Arkham Horror Board Game: Ultimate Buying Guide

The Arkham Horror universe offers a diverse collection of board games, so we've created two guides to help you navigate them. In this guide, we'll focus on the various families of board games. For information on the deck-building card games within this universe, please refer to our separate guide on Arkham Horror: The Card Game.

Arkham Horror is a long-standing franchise known for its immersive horror-themed board games. Players collaborate to navigate through missions that require effective communication to succeed. Each game offers multiple pathways, influenced by the roles, expansions, and campaigns you choose. These games are not only great for group play but also excellent for solo sessions, providing hours of engaging 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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If you want to jump directly to the games and expansions, feel free to scroll through the catalog above. For a deeper understanding of how these items connect within the broader Arkham Horror universe, continue reading below.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game

Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

0See it at Amazon 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 battle various horrors. You can explore Arkham as one of six investigators, solving mysteries and defeating terrifying creatures. With multiple campaigns and a significant luck component, the game offers high replayability. However, it's challenging and can take time to set up and learn. Even solo play is possible, though it might be tough at first. Completing your first successful game with friends is a thrilling experience.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game Expansions

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

Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $59.99 USD Players: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+

Under Dark Waves is the largest expansion, introducing horrors beneath the sea with eight new investigators and four new scenarios, expanding the game beyond the city.

Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order Expansion

Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $44.99 USD Players: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+

This medium-sized expansion adds three new scenarios and three investigators, opening up the French Hill neighborhood for exploration.

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $32.99 USD Players: 1-4 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+

Dead of Night is a smaller, more affordable expansion with two scenarios and four investigators, perfect for enhancing your nighttime horror adventures.

Other Arkham Horror Board Games

Several other board games exist within the Arkham universe, each offering unique standalone experiences without requiring the base game.

Elder Sign

Elder Sign

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $39.99 USD Players: 1-8 Playtime: 1-2 hours Ages: 14+

Elder Sign is a dice-rolling game that's part of the Arkham Files franchise. It's the most accessible chance-based game in the series, allowing 1-8 players to roll dice to complete tasks 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, each adding new challenges and elements. Grave Consequences can be played standalone, and the latest expansion was released in 2018.

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $109.95 USD Players: 1-5 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+

Mansions of Madness is an app-driven dungeon crawler within the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign. It supports 1-5 players and uses an app to guide the narrative and gameplay. The app also allows for pausing and resuming games, though you'll need to reset the physical pieces.

Mansions of Madness Expansions

There are two expansions for Mansions of Madness, both cooperative and app-guided.

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $69.99 USD Players: 1-5 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+

This expansion takes players into the jungle to face Lovecraftian horrors. It requires the base game and is guided by the app.

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $39.19 USD Players: 1-5 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+

This more affordable expansion adds two new investigators, two scenarios, and an insanity gameplay element.

Unfathomable

Unfathomable

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $64.99 USD Players: 3-6 Playtime: 2-4 hours Ages: 14+

Unfathomable is a social deduction game set on a boat, where players must escape monsters while identifying a traitor among them. It's best suited for larger groups and offers a unique experience within the Arkham catalogue.

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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This expansion adds new prelude cards, monstrous horrors, skills, items, and boon cards to enhance the base game.

Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $59.95 USD Players: 1-4 Playtime: 1-3 hours Ages: 14+

Eldritch Horror offers a more global experience than Arkham Horror, with players traveling worldwide to complete objectives. It's more accessible with quicker setup and simpler rules, focusing on strategy and puzzle-solving.

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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There are eight expansions for Eldritch Horror, each adding new challenges and adventures.

Other Ways to Play

Beyond traditional board games, the Arkham universe offers online versions and tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs).

The Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game

Arkham Horror ventured into TTRPGs with a starter set and a core rulebook. The starter set is ideal for beginners, while the rulebook allows for deeper exploration.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $34.99 USD Players: 2-4 Playtime: 1-3 hours Ages: 14+

The starter set is perfect for newcomers, providing a sample campaign without needing an experienced Game Master.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

0See it at Amazon MSRP: $49.99 USD Players: 2-6 Playtime: 1-3 hours Ages: 14+

The core rulebook allows for further adventures after trying the starter set.

Video Game Versions

A digital version, Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace, was released on Steam in 2021, offering a solo experience similar to Mansions of Madness. It's available on Steam and Switch for $19.99 but has received mixed reviews due to storytelling issues. Elder Sign: Omens, available on Steam and mobile platforms, has been well-received and is more affordable at $5.99.

The Bottom Line

For fans of Lovecraftian mythos games, the Arkham Horror series offers a rich and varied gaming experience. Many of these games support solo play, providing flexibility for different play styles. However, they are challenging with a significant luck element, which can enhance replayability but also lead to frustration. Setup and learning times can be lengthy, though card games tend to be quicker to set up than board games, even without expansions.