Arkham Horror
“Ultimate horror often paralyses memory in a merciful way.” – “The Rats in the Walls”
My latest addiction is, without a doubt, Arkham Horror.
Produced by Fantasy Flight Games, Arkham Horror is steeped in the Lovecraft mythos, wherein a group of “investigators” are tasked with uncovering clues and destroying the horrors let loose upon the good city of Arkham, and to seal the gates that allowed them entry. Utilizing a variety of weapons, skills, uncommon items and spells, our intrepid band of protagonists must seal a given number of gates before the Ancient One awakens and a frantic final battle for the world ensues.
I’ll be the first to admit that Arkham Horror isn’t a game for everyone. Its complicated ruleset makes learning difficult for those not familiar with the genre, and there’s more than a few things that you’ll have to keep track of during each five phases of play. If you get confused about specific rules while learning the game, be sure to check out the amazingly helpful video tutorial that Eric Herman put together. Once you get the hang of it then gameplay becomes quite smooth, and what initially took 4+ hours to play can now be completed in 1.5 – 2 hours.
This cooperative (it’s you against the board) base game comes with 16 investigators and 8 Ancient Ones, which helps to keep the replay value exceptionally high. When you begin to get the hang of Arkham Horror and the win/loss ratio finally turns to your favor, you can begin to pick up the expansion boards and card sets.
Arkham Horror is one of those rare, engaging games that allows you to play solo or with a group of friends. Break out the beer, select an Ancient One, and you’re off! Beware…this sprawling game requires a huge footprint. A large dining room table is required, especially if incorporating an expansion board. You have been warned.
And before I forget, let me clue you in to a fact that all players should know; Mandy Thompson is far and away the best investigator of the bunch (she starts out with 4 clue tokens and has the ability to re-roll all dice that did not check successfully, and can pass that ability on to any player, once per turn).
I can not recommend this game highly enough. If you search online you should be able to find this game selling for under $40. If you’re a board game addict, and are familiar with pen-and-paper games (or just have an affinity for in-depth rulesets), then I suggest you pick up this game asap.
Oh, and be sure to pick up a 12 pack set of dice to replace to lame 5 dice set included with the game. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. If you’re in the San Diego area, Game Empire will be able to hook you up. I’m not an employee, just a fan.
