Arkham Horror?

[ZephyrHawk]

Inspired by the WOW thread, there must be someone else on the board who plays Arkham Horror!

It's become a serious obsession amongst my social group. Now just about every 3rd get together involves dragging out the board (or two...or three) and spending an hour setting up for this incredibly intricate and thoroughly addictive game.

I know it's probably a shot in the dark, but anyone else out there interested and want to discuss the upcoming Innsmouth Expansion?

 

[countrylady_j]

I have played Arkham Horror!! A friend of mine has it and 2 expansions for it. We have get togethers at our house a couple times a year, and this game is played numerous times throughout the weekends.

I don't know anything about the new expansion however.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Yay! An AH addictee!

We're sadly obsessed here, we have all of the current expasions (the two with boards and the three without). We have played with all of them together, but that just gets waaaaaay too complicated. Usually we play with a mix of 3 expansions. The new one is Shadow Over Innsmouth, and they just released reviews of it today. My DH and I have been chatting over it all day. The new monsters and old ones look especially hard.

Hah! I remember the last time we went to buy a new expansion, the guy at the gaming shop started gushing because he'd just played the game for the first time that weekend.

Shop Guy: And then I became the Deputy, but then this gang of thugs jumped me!
Me: Oh, you went to the Woods didn't you? That never ends well.
Shop Guy: No, it was cool! They made me a member of their gang, so then I was this corrupt cop!

 

[KSchwagg86]

What is Arkham Horror?

 

[ZephyrHawk]

So glad you asked!

Arkham Horror is a board/role-playing game based on the stories and mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. Basically, it starts like any other board game. Everyone picks a character and places their game piece on the board. They are allowed certain spaces for movement around the board during their turn. Cards are also drawn and whatever is written on the cards describes what is happening to the "investigators" during their turn. Dice are rolled to determine how the characters react to the situations presented by the cards.

Given that the game is based on a horror fiction writer's warped imagination, you can imagine that some of the things that can happen to your little game piece guy can get pretty weird. For instance, it's not unusual to get sucked into another dimension, be forced to "fight" horrible monsters, or go insane. In fact, going insane is a major element of the game. The final goal, which all players share and work cooperatievly to achieve, is the prevention of the waking up of the "Old One" or, heaven forbid, his/her destruction upon awakening.

If it sounds complicated, just wait...there's MORE!

This game starts with one board and oh...a hundred or so cards. There are a whole bunch of optional players, a whole bunch of optional Old Ones, and a plethora of different monsters to keep track of. Two of the expansions add game boards with additional locations, and all of the expansions add more cards, monsters, player characters and Old Ones. As of now, my DH has devised a special holding system such that all of our expansion materials can fit into 2 large game boxes, and even then, it's tight. In other words, the game is NEVER the same twice. Not even close.

But wait...there's STILL more.

If that's not enough of a challenge for you, the game creators have extra monsters Old Ones and tough scenarios on their website. Also, truly geeky persons (cough...DH) have even made their own mini-games. For instance, we now have a Christmas themed scenario with evil Santa and his reindeer minions.

So, if you ever wondered: How do you keep 4-8 people with advanced degrees and waaaay too much time on their hands busy for 6 hours straight?

Your question has been answered.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=6&esem=1

 

[countrylady_j]

If that's not enough of a challenge for you, the game creators have extra monsters Old Ones and tough scenarios on their website. Also, truly geeky persons (cough...DH) have even made their own mini-games. For instance, we now have a Christmas themed scenario with evil Santa and his reindeer minions.

This sounds like what my friend would come up with...LOL

 

[KSchwagg86]

It sounds interesting!

 

[countrylady_j]

We had our yearly get-together last weekend and Arkham was played a few times. We even got my 18 year old daughter to play it for the first time on Friday night, and after that my 17 yr old son kept asking when we would play it again so he could play. Unfortunately I don't think he got the chance to play it this time. Will have to do it another time when he comes up.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

And were the Old Ones defeated?

 

[SydneyFalco]

Freaking game's been sitting on the shelf next to Agricola, which we're also intimidated by, for at least a year. Every once in a while I haul it out and read the cards...

... then I go read my Lovecraft, scarifice a neighbour's pet to Great Cthulhu, and hit the hay.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

It is a bit intimidating the first time, but once you get the hang of it, it never lets you go (much like the cold, slimy grip of Cthulhu). Try to play with Mandy as a character the first time (she's the redhead showing a bit of clevage). Her special ability is unendingly useful.