The World of the Games
The games of the Arkham Horror Files are all set in the same fictional world of myth, madness, and chaos—the Cthulu Mythos. As players, you take on the role of Investigators. Your task is to delve into mysteries, stop rifts in reality and fight horrific, ancient monsters trying to take over the world and destroy reality as we know it—all the while racing against time, your own failing health, and slipping sanity.
The Father of the Cthulu Mythos or Who is H.P. Lovecraft?
H.P. Lovecraft (1890 – 1937) was an author and essayist of weird, fantastical, supernatural stories that primarily focused on the Cthulu Mythos. In Lovecraft’s stories, Cthulu is a “Great Old One” revered by cultists and feared by many. The story’s settings are the fictional towns of Arkham, Dunwich, and Innsmouth in Massachusetts, USA, along with a few real-world locations. H.P. Lovecraft wrote stories that reused characters, places, and events to tell different adventures in the same supernatural world. H.P. Lovecraft also encouraged other writers to take the world he created and write their own stories in this universe.
It is on this principle that the idea of the Arkham Horror Files series of games was born. Initially, a company called Chaosism created a game called Call of Cthulu. Fantasy Flight Games published the game in the USA and developed more games based in this shared universe approach.
Arkham Horror Files Games
Each game in the Arkham Horror Files has a few things in common, the same universe—Cthulu Mythos, the same theme—defeat the ancient ones and don’t die or go crazy. The games share investigators, locations, concepts such as damage and horror, and overall art style.
They differ in the ultimate goal of each game, the game rules, and how you accomplish the goal. Each game takes place at a different “Altitude” in the game world. In “Mansions of Madness”, you play the game at the room and street level, inside a mansion or small neighborhood. Whereas, at the other extreme, “Eldritch Horror” is played on a game board of the whole earth. In one move you can be in San Francisco and then be in Tokyo.
Arkham Horror 3rd Edition Board Game
Moving through the neighborhoods of Arkham, the investigators prevent doom from approaching and gain clues to help seal away an Ancient One. Around every corner, danger awaits. Enemies will attack to try to prevent the investigators from completing their investigation.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
A bit different from the other games in this series, “Arkham Horror: The Card Game” uses the scenario story to determine the locations for each story. Some stories will be inside buildings, while others will be across an entire town. This game is the most flexible in the types of stories it tells. It also has multiple expansions available to increase the scope of the game. Your investigation can be of the Silver Twilight Lodge and its mysterious members. Or you can find yourself the only thing between the Cultists and the Ancient One they are calling forth. All of this, and more, is possible in “Arkham Horror: The Card Game”.
Mansions of Madness – Second Edition
“Mansions of Madness” takes the entire concept of Arkham Horror in a new direction. In the second edition, you use an App to assist you in laying out the modular board. The board is not laid out at the beginning of the game; it is revealed as your investigators move from place to place. Opening a door or looking around a corner is the only way to find out what might be waiting there. The App, modular board, and fantastic artwork combine to make a more immersive experience in “Mansions of Madness”. You can pick a lock on the chest in the office or look at the papers on the desk to find new information and clues.
Eldritch Horror
Fighting monsters on in a Mansion, not your speed? Do you want your world-saving to be more Global? Then we have an Arkham Horror Files game for you—”Eldritch Horror”.
In “Eldritch Horror” you will be moving around the globe at breakneck speed, well, ship and train speed…it is the 1920s, after all. Your role is to stop the ancient one from crossing into our reality. You must close the otherworldly gates and defeat the enemies; while racing around the globe to track down the clues you need to solve the mysteries.
Elder Sign
If you are not a fan of board games but are a lover of dice games, then this is the Arkham for you! In “Elder Sign”, you roll custom dice to try to match icons on the game cards. These cards represent rooms at the Miskatonic Museum. The Miskatonic Museum in Arkham just happens to have amassed a vast collection of dangerous and cursed objects calling the Ancient Ones into our world. The dice symbols represent the tasks the investigators must perform to prevent impending disaster. Can you work fast enough to stop the Ancient One’s arrival?
Final Hour
Is all this lead up to the final monster battle a bit of a drag? Do you wish you could have an Arkham Horror Files game that skips the pleasantries and gets straight down to the fighting and deduction? “Final Hour” is that game. In this game, you race across the Miskatonic University campus, trying to reverse the ritual that’s already started and send the ancient one back where they came from. This is an excellent game if you want to experience this world in under an hour.
Unfathomable
Do you enjoy games of deception and hidden loyalties? Then step aboard the SS Atlantica sailing to Boston. On this ship, not everyone is who they seem. Some of your fellow passengers are working against you. On your journey, players need to determine who is actually a saboteur in the form of a half-human, half-sea monster creature, known as a Deep One Hybrid. Try and figure out who is who in this thrilling game.
Note: We are currently sold out of our allocation of pre-order copies. This game releases on November 12th.
