Fantasy Flight Games

Eldritch Horror: 10-Year Retrospective

Published 27 November 2023 | Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror: 10-Year Retrospective

Corey Konieczka Shares His Thoughts on 10 Years of Eldritch Horror

When I was asked to write a 10-year retrospective on Eldritch Horror, my first reaction was: “Has it really been 10 years?” If this were a social media post, I would have responded with an animated GIF of a guy aging 100 years in 5 seconds.

Anyhow, 10 years is a long time, and memory is an imperfect thing. Most of my memories of 2013 are foggy, but a few specific moments cut through the fog like a lighthouse over Innsmouth.

Early 2005 – Prelude

Shortly before I started working at FFG, I saw Arkham Horror 2^nd Edition announced on their website. I’ve always loved horror and sci-fi, but somehow, I had never been introduced to Lovecraftian horror. As I read more about the game and the theme, I became obsessed and devoured all information I could find about the game.

I remember saying the word Cthulhu a lot (once I figured out how to pronounce it that is).

September 2012 – Conception

Arkham Horror 2^nd Edition was a huge success thanks to Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson’s brilliant design and a plethora of expansions.

It left a huge impact on me personally, and I absolutely adored the micro-stories written on the cards. The flavor pulled me into the world like no other game.

When Christian Petersen pitched the idea of a “Globetrotting Arkham Horror game,” excitement crawled out of my mouth like an eldritch monstrosity, I could hardly contain it.

October 2012 – Early Design

When I set out to design the game, I knew that I would borrow all my favorite things from Arkham Horror 2^nd Edition. Stories on encounter cards, skill tests, and so much more. I borrowed so much that one could argue that I only designed half the game, but I suppose we all stand on the shoulders of giants.

Beyond the “globetrotting” feel, there were a few main elements I wanted to change in my game:

Mortality – I wanted the enemies to feel dangerous and characters to die and go insane (something that didn’t really happen in Arkham Horror). This later evolved into the system in which you could visit defeated characters to retrieve your items with a character specific story. This is probably my favorite mechanic in the game.
Less Upkeep – Arkham Horror was full of ongoing rules that I often forgot to resolve, so I wanted to greatly reduce this. This goal eventually turned into the “Omen” mechanic which triggers effects at random times.
Spell-casting Shenanigans – I wanted casting spells to be FUN. This eventually led to double-sided spells with random stories telling what the spell did. It was so much fun that it inspired the condition cards to act in a similar way.

I have email records sharing an early vision of the game with Richard Launius, but the document itself has been lost in the sands of time.

January 2013 – Fresh Blood

I had a playable game, but it was crude and unrefined. In early 2013, FFG’s newest designer at the time, Nikki Valens, was assigned to help me develop the game. She had a keen eye for simplicity, and asked lots of tough questions about what mechanics and components were really necessary.

In particular, money in the game originally worked just like Arkham Horror – you got little dollar bill tokens that you could spend to buy shotguns and crucifixes. Nikki asked why U.S. dollars could be spent worldwide, but also: do we really need another token type? This led to the idea that characters could purchase items using “Influence” (a simple skill test). Such a simple idea, but it was a pivotal change.

April 2013 – Hints at the Future

Another FFG developer by the name of Tim Uren had been helping us with content, writing, and testing. I remember talking to him about hiding a code in the game somewhere that talked about the first expansion for the game.

I dug through my old emails and found this document of his first stab at the code: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

The hope was that dedicated players would find these symbols and decode the idea that Nyarlathotep was going to be the focus of the first expansion. How exciting!

We were pretty focused on finishing the core game at this time, so we only had a vague idea of what the expansion might look like. Regardless, we put the code in there thinking it would be a fun easter egg.

Now, the twist. When we ACTUALLY started working on the expansion, it became pretty clear that Nyarlathotep needed way more than a small-box expansion could provide. The scope of the expansion was so big that it was kicked down the road for FIVE WHOLE YEARS, and it eventually became the 8^th and final expansion for the game.

So much for teasing the first expansion.

November 2013 – The Journey Forward

I hate to admit this, but I don’t have ANY recollection of the game finally being released. I will say this however: Eldritch Horror may be the game that I played the MOST after it was released. I don’t often get to actually PLAY my released games, but this one got lots of table-time with friends and family.

In the following years, Nikki, Tim, and (eventually) Dane Beltrami carried the Eldritch Horror torch and crafted a deluge of amazing expansions. They built a fantastic game line and pumped it full of life for many years.

