Arkham Horror The Card Game

This game overall is excellent! It is a ton of fun. I originally bought it to have a fun H.P. Lovecraft inspired game that didn't quite take as long as the Arkham Horror Board Game (1st Edition) that I could easily play with my wife. Also wanted something Co-op, we often play Dominion but sometimes I'd rather play with my wife and not against her. She will play the more complicated games with me, however I have to walk her through it patiently. I was very impressed with the rule book, as the Arkham Horror Boardgame rule book was extremely complicated and poorly organized/written. I was pleased to have a "Learn How to Play" guide to get you into the game. Then a second Nexis that helps you easily look up terms and rules organized alphabetically. Great job overall on this! Though even with a well layed out rule book, the game is still really confusing to get into at first. It almost feels like some things just aren't fully or clearly explained. Resulting in a few online searches after not being 100% on the intent of the rule book's explanation. This caused my wife to be irritated as we had to stop the game multiple times to check rules during our first play. After we grasped the concept better our second play has been going a lot more smoothly. Some Rules we didn't understand the first play through: "Attack of Opportunity", and "Prey" but a a few forums and videos better defined what happens. Also Skill checks, being able to use other cards like Event, or assets cards without paying their costs. As they mention this in parts of the rule book sometimes it easily gets overlooked your first read though, because its not emphasized enough. Even though this is one of the main things you will be doing in the game. If you're Lovecraft fan this is a must have game! Note: I have yet to play through the entire campaign. I bought the 1st and 2nd Expansion to the game but have yet to play them. I'm curious to how the expansions will play out and if it will seem worth it to buy more expansions in the future.

This game is pretty complicated, but if you are willing to spend some time with the rule books it is an interesting one to play. I have been playing it solo, and enjoying it very much. The role-playing and cooperative aspect is somewhat lessened, but there is no reason you can't go through the stories and continuing set of scenarios by yourself playing a couple of characters. I am through the three scenarios contained in the base set, and I am looking to purchase a few of the expansions. it is really great that all the cards needed are contained in the set (no booster packs to suck your wallet dry). I also think that the ability to play several different characters (an combinations of characters) is a huge attraction, and that this will provide enough replayability to justify the price of the set. FFG makes quality components and captures Lovecraft themes with such skill that any fan of gaming and the Lovecraftian horror genre will enjoy this game. I also like the expansion of the character decks in between sessions. There are some deck building elements to the game that provide an interesting mechanic and some difficult decisions as you progress. It is not a really intense deck building game (you spend more time playing than building, which is nice), but how you stack the character decks will really affect how the game plays. I tried a few different strategies for the same two characters, and I found that the level of challenge remained moderate, but winnable, and that the game was versatile and balanced enough to make it fun no matter what tactic I employed. I don't mean to imply that card selection doesn't matter, but I didn't find that any cards were so overpowered or beneficial that they posed an obvious choice for inclusion that would really increase the chance of success. The only bad thing I have to say about the game is that it is not quick to set up, quick to play or simple enough to call up a friend and just jump right in to a session. These are features of a lot of the more rules intense, "heavy" games available, and I figure that anyone that is buying a game like this one will appreciate and admire these same features that a more casual games would find unappealing. In short, it is very fun and fulfilling if you like a complex challenge and you are willing to spend time to learn all the rules.

And as described! Can't wait to play.

I love this expansion,

Good packaging and quality of the product is top notch

Took hours of reading and watching and playing to understand the game. Do not buy if you're not patient with learning games as this is the hardest table top game I've learned. The instructions and manual books are clear, but there are MANY rules and technicalities to learn. That said, now, after 2 scenarios complete, I understand the game well enough that I do not need to refer to the Rules book while playing. The deck building with a single core box is quite good for 1-2 players but made better (or just wait for the revised box) with a second - and necessary for 3-4 players. All 5 investigators are unique in multiple ways and have their own personality. The Lovecraftian theme is present from the introductory scenario and sets the tone for the game. While you won't lose the game in a traditional sense, you may not get a favorable outcome. The artwork is also great across the cards. This has become my favorite table top game for the time being.

I am quite new to board games and I wanted something interesting to play with my flatmate during the lockdown. The game is quite challenging and offers different difficulties. Even though the campaign felt a little bit short (about 2 hours for each of the 3 scenarios), no campaign feels the same because of the option to choose different characters and difficulties, as well as options that have their consequences and resolutions. As with all luck-based games, it can be quite frustrating at times but nothing too crazy. PROS: co-operative (you all play against the game rather than each-other), quite dynamic, fast-progressing rounds; interesting and detailed storyline to really enhance the role-playing experience; beautiful artwork; good mechanics for beginners; customisation options with DLCs and expansion packs; CONS: game rules can be quite tricky and hard to learn at the beginning, we had to look up a few instances online; if you're looking for a long-winded, intricate campaign then this is definitely not the game for you (although with DLCs and expansion packs it could be); luck plays a big role so no matter how good you character is you can still lose; some cards have weird wording on them so it's useful to look up online what they mean OVERALL: I would definitely recommend this game if you're into similar role-playing, storyline games. As for the materials themselves, the game looks well-made and printed on nice stock :).