Arkham Horror: Maddeningly Fun and Difficult

Arkham Horror is a board game that H.P. Lovecraft would be proud to have his name on.  Why?  Well because its rules are so complex and numerous that it would drive even the staunchest of players into insane gibbering inmates at their local asylum.  Well that’s an exaggeration, it’s not that complicated.  It’s close though. Arkham Horror is a great board game for fans of H.P. Lovecraft and fans of intricate, difficult, and really fun games.

Arkham Horror is set in the mysterious town of Arkham during the roaring twenties.  Odd things are going on in town, with gates to other worlds opening and monsters roaming the streets.  It’s up to the players to stop the Ancient One from awakening and destroying the world.  The players play as characters included in the game.  They range from professors, to mobsters, to average salesmen.  Each one has their strengths and weaknesses.  The players then in turn go around the board finding clues, fighting monsters, closing gates and having adventures, pretty straight forward concept and goals.

 

Arkham Horror is made by Fantasy Flight so that means a few things.  Huge board, lots and lots of tokens/cards, and a rule book whose page numbers go into the mid-twenties.  It’s a cooperative game where the players don’t compete against each other, but against the board and events in game.  These can range from the harmless to the sadistic.  Let me make this clear:  The game hates you.  It hates your family.  It hates your dog.  It wants to hurt you in a myriad number of ways.  Once you get past that, the game gets really fun.  As for the rules as I mentioned they’re pretty complex and players not used to RPGs can have some difficulty getting used to them.  Once you and your players get a firm understanding, the game becomes a lot more fun.  Hopefully you won’t be looking at the rule book every other turn like I usually have to.

The game also has several expansion packs that introduce new mechanics and challenges.  They come in two sizes, big and small.  Big expansions, like The Dunwich Horror, include a new board, characters, and locations.  Essentially they add more breadth to the game, giving the players not only more places to go but also introducing new ways of playing through different characters.  Small expansions tend to add a slightly new mechanic or change an old one.  The Lurker at the Threshold for instance makes gates more difficult to close and increases their importance in the game.  I would recommend starting with small expansion packs because a) they’re cheaper, and b) they’re better for newer players.  They keep the game a little more manageable.

Overall I love this game and I enjoy playing it with other people.  It’s a lot fun, and once you get everyone up to speed on the rules, they’ll enjoy it too.  Arkham Horror is a great game night choice and great for introducing people to the world of Lovecraft.

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