Which Arkham Horror Game should I Buy?

There are so many games from Fantasy Flight named Arkham Horror. With as little very slight name variances it has become harder and harder to know which Arkham Horror is the right Arkham Horror. There’s board games, card games, role-playing games and more! If you are looking to get into the world of Arkham Horror or expand your collection in the Fantasy Flight Arkham lore check out the comprehensive list before to help you decide which game is right for you!

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What is Arkham Horror?

Arkham Horror is a series of games produced only by Fantasy Flight Games. Games produced under this title are often refereed to as being apart of the Arkham Horror Files. Arkham Horror Files is the collective works of board games and books to create its own Lovecraft Mythos Lore. While there is many Cthulhu themed games and inspiration from Lovecrafts writings, Fantasy Flight is the only ones with the rights to the name, Arkham Horror.

Fantasy Flight has taken Lovecrafts novels and expanded its lore in the board game world by taking inspirations from his original writings among other authors. Fantasy Flight has even gone so far to have their own books written about the characters and stories they have created through the board games. This further builds on the Lore and Universe of the Arkham Horror series.

With this Fantasy Flight has also begun to standardized the art used in the games to be fluid a crossed all games. Arkham Horror: The Card Game brought in a lot of art assets from all the cards which is being re-used in other things like the Arkham Horror Roleplaying Game. This will create a consistent world that all the games will be built upon going forward.

All Arkham Horror Games

Below is a list of all the games with the title “Arkham” in it. Click on the games below if you want to skip to any specific game. There will be a comparison chart after for all Arkham Horror Games after the list.

*If you specifically are asking “Which Arkham Horror Game?” You are probably referring to Arkham Horror 3rd Edition and Arkham Horror: The Card Game. Feel free to jump right to the answers to that questions here.

Game List

• Arkham Horror (1987)
• Arkham Horror 2nd Edition (2005)
• Arkham Horror 3rd Edition (2018)
• Arkham Horror: The Card Game
• Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game
• Darkness Over Arkham

Other Helpful Content

• Comparison Chart
• Which Arkham Horror to Buy?
• Other Arkham Horror Files Games

Arkham Horror (1987)

Description

This is the game that started it all, designed by Richard Launius, Lynn Willis, and Charlie Krank. This game is historical not just for the Cthulhu Mythos but for story telling cooperative board gaming. The original game had a map more similar to the look of a traditional board game at the time with squared sections along a path, designating your route. The game has players traveling around the town of Arkham dealing with gates and unmentionable horrors. Players can win the game if all gates are closed but can auto-lose the game if there are too many gates or too much doom.

Where to Buy

The game is no longer available except through purchase of a used copy. However there has been two other versions made since then; Arkham Horror 2nd Edition and Arkham Horror 3rd Edition. Arkham Horror 2nd edition resembles the original with updated art and a new map. While Arkham Horror 3rd edition broke away into more of a narrative game with shorter game play.

Arkham Horror 2nd Edition (2005)

Overview

The next implementation of Arkham Horror comes out in 2005 with all new art and overall better design while keeping true to the original. Everything was improved in this edition. Arkham Horror 2nd Edition is the game that most people refereed to when mentioning Arkham Horror. This is the game there really made Arkham Horror take off spawning many different editions and other games like Eldritch Horror, that takes more of a global view.

Gameplay

Players take on the lives of 16 different possible investigators traveling to different parts of the city of Arkham. The main goal is to close all the gates which is hard to accomplish. Usually investigators will spend their time collecting gear and clues to seal gates completely off from ever opening again. But even more often the a unique Elder One is summoned to engage the investigators in a final battle.

According to BGG this is the heaviest of all the Arkham titled games. The game requires you to manage a lot of rules that aren’t always intuitive. Be ready to constantly reference the rule book. (I do find with the variety in the deck building, Arkham Horror: The Card Game might be heavier with expansions included.)

What Makes it Special?

Despite the games long play time this game has become a favorite out of the three Arkham Horror board game line up (Arkham Horror 1987 and Arkham Horror 3rd Edtion). This is due to the nature story telling the game lends it self to. There is no cohesive narrative but each card will have a mini description of an event or occurrence happening to that investigator. Through these events players begin to develop a person story arch with their characters during the adventure.

I vaguely recall one time my friend playing as Sister Mary “the nun”. She went either used an alcoholic item during the game and later got kicked out of the church when failing a skill test with the priest. It created this nature narrative with the character that the game allowed to happen without force. Very few games do I think back on the narrative of how the game played out but this one tends to do that for players.

Where to Buy

While it isn’t produced by Fantasy Flight anymore, it is still possible to get a new copy at some board game stores and is easy to find on the second hand market.

Arkham Horror 3rd Edition (2018)

Overview

This 2018 version is the third implementation into the Arkham Horror board game re-makes. The game was designed to take a more narrative approach implementing a main story. Its like the board game version of Arkham Horror: The Card Game (see below) combined with Arkham Horror 2nd Edition. There is definitely some mixed feelings around this game and what reviewers say. However there is a following for this game that would argue its the best of the three. Due to making the game more up-to-date with modern standards of board gaming.

