Horror Arkham

The playing field is a map of the fictional city of Arkham . In addition to Arkham, the playing field depicts several other worlds (Kleda jungle, R'leh , Dream Country , Yuggot , etc.), into which researchers can enter through the open gates. Each player chooses a character - a researcher, who is represented by a special card on a stand and has a certain set of characteristics, things, spells and abilities. During the game in the city at random (determined by the map of the "myth" that is read at the end of the turn), more and more gates open and more and more monsters appear from them. Researchers move around the city, run away or fight monsters, collect evidence, get into various incidents. They can also get through gates to other worlds and, returning, try to close the gates. As soon as the next gate opens, a chip is placed on the "hopelessness track" ( Eng. Doom Track ). If this scale is completely filled, that is, if too many gates have been opened, the Ancient One comes to Arkham. In the 1987 edition of the game, this meant an automatic loss of players. In the 2005 edition, the arrival of the Ancient One leaves the players a chance to win, if they can defeat it with joint efforts.

Arkham Horror was originally conceived as a strategic board game based on Call of Cthulhu , a role-playing game of the same company, and was to be called Call of Cthulhu: Board Game. The game was published in 1987 and in the same year won the Origin Awards for Best Fantasy or Sci-Fi Game.

Arkham Horror was one of several Lovecraftian games developed by Richard Launis, but it was the only one that was published. The first draw of the game was sold out very quickly, Chaosiy several times announced a re-release, but this did not happen.

In 2004, the rights to the game were sold to the Scotos online gaming company, which transferred it for publication in Fantasy Flight Games. In this edition, many elements of the game were changed, the Arkham map changed, a new type of chips (evidence) was added, and the gameplay changed. The 2005 edition is illustrated with art taken from the Call of Cthulhu card game.

The new "Arkham Horror" was released in July 2005, and in the same year there was an additional print run.

This edition, in comparison with the later, had simple rules. On the cards and chips were either black and white drawings or silhouettes. Arkham's map shows intersecting streets divided into cells and various buildings.

Researchers could move a certain number of cells per turn, based on the number thrown on the cube. Each character-researcher had four constant parameters: talkativeness, fight, knowledge, dodge (fast talk, fight, knowledge, sneak, respectively) and a certain number of mental health and strength points. Paper clips were used to mark the number of points at a certain point in the game. When determining random events in the city, a table of values ​​and a roll of a cube were used. Victory could be achieved by closing all the gates.

If the participants in the game could not prevent the appearance of the Ancient One, then they lost.

Each player can choose (accidentally or intentionally) as his character one of the 16 researchers, whose cards describe a brief history, are given a set of characteristics and unique abilities. Each character has its own maximum value of mental and physical health (indicators of Sanity and Stamina). Each character also has its own story, written on the back of the card, its own set of values ​​for six parameters: speed - stealth, battle - willpower, knowledge - luck ( Eng. Speed ​​- sneak, fight - will, lore - luck ), which depend on each other each other (the higher the speed value, the less stealth and vice versa) and can change at the beginning of each turn in the “Respawn” phase according to certain rules.

Each character starts the game with the number of ordinary items, unique items, skills, spells, money and evidence indicated in his card and in a specific place in Arkham.

At the beginning of the game, the Ancient is chosen (by chance or based on the preferences of the players), whose appearance will threaten Arkham. Initially, there were eight ancient deities in the game (with the release of additions, their number increased to 24). If any features of the game with him are indicated on the Ancient card, then they are performed either before or during the game. So Cthulhu reduces by one the maximum value of mental health and vitality for each player before the start of the game, and in the process of the game, cultists - a kind of monster, get additional bonuses thanks to him; if Nyarlathotep was chosen by the Ancients, then new monsters appear in the game - Masks; cultists of Yiga , the serpent's father, become poisonous; if Shudde M'ell was chosen by the Ancients ^[1] , then in Arkham during each breakthrough of monsters an earthquake occurs that destroys one of the locations. Even at the beginning of the game, all decks of events and myths are mixed up, evidence is laid out on the map, chips representing players are placed, and the first map of the “myth” is read - a map that randomly determines what is happening in the whole city.