But it wasn’t just them that made this game survive the test of time, it was also our dedicated fans. Thank you, intrepid reader for your love and support over the years! I am forever grateful.

- Corey

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The copyrightable portions of Eldritch Horror are © 2013 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Eldritch Horror and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Arkham Horror is a registered trademark of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

Arkham Nights Around the World

Published 14 September 2023 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Arkham Nights Around the World

Announcing the Arkham Nights 2023 Organized Play Kit

Greetings, Arkham Horror fans.

Something lurks in the shadows of the coming weeks: an experience that is both familiar and unknown, recognizable yet different, and above all, quintessentially Arkham.

That’s right: Arkham Nights is fast approaching. And this time, the event is going global.

For the first time since its inception, the core experience of Arkham Nights will not be tied to a single store. This time, we want Arkham Nights to be a truly global event, and so we designed this year’s Arkham Nights kit in a way that will allow any store around the world to provide the same experience. We wanted this kit to serve as an enhancement to a store’s celebration of the Arkham Horror Files universe, so we kept the promos simple and clean. This way, they can be used to support an event themed around Eldritch Horror, Arkham Horror Third Edition, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, or all of the above!

Each kit provides enough promos for up to 4 players, and a store can acquire multiple kits to support events with larger player counts. As for the promos themselves, each player who attends an Arkham Nights 2023 event will walk away with a special themed chaos bag that can be used for any Arkham Horror Files game, as well as three double-sided health and sanity dials!

These dials were specially designed to be themed to the different classes in Arkham Horror: The Card Game, namely Guardian, Seeker, Rogue, Mystic, Survivor, and Neutral. Of course, you can use them no matter which game you’re playing, so be sure to try them out for your favorite investigator!

The Arkham Nights kit will launch near the end of October to coincide with this year’s Arkham Nights events. Make sure you talk to your local store about ordering kits for their event!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Spooky Season

Published 4 October 2022 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Spooky Season

Announcing the 2022 Week of Horror Event

Another horde of horrors is on its way…

For the past couple years, investigators all over the world have enjoyed a celebration of the Arkham Horror Files game line in October. This year, the terrifying trend continues with the 2022 Week of Horror event! From October 24^th through October 31^st, we’ll be posting something new and Arkham-themed to our website and/or socials every day.

So, without further ado, let’s take a quick peek at what’s coming for the Week of Horror!

Costume Contest

Starting on October 24^th, we will start accepting submissions for the 2022 Week of Horror Costume Contest! For this contest, fans* of the Arkham Horror Files game line can submit pictures of themselves in their best Arkham duds for a chance to win some free games! Will you be an investigator? A cultist? Or perhaps even an eldritch monstrosity? We can’t wait to find out!

We’ll have one winner in each of the following three categories: individual, group, and pet. Judging will be based on creativity, originality, effort, and authenticity to the Arkham setting, with equal weight for each of those four criteria.

Submissions for the Costume Contest end at 11:59 PM CDT on October 31^st. You can read the official rules here.

*Please note that this contest is for U.S. residents only.

The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion Livestream

Jumping ahead to Wednesday, October 26^th, we will be hosting a special FFG Live stream on our YouTube channel to show off some of the contents of the upcoming The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion. Tune in at 1:00 PM CDT to watch MJ Newman, Duke Harrist, and Josh Massey take on a scenario from the expansion. Will they manage to beat the odds and pull off a win?

Daily Activities

In addition to the exciting things listed above, each other day of the Week of Horror will feature fun little Arkham-themed activities. Let’s take a quick look at each of them one-by-one:

On Tuesday, October 25^th, we’ll have our Trivia Tuesday trivia contest. This one will feature a trivia question about one of our Arkham Horror Files game lines—but which one?

On Thursday, October 27^th, see if you can find your way out of an Arkham-themed maze puzzle. Be careful not to get lost!

On Friday, October 28^th, find out what your Arkham Horror investigator name would be with this simple quiz!

On Saturday, October 29^th, test your perception with a monster of a word search. You think you know the Great Old Ones well? Try finding their names in a sea of letters!

On Sunday, October 30^th, follow up on the previous day’s activity with an Arkham Horror-themed crossword puzzle. Test your knowledge and see if you can get each answer right!

Finally, on Monday, October 31^st, we’ll upload the long-awaited “Play-and-Share” promo version of the Wendy Adams parallel investigator card! This will complete the set of promos for Arkham LCG’s five core set investigators at last.