Gameplay

The game starts by picking a scenario, much like picking an Elder God in 2e but instead of just a few rule adjustments the whole game is set up around that scenario and drives the story of the game. Players often start the game without knowing the win or lose condition of the game. Players are only able to take two actions and can’t take the same one twice. This makes cooperation with other players very important.

What Makes it Special?

Arkham horror takes what many love about AH2e and streamlines it. While also taking the great narrative story telling of AHLCG.

Praises

• Shorter play time the predecessors
• Game is more streamlined
• Like the LCG without deckbuilding
• Has a pandemic like puzzle

Complaints

• Can’t Attack Monsters more then once.
• Story isn’t very replayable after first time.
• Headline deck has a disconnect from what’s happening
• Extra step for getting clues by having to research clues

Where to Buy

This edition is still very readily available through local game shops or online.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game (2016)

Overview

Arkham Horror: The Card Game is what Fantasy Flight calls a “Living Card Game”. This is why the game is often refereed to as AHLCG. Living Card game basically means they will keep adding content to the game as long as there is enough interest in it.

The game has two an old release format and a new release format. In the new release format content comes in two boxes Campaign Expansion and Investigator Expansion. The Campaign give you the typically 8 chapters to play through following an overall story with some choices or gameplay results effecting the game. The Investigator Expansion is the cards that can be used for building the investigators decks and upgrading their decks.

This is a large community around building different decks and even YouTube channels that are dedicated mostly to this game. It’s rare for a YouTube channel to dedicate to a single game in the board game space.

This is also Fantasy Flights most highly praised LCG compared to Marvel and Lord of the Rings. While also being the highest rated game among the Arkham Horror titled games (see comparison chart).

Gameplay

The game is played around trying to advance the “Act Deck” without advancing the “Agenda Deck”. Usually the Agenda Deck is advanced through having too much doom on the board while the Act Deck is usually advanced by collecting clues. When the deck is advanced players will generally see new things happen on the board; a new location, a special enemy, and always more story.

But before you even start playing the game players will need to construct decks. This can be highly involved or as simple as copying someone else’s work online. Usually players will want to have one clue gatherer and one fighter to deal with any threats.

After the game is ended there will be some story content based off of what you accomplished in the game. This can also result in things effecting set-up or other aspects of future games.

After the game players will collect XP which allows them to upgrade their deck.

Praises

• Lots of content
• Fantasy Flight Continues to support the game
• Very repayable due to lots of content and deck building
• Interesting narratives
• Perfect play time
• Enjoyable campaign length
• Fail forward

Complaints

• Expensive
• Rules are heavy especially with the way terms and tiny differences in phrasing can change its interpretation.
• Tedious game Set-up
• Managing collection (especially whenever you get new content)
• Win/Lose isn’t always defined
• Not enough Deck upgrading during a campaign
• Deck construction and upgrading is too tedious

Where to Buy

When buying the game make sure to purchase the revised core for the base game. Anything labeled mythos packs or Deluxe is the old format. Make sure you are purchasing the new formatted content.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game (2024)

Overview

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game puts investigators back into Night of the Zealot, the first three missions of AHLCG. This time its with a Game Master in a fully roleplaying style game, think Dungeons and Dragons but set in the Arkham Horror Files universe. Players can take on the roles of already known investigators or create their own to bring into the horrific world run by elder gods.

The Starter Set includes physical items; maps, puzzles, and visuals, for the GM and players to interact with.

Where to Buy

The Starter Set was just released in 2024 with a Core Rule Book on the way. The game should be available at most online retailers and local board game shops.

The Darkness Over Arkham (2024)

Overview

This game is reminiscent of those classic choose-your-own adventure books. Please pick from the provided investigators or print out the other official investigators for more options. Players will read through the book making decisions until they either complete the narrative or have to succumb to the horrors and need to restart.

Praises

• Interesting Story
• Challenging gameplay
• Lots of different endings
• Achievements to earn through multiple plays
• Pick-up and Go

Complaints

• No Illustrations
• No “game” element, simply pick an option and find out if you are wrong
• Story not interesting

Where to Buy

Can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other local book stores.

Comparison Chart

	AH 1987	AH2e 2005	AH3e 2018	AHLCG	AHRPG	Darkness
Style	Board	Board	Board	Card	Role Play	Book
Players	1-8	1-8	1-6	1-4	2-6	1
Time	180min	120-240min	120-180min	45-120min	60min	N/A
Weight	2.42	3.58	3.35	3.55	N/A	N/A
Expansions	1	9	3	10+	None Yet	Print n’ Play Investigators
Support	Out of Print	Out of Print	No More Content	Yearly Releases	Content on the Way	N/A
BGG Ratings	6.7	7.2	7.7	8.1	N/A	N/A
Notes				Full Game experience requires expansions.	GM required to play game.	There could be more books in the future but no news yet.
MSRP	N/A	N/A	$79.99	$59.95	$34.99	Check Price

Which Arkham Horror Game to Buy?

Arkham Horror 3rd Edition VS Arkham Horror: The Card Game?

This question is usually posed referring to Arkham Horror 3rd Edition and Arkham Horror: The Card Game. Both games are great in their own right but it really depends on what you want to get out of the game.

Other Arkham Files Games

Eldritch Horror

Mansions of Madness

Elder Sign

Unfathomable