The mechanics of the game are based on the roll of a certain number of hexagonal cubes - D6, this number is equal to the value of some character parameter plus modifiers. Dice are thrown against a certain difficulty check. For example, if the value of the “knowledge” parameter of a character is 4, and the event card indicates that he needs to roll a knowledge dice (−1) [2], this means that the character rolls 4-1 = 3 dice, and on three dice, he should throw two successful values ​​- five or six. Most of the checks, however, require only one successful throw, and in this case, it simply says “knowledge test (−1)”.

If the character is blessed (he visited the church or somehow attracted the attention of higher powers), then the successful throw is considered to be 4, 5 or 6. If the character is cursed, only 6 is considered to be the successful throw. You can reset the curse by visiting the church and sacrificing the corpses of dead monsters there.

In each turn, players can move their characters across the playing field, fight or run away from monsters, experience some events in certain locations (these events will be determined by an event map for a given area) or try to get out of other worlds. They can also sell or buy things or spells in certain locations, receive a blessing, or improve their shaky mental (in a psychiatric clinic) or physical (in a hospital) health for free or for money.

If a researcher encounters a monster, he has two ways - to try to slip past him (using the stealth parameter) or to engage in battle with him. If a researcher is about to fight (or has not passed a test for stealth), then he must first determine if he had the mental strength to face the horror on the streets of Arkham. The player must roll the dice to check the parameter "willpower" against the value of the "horror" that causes the monster. If the player passes the test, then the researcher can fight with the monster. If it doesn’t work, then the character loses a certain number of “brains” (the human brain is drawn on the mental health chips) and must still fight with the monster.

To fight a monster, the player rolls the number of dice equal to the value of the “battle” parameter plus bonuses from the weapon (if any) or from spells (if any) plus the modifier from the monster. If the player succeeds in this test, then the monster is killed, and the researcher takes his corpse as a trophy. Then this corpse can be sold at the docks, exchanged in the church for a blessing, but it can not be given to another player.

The researcher can try to escape from the monster, in which case the player rolls dice for "stealth". If he succeeds, then his character safely escapes. If not, then the monster causes a certain amount of damage to the researcher, reducing the number of endurance points, and the fight continues until one of the participants is killed or the researcher escapes.

At the end of each turn, one of the players (the one who went first) takes the top card of the "myth" and reads it. This map says in which location the new gate will open, where the evidence appears, what is happening in the city. Monsters that appeared and are already in the city move on the map in accordance with the map of the “myth”. Each time the gates are opened, the doom token is placed on the Ancient card, showing how close it is to awakening. One of the goals in the game is to close all gates. There are three ways to do this. With a certain test of “strength” or “knowledge” the gates are closed, which means that in this location the gates can open again at any turn. To seal the gates, you must either spend five evidence, or seal them with the Sign of the Ancients. In the latter case, one chip is removed from the "scale of fate" on the card of the Ancient One, slowing its appearance.

As soon as the scale of fate is completely filled, the Ancient One wakes up, and the surviving researchers must fight him. There is an exception: if the sultan of the demons Azatot wakes up in the game, then he does not fight with the researchers, but immediately destroys the whole world.

Starting with The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh, each addition, in addition to new event cards, researchers and the Ancients, introduces a new element to the game. These new elements, if desired, can be ignored by players. The more additions to the game, the more difficult the gameplay itself.

Curse of the Dark Pharaoh

Exhibition in the city.

In June 2006, the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh deck appeared. A museum exhibition from Egypt was brought to the University of Miskatonik - archaeological finds excavated in one of the tombs, after which another trouble began in the city. In this supplement, much attention is paid to Nyarlatothep, one of the most famous Lovecraftian Ancients, and if he is chosen as an Ancient, threatening to destroy Arkham, additional rules are introduced into the game.