Arkham Nights

Of course, no October would be complete without Arkham Nights! No matter where you are in the world, you can participate in the festivities at your local game store. Simply ask your store if they are participating—or, if you’re a game store owner yourself, simply get in touch with your Asmodee sales representative to learn how you can get involved in Arkham Nights.

A Week to Remember

As we head into this spooky season, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts. The Arkham Horror Files has some of the most passionate and enthusiastic fans in tabletop gaming, and we are unfathomably grateful for the love and support you all have shown over the years. We have lots more thrills and chills in store for the future, which means one thing is certain: whether you are a longtime community member or just got into the games this year, right now is a fantastic time to be an Arkham fan.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Unlocked Secrets

Published 18 November 2021 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Unlocked Secrets

Presenting the Prizes for the Arkham Nights 2021 Global Trivia Event

Back in late October, we held our Arkham Nights 2021 event, which was a weeklong combination of digital and in-person activities to celebrate the Arkham Horror Files franchise. During that week, we held a special Cooperative Global Trivia event, which challenged investigators from all over the world to answer some tough Arkham Horror Files questions in an effort to unlock a number of prizes.

The first of those prizes has now arrived! Simply keep scrolling to see which prizes have arrived so far, and be sure to keep checking back here periodically as more prizes are added.

Wallpapers

The first prizes to be unlocked were some fantastic digital wallpapers! Be sure to save the images below to use on your desktop, or follow the associated links to download them to your mobile device.

Click here for a larger resolution, here for Android, or here for iPhone.

Print-and-Play Promo Cards

The next prizes to be unlocked were some print-and-play promo cards in the style of the Play-and-Share promos that had been unlocked previously! Click the links below to download them today:

Agnes Baker (Standard)

Agnes Baker (Parallel)

Roland Banks (Standard)

Roland banks (Parallel)

Wendy Adams (Standard)

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the event!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Horrors for Days

Published 8 October 2021 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Horrors for Days

Announcing the Schedule for Arkham Nights 2021

Be wary, investigators, for something dark approaches…

Last year, we had a week of horrors that formed the Arkham Nights 2020 event. This year, we find ourselves faced with yet another terrifying event, but this time on an even grander scale. Arkham Nights 2021 is right around the corner, and this year it’s larger than ever.

This event will take place from Friday, October 22^nd through Sunday, October 31^st. We will talk about the two weekends in this time period (the 22^nd through 24^th and the 29^th through 31^st) in a moment, but for now, let’s focus on the tantalizing online events that happen between them, during the week we’d like to call the Week of Arkham.

To kick off the Week of Arkham on Monday, October 25^th, we will have a Share the Terror Prize Pack Giveaway. Simply share a photo of you playing any of the games in the Arkham Horror Files universe with the hashtag #ArkhamNights2021 for a chance to win an Arkham Horror Files-themed prize pack. As for what’s in that prize pack, we will reveal that at a later date, so stay tuned!

Next, on Tuesday, October 26^th, join your fellow investigators around the globe to tackle a special Cooperative Trivia Challenge. For this event, we will be livestreaming trivia questions starting at 6:00 PM CDT. All viewers will have just a short moment to answer each question, and every correct answer will contribute to a global score. If the global score gets high enough, you will unlock a number of prizes for all Arkham fans to enjoy!

On Thursday, October 28^th, tune in for a special broadcast on Facebook Live with MJ Newman, the lead designer of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. In this broadcast, MJ will take everyone through a whirlwind tour of the Edge of the Earth Campaign Expansion, with a focus on the characters and scenarios that can be found within. For anyone looking forward to Arkham LCG’s Antarctic adventure, you won’t want to miss this tantalizing preview!

Then, on Friday, October 29^th, a new batch of recipes from Arkham, Massachusetts will hit our website, expanding the culinary collection that we began as part of last year’s Arkham Nights festivities. Be sure to check out (and try out) these recipes when we unleash them on the world! (Note: If you haven’t seen the recipes from last year, you can still find them here!)

The Week of Arkham will have much more happening on each day as well! Be sure to check in regularly for a plethora of Arkham Horror Files-themed content scattered across our website and social media accounts, including puzzles, quizzes, memes, and more.

Arkham Nights In-Person

Last year was difficult for a number of reasons, and unfortunately we were unable to host any sort of Arkham Nights event in person. Thankfully, this year is different, and we are excited to announce that Arkham Nights is coming back not only to just Roseville, Minnesota, but in stores around the world as well!

