Arkham Horror Board Game: Buying Tips

The Arkham Horror universe boasts an expansive catalogue of games, so extensive that we've divided them into two comprehensive guides. In this buying guide, we'll explore the diverse families of board games within the franchise. If you're interested in the deck-building card games within the same universe, you can find more details in our Arkham Horror: The Card Game Buying Guide.

Arkham Horror is a long-standing franchise renowned for its immersive horror-themed board games. Players embark on thrilling missions that require strategic communication to succeed. Each game offers multiple pathways shaped by the roles, expansions, and campaigns you choose. These games are also excellent for solo play, perfect for those times when you can't gather a group for an hour or more of gameplay.

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Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

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Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

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Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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Elder Sign

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Elder Sign: The Gates of Arkham Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh Expansion

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Elder Sign: Unseen Forces Expansion

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Elder Sign: Grave Consequences

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Elder Sign: Omens of Ice

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep

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Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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Unfathomable

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Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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Eldritch Horror

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Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Under the Pyramids Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Strange Remnants Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Signs of Carcosa Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin Expansion

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Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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Want to skip the detailed descriptions and go straight to the various games and expansions? Simply scroll through the catalog above. If you're interested in understanding how these items connect and fit within the broader Arkham Horror universe, continue reading below.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game

Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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MSRP: $65.95 USD
Players: 1-6
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Arkham Horror is a cooperative board game where players team up to combat various horrors. You can journey through Arkham as one of six investigators, solving mysteries and defeating monstrous entities. The game offers multiple campaigns, and its high replayability is fueled by significant elements of luck, dice rolls for objectives, and the unpredictable nature of chaos and occult trickery.

However, this game is not for the faint-hearted. It requires time for setup and teaching new players, and gameplay can last several hours. If you're unlucky, games can end quickly, but if you or your group lose, you can restart with a new investigator, though you'll lose any progress made. My first attempt with friends on the easiest campaign was a disaster, and even solo play proved challenging. The first victorious game is a cause for celebration among your party.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game Expansions

There are three expansions for Arkham Horror: The Board Game, each adding new layers of depth to the base game.

Arkham Horror: Under the Dark Waves Expansion

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MSRP: $59.99 USD
Players: 1-6
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

The largest expansion, Under the Dark Waves, introduces horrors lurking beneath the water. It adds eight new investigators and four new scenarios, taking you from the city to the sea.

Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order Expansion

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MSRP: $44.99 USD
Players: 1-6
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Secrets of the Order is a medium-sized expansion with three new scenarios and three additional investigators. It introduces a new neighborhood, French Hill, where you must navigate through ghosts and monsters, turning your visit into anything but a quaint getaway.

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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MSRP: $32.99 USD
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

The Dead of Night is a smaller expansion with a more affordable price point. It adds two new scenarios and four new investigators to help you navigate the eerie night.

Other Arkham Horror Board Games

Several other board games in the Arkham Horror universe offer standalone adventures. These games don't require the base Arkham Horror game and provide unique experiences within the same universe, featuring recognizable characters from other iterations. Some of these games are large enough to have their own expansions.

Elder Sign

Elder Sign

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MSRP: $39.99 USD
Players: 1-8
Playtime: 1-2 hours
Ages: 14+

Elder Sign, one of the earliest games in the Arkham Files franchise, is a dice-rolling game playable by one to eight players. It's the most accessible chance-based game in the series and comes with six physical expansions. The core gameplay revolves around rolling dice to complete tasks and navigate through encounters, using your investigator's stats to fight monsters, find clues, and solve mysteries before time runs out.

Elder Sign Expansions

Elder Sign: The Gates of Arkham Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh Expansion

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Elder Sign: Unseen Forces Expansion

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Elder Sign: Grave Consequences

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Elder Sign: Omens of Ice

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep

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Elder Sign has six expansions: Unseen Forces, Gates of Arkham, Omens of Ice, Grave Consequences, Omens of the Deep, and Omens of the Pharaoh. Grave Consequences can be played as a standalone game, and the last expansion was released in 2018. It remains uncertain if more will be added.