The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh has 166 cards: 76 cards of researchers (22 Items from the exhibition, 21 Spells, 7 Allies and 26 Special cards (Expulsion from the area, Beneficence and Corruption)) and 90 cards of the Ancients (45 cards of Arkham Locations, 27 cards of the Gate , 18 cards of Myths).

In this addition, new cards are introduced into the game: 22 “Things from the exhibition”, 18 cards “Expulsion from the area”, and 4 cards “Benefits” and “Corruption” each. Things from the exhibition are cards similar to unique things, with the exception that they have no value and cannot be bought or obtained at the beginning of the game, they can be obtained either in Arkham locations or in Other worlds. "Expulsion from the area" closes the unlucky researcher, who somehow annoyed the residents of Arkham with access to a particular area. “Benefit” and “Corruption” are similar in their actions to “Blessing” and “Curse”, that is, they provide the researcher with additional bonuses for some time, but unlike the latter, each “Benefit” and “Corruption” card has its own individual the conditions under which they cease to operate.

In addition to new cards, a new type of gate appears in the Curse of the Dark Pharaoh: double color. Cards with this color give the researcher the opportunity of an unforgettable encounter with any of the Ancients during the study of Other worlds.

The game with the addition “Curse of the Dark Pharaoh” can be played in two ways. The first is a temporary exhibition in Arkham. In this case, the decks of the base game and add-ons are not mixed, but are played in turn. The second is a permanent exhibition in Arkham. All decks are combined, and the Dark Pharaoh remains in Arkham for a long, long time.

The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh (reissue)

In 2011, a new version of The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh was published. Fantasy Flight Games explained this by the fact that this addition was the very first, and did not go very well with the further development of the game.

Differences from the original version:

• Ancient Whispers (indicated by a special token) are heard on the streets of the city. The detective, who has finished moving on the street with a token, draws a card from the deck of “exhibition contacts”. During this contact, items from the exhibition can be obtained.

• Exile replaced by Civil Patrol. If the patrol takes to the streets of the district, the detective must pass the dodge check while passing this street, or he will be arrested.

• The composition of the game includes a sheet of the harbinger of the Dark Pharaoh. Previously, this sheet could be downloaded from the manufacturer's website.

The Dunwich Horror

The Whitley brothers stood on top of the Wizard's Hill ...

The second expansion is called The Dunwich Horror , and was first introduced at 2006 Gen Con . This supplement has a new map, a map of the fictional village of Dunwich , located northwest of Arkham. Researchers can visit Dunwich if they travel by train from Arkham Train Station. Also in this supplement there are 4 new sheets of the Ancients (Glaaki, Tsatoggua, Abnot, Shudde M'ell), 8 new sheets of researchers and several additional decks.

In this add-on, if a character loses the last point of mental health, he can not discard evidence and half of things, but take a card from the new deck of Madness. Anyway, he will have to go to a psychiatric clinic or get lost in space and time, but instead of 1 restored mental health point, he will restore everything. Similarly, the cards from the new "Injury" deck work, which can be played if the character does not have any endurance points.

When certain conditions are met, a new monster, the Danwich Horror, will enter the game. He is much stronger than ordinary monsters, but weaker than the Ancients. His behavior and statistics are determined by the Dunwich Horror deck, consisting of seven cards. Dunwich Horror may appear several times per game.

“The King in Yellow”

Have you seen the Yellow Sign?

The third expansion, The King in Yellow , was announced in October 2006 and released in June 2007. Like The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh, this expansion consists only of cards. It is based on the story of the same name by Robert Chambers. A theater troupe arrives in the city of Arkham, giving "The King in Yellow" - a drama that conquered all of Europe. The main feature of this add-on was the appearance of the “Harbinger” card (originally the King in yellow, the herald of Hastura ) - a powerful creature who longs to bring the Ancient One closer. Subsequently, the second map of the harbinger - the Dark Pharaoh, the avatar of Nyarlathotep , was posted on the official website of the game.