In Roseville, folks can look forward to the Gamezenter hosting its Arkham Nights event from October 22^nd through October 24^th. Those of us from FFG will be there to collaborate with the Gamezenter on their activities and events. If you can make it, join us for things like epic multiplayer games for both the Arkham Horror board game and card game, a pick-and-play game library where you and your friends can play any game from the Arkham Horror Files universe (including the upcoming Unfathomable), and a late-night pub trivia event with some awesome prizes on the line! Be sure to check out the Gamezenter’s website for details and times.

For those of you who don’t live in the Roseville area, do not fret! For the first time ever, other game stores will be able to host their own versions of Arkham Nights as well! In the weeks leading up to the 22^nd, be sure to ask your local game store if they plan to host an Arkham Nights event. Each participating store will host the event in their own way, and they can hold it anytime between October 22^nd and October 31^st. Some stores may even have some official Arkham Nights 2021 swag to give out! Just keep in mind that FFG will not be participating in the events of stores other than the Gamezenter, even though we wish we could.

A Week to Remember

Mark your calendars, Arkham fans. With something happening every day between October 22^nd and October 31^st—whether it’s online or in-person—you won’t want to miss out on this year’s Arkham Nights event. Join us, and brave the horrors of the Week of Arkham—the world depends on it!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

A Week of Horrors

Published 23 October 2020 | Arkham Horror: The Card Game

A Week of Horrors

Announcing the Arkham Nights 2020 Event

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
–H.P. Lovecraft

Greetings, investigators.

We wish we could meet in better circumstances, but there are matters that we simply must address. Dark omens of unspeakable horrors loom on the horizon, whispers of monsters and inexplicable evil creep on the edge of everyone’s minds, and an omnipresent dread chills our souls.

They are coming.

In just a few days’ time, it will begin. The cults of the Ancient Ones will gather in celebration of their unknowable lords, and a different ritual will take place each day to contribute to the dark event, which will last for nearly a week.

That event’s name? Arkham Nights 2020.

Normally, this celebration of horror would take place in person at the Fantasy Flight headquarters in Roseville, Minnesota, but this year the frightful festivities will be entirely online.

The forces of the Mythos will begin their ghastly agenda on Monday, October 26 with a new riddle about Eldritch Horror. This riddle will reveal itself on the Fantasy Flight Games Facebook page, and one unlucky soul who answers this riddle correctly will be cursed with a free expansion for the game, doomed to enjoy themselves with an enhanced Eldritch Horror experience.

On Tuesday, October 27, the mysterious members of the Silver Twilight Lodge will release some recipes native to Arkham, Massachusetts, in an effort to spread their influence throughout the world. Be sure to avoid the Fantasy Flight Games website and social media accounts, where these recipes will be posted and linked, or else you too will be captured by their flavors and ensnared by their richness.

On Wednesday, October 28, the cultists of Organized Play will reveal the first of their dastardly Play-and-Share promos, which were unlocked by enough people participating in their ongoing ritual. We can only hope that the ritual does not meet further milestones, or else more and more promos will be unlocked and the Play-and-Share campaign will only continue to grow.

On Thursday, October 29, Matthew Newman and Jeremy Zwirn, two of the top investigators at Fantasy Flight Games, will livestream their efforts to combat the Mythos by working with viewers to design a brand-new card for Arkham Horror: The Card Game. This crucial event for humanity’s survival will take place at 4:00 PM CST on the FFGLive Twitch channel. For the sake of keeping the horrors at bay, do not miss this stream! IMPORTANT EDIT: Due to unexpected circumstances, this livestream has been postponed. Be sure to check back in periodically and keep an eye on FFG's social media accounts for updates on the new date for this event!

On Friday, October 30, you'll find a brief respite from the horrors of the week with a simple quote from one of FFG's Arkham titles. Is this their favorite quote? Or does it mean something greater? Investigators will have to figure that out on their own!

Finally, on Saturday, October 31, FFG will begin taking submissions for the sinister ‘Craftian Costume Contest. Any hopeful innocents who wish to show their love for the horrors of Arkham will be able to submit images of themselves dressed as investigators, cultists, or unspeakable horrors. Among the submissions, one person will be chosen to receive a mysterious Arkham Horror-themed prize. Submissions will be open until 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, November 1. The fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate) winner of this prize will be announced on Monday, November 2. The official rules for this contest can be found here.