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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MSRP: $109.95 USD
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Mansions of Madness is an app-driven dungeon crawler set in the Arkham universe. The second edition is a standalone game that shares the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign. It supports one to five players and uses an app to guide you through the narrative, setting up, and directing play. I enjoyed the blend of tactical pieces and app integration, which also allows you to pause and resume your game later, though you'll need to reset the physical pieces.

Mansions of Madness Expansions

Mansions of Madness has two cooperative expansions, both guided by the app.

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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MSRP: $69.99 USD
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Path of The Serpent takes you into the jungle, where you'll face serpents and Lovecraftian horrors. This expansion requires the base game and is also guided by an app.

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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MSRP: $39.19 USD
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Beyond the Threshold is a more affordable expansion that adds two new investigators, two new scenarios, and an insanity gameplay element, making it a great addition to your game.

Unfathomable

Unfathomable

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MSRP: $64.99 USD
Players: 3-6
Playtime: 2-4 hours
Ages: 14+

Unfathomable is a thrilling game where players must escape a sea filled with monsters. Best suited for groups of five or six, it includes a social deduction element where one player is a traitor. It evokes the atmosphere of Battlestar Galactica but within the Lovecraftian mythos. Games can last multiple hours as you navigate the deception and try to survive.

Unfathomable offers a unique experience within the Arkham catalogue, appealing to fans of social deduction games like Battlestar Galactica.

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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The From the Abyss expansion adds new prelude cards, three new monstrous horrors (Shoggoth, the Drowned Spirit, and the Grasping Tendril), plus new skills, items, and boon cards.

Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror

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MSRP: $59.95 USD
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Eldritch Horror offers a more global experience than the city-focused Arkham Horror. Players travel the world cooperatively to complete objectives. It's more accessible to beginner and intermediate gamers, with a quicker setup and simpler rules than Arkham Horror. Eldritch Horror emphasizes strategy and puzzle-solving, with the first game in the series released in 2013.

Eldritch Horror Expansions

Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Under the Pyramids Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Strange Remnants Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Signs of Carcosa Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin Expansion

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Eldritch Horror has eight expansions: Forsaken Lore, Mountains of Madness, Strange Remnants, Under the Pyramids, Signs of Carcosa, The Dreamlands, Cities in Ruin, and Masks of Nyarlathotep.

Other Ways to Play

Beyond these board games, you can also experience the Arkham universe through online versions of the games and the franchise's first tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG).

The Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game

Arkham Horror ventured into TTRPGs with the release of a starter set followed by a core rulebook. I recommend starting with the starter set to get a feel for the rules and gameplay before moving to the rulebook for further adventures.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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MSRP: $34.99 USD
Players: 2-4
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Ages: 14+

The starter set is perfect for beginners, offering a sample campaign that doesn't require an experienced Game Master.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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MSRP: $49.99 USD
Players: 2-6
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Ages: 14+

After trying the starter set, you can expand your adventures with the Core Rulebook for a deeper dive into the Arkham Horror universe.

Video Game Versions

A digital version, Arkham Horror: Mother's Embrace, was released on Steam in 2021. This single-player game is similar to the Mansions of Madness board game expansion. Available on Steam and Switch for $19.99, it has received mixed reviews, with IGN giving it a 5 due to issues with story execution and handling of heavy topics.

Another digital option is Elder Sign: Omens, released in 2011, available on Steam and mobile platforms for $5.99. It has garnered mostly positive reviews on Steam.

The Bottom Line

For fans of Lovecraftian mythos-themed games, the Arkham Horror universe offers a rich and diverse gaming experience. Many of these games can be played solo or with friends, each presenting a unique take on the Lovecraftian worlds. However, be prepared for a challenge; these games incorporate significant elements of chance, which can enhance replayability but also lead to frustration. Setup and learning can take time, though card games within the franchise are generally quicker to set up than the board games, even without expansions.