There are 180 components in the King in Yellow add-on: 76 explorer cards (19 cards of Simple things, 22 cards of Unique things, 15 cards of Spells, 13 cards of Decline, 7 cards of Magic effects), 90 cards of the Ancients (36 cards of Locations of Arkham, 24 cards Gate, 27 Myth cards, 3 Act cards), 1 sheet of the Harbinger (King in yellow), 10 Yellow Tokens, 3 Wild Monsters tokens.

Kingsport Horror

There, in the fog, something is visible.

The fourth addition, Kingsport Horror , was released in June 2008. In this expansion, events take place in Kingsport , a city located downstream of Miskatonic from Arkham. It presents a new card, 4 new Ancients, 2 Harbingers, 3 new creations - Guardians and a new deck of “Epic Battles”. A new type of movement of monsters appears: on water; and a new type of monster avoiding meeting. All Kingsport locations are stable, that is, in none of them can interdimensional gates open. Some of Kingsport's locations are hard to reach (the road there goes through other locations, and in each of them you need to make a stop and contact). One of the new researchers will be a bounty hunter, the other will be constantly cursed, and two researchers will have a total of mental and physical health points of 10. The space gaps that release new monsters into Arkham are added and increase the track of the Ancient One. To prevent breaks and close them, investigators should investigate Kingsport locations.

Black Goat of the Forests

Forests are so dark and dense.

The fifth addition, " Black Goat of the Woods" , was released in August 2008. The focus of this supplement is on Shib Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Forests with the Thousand Youngest, one of the most famous Ancients in the Lovecraft pantheon. This card add-on, like “King in Yellow” and “Curse of the Dark Pharaoh”, and it includes membership cards in the cult of “One of the Thousand” ( Eng. “One of the Thousand” Cult Membership ), which change the contacts in the Forests, Black Cave and the Inaccessible Island in Arkham for contacts with the cult. Also in the supplement are maps of “Corruption” ( English “Corruption” ), representing the dark influence of myths on researchers, and actually the sheet of the Harbinger - the Black Goat of the Forest itself, which poses a serious danger to researchers.

It is worth noting that the use of the “Harbingers” sheets (in all additions where they are available) is not mandatory, but is a variant of the game with a higher level of difficulty (in an already very difficult game). In addition, in this supplement there are special difficulty cards. In the option of playing with them (optional), players can select one of these cards at the very beginning of the game. Two difficulty cards make the game easier, the other two more difficult, another one represents the normal difficulty level. Option of playing with cards Difficulties can be used in any game from the Arkham Horror series.

There are 188 components in the Black Goat of Forest supplement: 90 Explorer cards (11 Simple things cards, 11 Unique things cards, 4 Spell cards, special cards: 8 One of a Thousand Cult membership cards, 16 Green Corruption cards, 16 cards Red Corruption, 24 cards of Contacts with the Cult), 88 cards of the Ancient (36 cards of Locations of Arkham, 24 cards of the Gate, 23 cards of Myths, 5 cards of Difficulty), 9 chips of monsters and 1 sheet of the Harbinger (Black Goat of the Forests).

The Horror of Innsmouth

Dare you look in the mirror?

The sixth addition, Innsmouth Horror , was released on May 28, 2009. It represents Innsmouth , a coastal town at the mouth of the Manuxett River. In addition to the new map, the next researchers, the Ancients, the new monsters and the Forerunners with the Sentinels, this supplement has the cards "Personal stories", the map "Innsmouth view" and a new scale in addition to the "scale of horror" - "rise of the deep."

Lurking on the Threshold

The seventh addition, " Hiding at the Threshold " ( Eng. "The Lurker at the Threshold" ) was released in July 2010.

Based on the eponymous novel by Augustus Derlet and Howard Lovecraft .

This is a small addition, including a new Harbinger, over 100 maps of Arkham Locations, maps of Myths and Gates. This add-on contains 18 new Gate tokens, replacing the old ones and creating new rules for passing the Gate. In this addition, a new deck appears - Relationship cards, describing the various types of relationships in which detectives can be among themselves. Also added new mechanics for concluding Dark Covenants with the Ancient.

The Horror of Miskatonic

The eighth addition, “ The Miskatonic Horror,” was released in July 2011.