Whether you look forward to this event or view it with dread, the fact remains that Arkham Nights 2020 begins on Monday, October 26. Brace yourselves, investigators. It will be a week to remember.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Our Best Solo Board Games

Published 27 March 2020 | Arkham Horror: The Card Game

Our Best Solo Board Games

Find Your Next Tabletop Game to Enjoy While Social Distancing

No matter where you live in the world, chances are good that you’ve been engaging in some social isolation. And for tabletop gamers like us, that level of separation can make it hard to engage with the hobby we love the most. Fortunately, even if you’re alone in your apartment, there are dozens of games that you can play on your own, offering hours and hours of entertainment!

You can find amazing solo games from almost any tabletop games studio, but in this article, we’ll just run down seven titles from Fantasy Flight Games—each one packed with enough replayability to get you through a quarantine on its own.

If you’re interested in getting one of these games for yourself and your family, local tabletop game retailers near you may be offering curbside delivery—otherwise, all of these games are also available through online channels! So without further ado, let’s get into the list!

1. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

Step back to a 1920s steeped in Lovecraftian horror with Arkham Horror: The Card Game! This Living Card Game invites you to become an intrepid investigator, peering past the veil of human understanding into dark cults, unspeakable rituals, and an unfolding adventure.

Before your first game, you’ll build a deck, using cards that represent your investigator’s allies, weapons, tools, and skills that they can call upon during a game. Once you’ve built a deck, you’re ready to leap into a story of creeping terror from beyond our dimension, unfolding across multiple scenarios, with choices that you’ve made early on reverberating throughout the entire campaign.

The Core Set is the perfect place to start, and from there, you simply choose the deluxe expansion that suits your interest—whether that’s the ethereal dreamlands of The Dream-Eaters, the slow descent into madness of The Path to Carcosa, or another tale. If you want to see us play the first scenario of The Circle Undone, you can find the video here, or you can catch some tips for building an investigator deck in this video.

Player count: 1-2 (3-4 with two Core Sets)

Price: The Core Set is $39.95.

2. Descent: Journeys in the Dark

The definitive dungeon crawl experience, Descent: Journeys in the Dark opens the fantasy realm of Terrinoth for you to explore as a daring hero. You’ll delve into ancient dungeons, pass through primeval forests, and do battle against countless monsters and other forces of evil across dozens of scenarios and epic campaigns. As you advance through any campaign, your victories and defeats in each scenario change the evolving story, granting experience, powerful weapons, and the chance to learn new skills.

Descent: Journeys in the Dark also boasts two distinct ways to play. If you’re playing solo, or if you’d prefer a fully cooperative game, you can download the free Road to Legend app, which controls the monsters arrayed against you and the unfolding scenario. Or, if you have at least one person isolating with you, you can play the game competitively, with one player commanding the heroes and one player leading the dreadful monsters.

Building off of the Core Set campaign, Descent boasts a wealth of expansions, each offering new scenarios, heroes, monsters, hero classes, items, and more. If you’re just looking to add more monsters and heroes to your game, a full assortment of Hero and Monster Collections can supplement your collection. Best of all, both regular expansions and Hero and Monster Collections can be seamlessly integrated into your games, whether you’re playing solo with Road to Legend or with other players.

Player count: 1-5

Price: The Core Set is $79.95.

3. Eldritch Horror

Few board games can match the sheer wealth of content poured into Eldritch Horror. Like Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Eldritch Horror takes place in the same universe—an alternate history 1920s that’s assailed by the monstrosities and Ancient Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos. This game, however, takes you to the global scale, and each of the game’s eight expansions pack in more content, bringing new scenarios, investigators, items, spells, conditions, monsters, and much, much more.

You may travel to Antarctica in the Mountains of Madness expansion or the tombs of Egypt with Under the Pyramids, but even if you just stick with the Core Set, you’re still embarking on a global adventure that will take you to abandoned old bookshops, ill-fated islands, and bustling cities as you fight to stop a horrifying Ancient One from consuming our reality. As a way to adventure around the globe without leaving your home, there’s no game quite like Eldritch Horror.

Player count: 1-8

Price: The Core Set is $59.95.

4. Star Wars: Rebellion

It’s true that Star Wars™: Rebellion requires two players—so you’ll only want to get this game if you’re social isolating with someone else—but the replayability is too high to leave this game off the list. No other board game offers the entire classic Star Wars trilogy in a single experience.

