating game for somebody who is just getting started in gaming but wants a taste of that dark horror/sci-fi vibe, also at a much lower cost.Just in case you don't already know in Elder Sign you and the other players work together as a group of 1920's pulp investigators making your way around an old museum and completing adventures in the many different areas of the building in a collective effort to stop one of the ancient evil gods from entering our world and basically destroying everything.Overall for me this game ticks so many boxes, firstly it sets up quickly and the various cards and components are all beautifully made with great artwork. Secondly its easy to learn and teach which makes it perfect to pick up and play in a fairly short space of time. Thirdly it plays at a good speed and doesn't ever feel boring, thanks to the fast paced dice rolling nature of the game it gets really exciting at times. And finally the whole thing is dripping with that great Lovecraftian theme, everything from the monsters and investigators right down to the items you collect - it's very satisfying going into a creepy old museum armed with The Necronomicon and a tommy gun.So if you're interested in Arkham or Eldritch Horror but like me you want something more accessible then have a look at Elder Sign. Also even if you have no interest in these other games but want a fun cooperative game that plays quickly and has a solid theme then definitely pick this up.

I wasnt sure what to expect when I ordered this. I have recently just got back into gaming, as an alternative to playing video games as I was finding that video games ont really excite me like they are used to.First off I have to say that the production quality is absolutely excellent. All of the tokens are sturdy, and well designed with great artwork. The same goes for the cards which definitely feel robust (although I might get sleeves for them later down the line).Elder Sign can be played with anything from 1 to 8 players. I have only played 1 and 2 player games at the moment, but would definitely like to get some more players involved. Even as a 1 player game, this really stands up well, but I roped my daughter into playing and we had a blast. The games so far have lasted 1-2 hours, with the first taking the longest as I was constantly referring to the rules, but once I had the basics down it got a lot quicker.I mainly bought this, as my daughter has recently started enjoying games, but doesnt cope well with the competitive side of things, so we play as a team. Both the games I have played have been very difficult, but we won both times.I really enjoy the fact that by shuffling and randomly dealing the demon/adventure/investgator cards you can have a completely different game every time.Although this is initially a deep game to get in to, it doesnt take long, and Im pretty much hooked already. Im already looking into the expansion packs.

Components: All of the cardboard pieces are of high quality material and are pleasantly thick, so there are no problems in picking the pieces up. The cards have a nice, high-quality textured feel to them. However, although the adventure cards are a nice 'tarot card' size, the smaller ones (which are smaller than normal playing cards) can be a bit fiddly when shuffling. The custom dice are also high quality and will last a very long time.Rules: The rulebook is quite brief but explains everything clearly with examples of gameplay given. At the back of the booklet, there is a quick guide to reference when playing to show the players the order of what they have to do.Gameplay: The artwork is of professional quality and is extremely pleasant to look at, with many cards providing some flavour text for additional immersion. Although it's worth noting that only the adventure cards contain flavour text, the other cards such as the player cards do not. The amount of randomness can alter slightly depending on the players' preferences. For example, the players may choose who to play as and what Elder God to fight against, or they may choose at random. With that said, there is some strategic elements the players must consider such as which adventure card to pick and deciding on whether the risk vs reward is worth it.Replay Value: Due to the amount of randomness, Elder Sign has a lot of replay value, ranging from adventure cards having certain terror effects that will affect the players negatively, or an Elder God's power that may be prevalent throughout the game. I have been spoilt a little by Betrayal at House on the Hill, with winning and losing flavour texts telling us a brief story on the outcome of the games. With Elder Sign, once you have beaten (or lost to) an Elder God, that's it. This somewhat breaks a little immersion, although this is subjective.Fun: Is it a fun game? Yes. The various mechanics the game has to offer does make this game quite fun to play, even with the sudden abruptness of the aforementioned flavour text, or lack thereof. I would definitely recommend this game to have in a board game collection.