Miskatonic - the name of the river flowing in Arkham, as well as the name of the local university. Students and teachers of the educational institution rarely remain aloof from the horrific events taking place in the city and its environs.

This addition is an extension of previously released updates and does not greatly change the mechanics of the game.

Main innovations: Institutes.

Public institutions can assist players in exchange for resources. Institutions are similar to the Forerunners and Guardians, and can be used in conjunction with them. With regard to quantity - the same rule. Only one institute is allowed.

• Miskatonic University:

A researcher can become a student or a graduate of a university and thereby benefit from this, launch an expedition to a neighboring city (or use the expedition's transport), receive books (from a deck of ordinary or unique items) in the library.

• Bureau of Investigation:

Researchers can recruit agents for the evidence that will later destroy the monsters in the streets.

• Organized crime:

At the beginning of the game, the researcher can get a deposit or join the Sheldon gang (Dunwich Horror). Upon arrest, a researcher may call a lawyer to pay money and ignore the arrest. Still, a researcher can get help from clandestine doctors for money and buy things on the black market.

The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh update expands the reprinted version. For the original version, you can only use item cards from the exhibition.

In the box, with the exception of the rules, you can find:

• 7 skill cards, each for one of the previous additions;
• 56 cards of contacts in other worlds;
• 43 myth maps (on some maps there are 2 locations for opening the gates - the upper one in Danwich, Kingsport or Innsmouth, and the lower one in Arkham. If the location indicated in the upper part is not available (the game goes without the specified city) - the gates open in the location indicated in the lower parts);
• 4 fact sheets - they show the limits of open gates, monsters in the city, monsters on the outskirts, depending on the number of players.

For The Curse of the Dark Pharaoh:

• 9 cards of exhibition contacts;
• 5 item cards from the exhibition.

For The Horror Dunwich:

• Cards of insanity and injury. If earlier the detective was considered devoured, having received two identical cards of insanity or trauma, now now, receiving various types of cards can lead to this sad result.
• 60 maps of locations of Danwich;
• 6 Horror Dunwich cards;
• Horror Dunwich Harbinger sheet.

For The King in Yellow:

• 7 cards of insanity;
• 4 action cards. Replace the original, added overture.

For Kingsport Horror:

• 6 Nodens blessing cards;
• 16 vision cards of Hypnos;
• 80 maps of locations of Kingsport;
• 8 epic battle cards.

For the "Black Goat of the Forests":

• 24 cult contact cards.

For The Horror Innsmouth:

• 60 maps of locations of Innsmouth;
• 5 cards of Innsmouth appearance.

For Lurking at the Threshold:

• 6 relationship cards;
• 14 cards of an hour of reckoning.

and new:

• 8 student cards of Miskatonic;
• 3 sheets of the institute;
• 38 agent chips;
• 3 expedition tokens.

At the moment, there is one fan and one official translation of the game. The official translation was made by Smart Limited. Also, the supplements Curse of the Dark Pharaoh, Horror of Dunwich, King in Yellow, Horror of Kingsport and Horror of Innsmouth were translated into Russian.

The game was reprinted in 2011, the rules were amended, and the errors of the first edition were corrected. New rules in PDF format can be downloaded in the games section on the website of the official online store of the company "HobbyGames"

Among other things, the company " Fantasy Flight Games " produces miniatures. All detectives and monsters are represented. Similar miniatures, but not painted, are included in the Mansions of Madness bundle.

• 2006 French Tric Trac Award - “Game of the Year” nomination ^[2] .
• 2010 LCI (Best Computer Games) - The Most Atmospheric Board Game - 1st Place
• 2009 Game of the Year - World of Fantasy - Nominee
• 2006 Best Gamer's Game - BGG Golden Geek - Nominee

• The official website of the game
• “Arkham Horror” - a wiki on the game, with a detailed description of explorers, monsters, locations and the Ancients (in English)
• “Strange Eras ” - a fan program for creating new Ancients, explorers and monsters (in English)
• Official site of the company Hobby World - the publisher of the game in Russia (Russian)