This asymmetrical board game pits the scrappy Rebel Alliance against the overwhelming might of the Galactic Empire. The Rebels must stoke the fire of rebellion and gather enough support to overthrow the Empire, while the Imperials are tasked with finding and destroying the hidden Rebel base. Over the course of the game, you’ll have countless chances to recreate iconic moments from the films. You can stage a daring attack to destroy the Death Star, imprison Rebel heroes in carbonite, and play out your battles among the stars. If you want to come as close as you can to experiencing Star Wars without watching the movies, then Star Wars: Rebellion is a perfect fit.

Player count: 2

Price: $99.95

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

If you’re looking for another cooperative card game to fill your time away from others, look no farther than The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game! This Living Card Game pulls you into the world of Middle-earth. You’ll play as some of the trilogy’s most memorable heroes and embark on new quests in every game, taking on the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron and traversing across the open wastes, old ruins, and towering mountains of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic world.

The Core Set is the perfect starting point for this game, but from that point, you can take on dozens of adventures. Deluxe expansions and Adventure Packs each introduce new cards that you can add to your deck, as well as new scenarios for you to test your mettle. If you’re looking for a single game with enough content to get you through quarantine on its own, The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game has enough expansions to keep you entertained for months.

Player count: 1-2 (3-4 with two Core Sets)

Price: The Core Set is $39.95.

6. Mansions of Madness

Where Eldritch Horror takes your investigations to a global level, Mansions of Madness focuses in on the horrors lurking in the gambrel manors and slumping townhomes of Arkham. Whether you’re walking the gloomy streets of Innsmouth or attending a glittering masked ball, your investigator is about to come face to face with shambling deep ones, hooded cultists, and extradimensional entities intent on destroying our world.

Using a free companion app to run the scenario and control the monsters, Mansions of Madness frees you to investigate the strange happenings unfolding in each new scenario. You’ll find four such scenarios available in the Core Set, and each of the multiple expansions available for Mansions of Madness unlocks new scenarios, as well as introducing new investigators, monsters, and more.

Player count: 1-5

Price: The Core Set is $99.95.

7. Star Wars: Legion

It’s true, you may find it difficult to get a full game of Star Wars™: Legion played in your home—but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place on this list! Every Star Wars: Legion expansion is packed with highly detailed, finely sculpted miniatures spanning the entire Star Wars saga, ranging from Count Dooku, to Han Solo, to a strike team of Phase I Clone Troopers or an honor detail of Imperial Royal Guards. These miniatures come unassembled and unpainted, which means that bringing them to life with paint can be the perfect way to spend some time at home.

Even if you aren’t familiar with miniatures painting yourself, our paint sets specifically created for Star Wars: Legion make an easy way to start your collection. And for painting tips and tricks for every level of painter, you can find an assortment of our painting tutorials with painter extraordinaire John Shaffer on YouTube.

Player count: 1 for painting, 2 for gameplay

Price: The Core Set is $99.95 and contains components required to play, but if you’re just interested in painting, you can pick up a paint set and a unit expansion for about $59.95.

Enjoy Your Gaming!

Hopefully these suggestions for tabletop games you can play on your own has helped you figure out some ways to stay entertained as you’re staying healthy! As we mentioned above, many local retailers may still be offering a curbside delivery service, otherwise all of these games are available through online channels.

Happy gaming!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Arkham Nights 2019

Published 13 September 2019 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Arkham Nights 2019

Three Days of Madness and Terror from October 11–13

*Edit: We have added a full schedule of events near the bottom of this article. We have also added details for Arkham Nights 2019 events in Europe.

“I have looked upon all the universe has to hold of horror, and even the skies of spring and flowers of summer must ever afterward be poison to me.”
–H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

It is a chill evening. You are walking past the graveyard when, out of the corner of your eye, you spot something dart by. Turning for a better look, you see nothing behind you, but you can’t shake that feeling that makes you walk just a little faster and the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Even when you reach the safety of home, you know that something in the air has shifted.

The time of monsters is upon you.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Arkham Nights 2019, the ultimate annual celebration of Lovecraftian horror and gaming, which will be held at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, Minnesota, on October 11–13! Tickets are now available here!