This expansion for those who is already experienced with the base game and Unseen forces and Arkham expansion. Here you have to control storm tokens' effects, season's effect and etc. It is quite challenging because while collecting Elder Signs, you must control the time. If you are on the 8th day - you lost (winter mode). And Ancients are able only from this expansion. And they are quite difficult. But the atmosphere and story (yes, it has a simple storytelling) are amazing!!! Especially if you play in winter. You must understand that chanses to win here are very low.. Mostly the game for atmosphere and experience and not for win.

If you’re a fan of the cosmic horror genre looking for a fun, quick-to-set-up, moderate-length game with excellent replayability & extra options in the form of two decent, mechanics enriching expansions then this should hit the spot, center target.The game play is what I like to describe as “complex farkle” - for those familiar with that classic dice rolling game - in the sense that your main action to complete quests or challenges, defeat enemies, etc. involves rolling specialized dice in an attempt to acquire the right symbols (etched on the dice faces) in the right combinations & amounts, with game mechanics that allow you to store or “bank” certain rolls & re-roll misses. This all happens against the back drop of earthly locations with attached quests goals - represented by cards arrayed in a grid- and where monsters may spawn to increase the challenge at that locale. Additionally, cosmic locations - so called “other worlds” - are also flory introduced & present their own challenges & rewards.All of this is, of course, leading up to either the summoning of an elder god or the heroes prevention of the summoning ritual … or their deaths. The base game has a satisfying roster of ancient ones to choose among, and additional options for increasing the difficulty of challenging them in replay. The two expansions (which I also purchased) add to this roster, as well as introducing new mechanics, new locations, monsters, etc.This is a game that’s perfect for one of those game nights where you want a decent challenge, but also want to maybe have some “hang time” & maybe casually play things out while eating, laughing, & talking. In other words, it’s not going to be the kind of all nighter or beat-over-three-days type of session, but a good tone will be had & you’ll be able to enjoy another game if you’d like or plan other activities without feeling like you missed out on any one kind of thing that evening, if you get my drift.Highly recommended :-)

Buena compra, esta expansión potencializa el juego y lo hace un poco más difícil.

Mi juego llegó con parte de la caja rota, me imagino que por el viaje ya que sólo venía protegido por una bolsa.El juego es muy divertido, fácil de aprender y jugar.Básicamente sacas 6 cartas de locación, cada carta es un escenario, cada escenario tiene varias filas de tareas para poder resolver ese misterio.Tiras una vez y ves si con los resultados puedes resolver una de las tareas a la vez, si es así, colocas los dados con esos símbolos de sobre los de la tarea y procedes a tirar los restantes para intentar resolver la siguiente tarea de ese escenario, si fallas la tarea, remueves un dado y tiras los demás hasta resolver las tareas de la carta o agotar tus dados (puedes adicionar dados extra, "salvar" resulta dos para futuras tiradas u obtener aliados mediante cartas que ganas como premio por resolver escenarios)Puedes ganar estamina o sanity (que son la vida de tus personajes) mediante cartas, regresando a la locación de la entrada del museo o cambiandolos trofeos (escenarios ganados) y si puedes, sacas otro personaje y listo.Cuenta con 48 cartas de escenarios 8 escenarios más llamados portales, 16 personajes con habilidades diferentes así como 44 cartas entre hechizos, objetos, armas y aliados que ayudan a no dejar todo a la suerte y cambiar resultados de los dados. Todo eso, lo vuelve un juego con muchísima rejugabilidad.La caja es mediana, como el tamaño de una caja de pizza chica.No depende del idioma ya que los resultados de perder o ganar un escenario vienen indicados debajo de cada uno, pero si sabes inglés o alguien del grupo sabe, puede leer el texto que viene en cada escenario, lo que le da un toque extra de ambiente al juego.La caja marca de 1 a 8 jugadores, las reglas no cambian independientemente del número de ellos.Así que si te gustan los juegos de ésta temática o tirar dados éste es tu juego.

Good board game and well packed