And for Arkham fans outside the U.S., don't worry! We will be hosting a variety of Arkham Nights events across Europe on various dates. On October 11-12, Denmark will be having an Arkham Nights event at Viking-Con and Sweden will have one at Science Fiction Bokhandeln. From October 30- November 3, Italy will have their Arkham Nights event at the Lucca Comic and Games Festival. Then on November 17, Spain will have their event at Game On Madrid. There will also be events in the UK, Netherlands, France, and Belgium. Keep an eye on our website for more information! We will post more details as they become available!

Madness Takes Hold

As in years past, you will be able to participate in demos and playthroughs of FFG’s Lovecraft game library during Arkham Nights, including Arkham Horror: Final Hour, Arkham Horror Third Edition, Mansions of Madness, Eldritch Horror, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Elder Sign, and more! Throughout the event, we'll be running a casual leaderboard for Elder Sign and Eldritch Horror. All your team has to do is grab a scoresheet from HQ, play through the game, and return your sheet. High scores will be posted live throughout the event, and each member of your team will also receive a prize ticket just for participating. Be sure to hold onto your tickets! We will be doing prize drawings throughout the event and results will be posted at our event HQ.

Not only will Arkham Nights 2019 feature playthroughs and demos of your favorite Lovecraftian games, the event will also offer you the chance to meet some of their designers! Returning special guest Richard Launius will be playing games with participants throughout the weekend, running the gamut from his original version of Arkham Horror to a brand new, exclusive scenario for Arkham Horror Third Edition, Gates from Beyond! There will also be opportunities to play with developers throughout the event, including Mansions of Madness with Amudha Venugopalan and Grace Holdinghaus, and Arkham Horror Third Edition with Phil Henry!

On Friday, you will also have the chance to participate in The Blob that Ate Everything, the thrilling Arkham Horror LCG scenario that swept through Gen Con earlier this year! Team up with investigators from around the globe to take on an otherworldly monstrosity that devours anything and everything in its path—and we mean anything! In this love letter to the B horror movie of the 1930s through the 1950s, the Arkham community comes together like never before, standing united to face Subject 8L-08 regardless of whether the team has four investigator, twelve, or even 96! Bring your favorite investigator deck and get ready for a mission unlike anything you’ve ever seen!

An Event to Remember

The fun and terror of Arkham Nights 2019 stretches beyond the games themselves to include a host of events that can only be found at this eldritch gathering. On Friday night, in accordance with Arkham Nights tradition, a drawing will be held for the chance to participate in a Card Council to create a card for the Arkham Horror LCG with designers Jeremy Zwirn and Matt Newman, which will then be printed and distributed before the event’s end. But this year, Matt may have something else up his sleeve for those who dare to attend the event… the only way to find out is to be there! Then on Saturday, you are invited to take on the role of your favorite investigator, eldritch monstrosity, or other character of the Mythos for our costume contest! Earn amazing prizes and show off your cosplay skills as you dive into the Arkham Horror Files universe with gaming all weekend long!

Beyond the chance to engage with the Arkham community and unite over bone-chilling games and events, attendees of Arkham Nights 2019 will also receive an exclusive bag of eldritch goodies as a thank you for making the journey to defend Arkham. This year, the Lovecraftian loot includes your own copy of the thrilling The Blob That Everything scenario, a satin Chaos Bag, a wanted poster for the ex-con "Skids" O'Toole who has skipped out on parole, two sets of Arkham dice, a newly-designed Arkham Nights 2019 deck box, an exclusive Elder Sign pin, and a set of acrylic tokens for Arkham Horror: Final Hour, which was just announced earlier this year at Gen Con 2019! With these mementos to remember your time at Arkham Nights, you will be ready to take on any horrors you may encounter in your future gaming adventures once you return to the world of the light once more.

So Much Madness, So Little Time

Check out the full schedule of events below!

Claim Your Place

The time for Arkham Nights is fast approaching. Secure your place and mark your calendars for October 11–13. Doors open at 5 P.M. Friday and the horror continues until 2 P.M. on Sunday. Study your Necronomicon, put on your favorite jazz record, and prepare to stand against the forces of the Mythos alongside bravest investigators from across the globe! We’ll see you there!

To attend Arkham Nights 2019, you can purchase your ticket for the event here!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

14 Years

Published 26 July 2019 | Star Wars: Outer Rim

14 Years

A Retrospective Journal from Corey Konieczka

I started working at FFG on July 1, 2005. Before then, I had designed games as a fun hobby, so being able to do it as a career was (and still is) an unbelievable privilege. At the time, FFG had twenty or so people, and we had no idea that the company (and the hobby games industry) was about to grow in leaps and bounds.

It doesn't seem that long ago until I do math and realize that I’ve been doing this for fourteen years. While I still have much to learn, I have experienced much through my years at FFG, and I thought it might be fun to examine my career through the lens of the games I've worked on.

World of Warcraft: The Board Game – 2005

I started my career at FFG designing bosses and equipment for World of Warcraft: The Board Game. I remember spending an afternoon solo-testing boss fights that went roughly like this: roll a handful of D8s on my desk with a clatter. Record data. Scoop and repeat.

Warrior Knights – 2006

We had the rights to republish Derek Carver's Warrior Knights, and my boss wanted more than just a new coat of paint. Bruno Faiduitti and Pierre Cléquin took a stab at a redesign, and I was asked to take it even further.

When testing the game, I vividly remembered one piece of advice from Christian T. Petersen: "Your game is too short." This really caught me off guard. The game was already three hours long, and I'd been doing everything I could to shorten it. I didn't heed this advice, and when the game was released, the fan feedback was: "The game ends just when it's getting exciting." Luckily, I got to fix this in an expansion, but this greatly shaped how I evaluate feedback from others.

This was also the first time I worked with Andrew Navaro on a project. The gorgeous graphic design and cardbacks were made by the man who would one day become the head of FFG studio!

Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire – 2006

I'm not going to talk about expansions in this article, but I have to make an exception for this one. The third edition of Twilight Imperium was the game that introduced me to Fantasy Flight Games.

Before working at FFG, my friend Gary and I created a small homebrew expansion for the game. Months later, when I applied to work at FFG, I included a copy of it with my resume. Luckily, they liked my additions, and I was hired. A year later I was given the opportunity to work on a Twilight Imperium expansion, and some of my fan content ended up in it!

While working on Shattered Empire, I vividly remember writing hilarious backstories for the new planets. I soon found out that Twilight Imperium is a serious universe, and I had to start over. In hindsight, this was pretty obvious.

Tide of Iron – 2007

My name probably shouldn't be on the box of this game. I designed a few scenarios and helped out, but I didn't design any of the core mechanics. Fun game though!

StarCraft: The Board Game – 2007

I was introduced to the StarCraft videogame at a LAN party in high school. I was hooked immediately, and I sank way too much time into that game and its awesome map editor.

Needless to say, I was over the moon when I was given the opportunity to design the board game. Christian proposed zooming out the scale of the game to show multiple planets, as well as the idea of using A Game of Thrones: The Board Game-style order tokens (but stacking them). With those mandates I dove into my first "from scratch" game design.

Looking back on it, I still like most of the individual mechanics, but holy cow, is it complicated. A 48-page rulebook? Was I crazy?

World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game – 2007

The goal was to create a simpler World of Warcraft game that could be enjoyed by both casual gamers and hobby gamers. In the end, I learned that trying to appeal to everyone meant that it appealed to no one. Except one guy. And he really liked it.

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game – 2008

I spent the next six months working on game expansions, and then came the opportunity of a lifetime: we had secured the rights to do a Battlestar Galactica board game.

After my first playtest of the game, I knew that we had something special. Instead of needing to strong arm people into playtesting my game, I had people approaching me to ask when my next playtest was. To top things off, some of these people had never even seen the show!

I think what made the game successful was not in how it recreated the events of the show, but how it made people feel. The game exudes an intoxicating mix of deception and mistrust, which was rare among board games. When you secretly look at your loyalty card and see that you're a Cylon, your heart rate immediately picks up. As much as you want to smile, groan, or shout, you have to pretend that your card is blank. It's exhilarating.

Middle-earth Quest – 2009

I was tasked with creating an asymmetric game that had one player taking on the role of Sauron and the other players embodying heroes of Middle-earth. It was a unique design challenge in that I was really designing two different games: Sauron was playing a strategy game, while the heroes were playing an adventure game. I love a challenge.

My most vivid memory for this game was spending a week at Christian's house rewriting the rulebook in his home office. I learned more about rulebooks in that week that I had in my first four years at FFG.

Space Hulk: Death Angel – 2010

The moment that sticks with me about this game was when the late Harald Bilz (in charge of our partner Heidelberg at the time), played my game and said: "It is good, but not great." He then listed the issues with the main card mechanic and how it did a poor job of capturing the theme. He was right. The original mechanic was shelved and would later find its way into the Gears of War boardgame.

I really appreciated the frank feedback, and I think it was instrumental in making this game a great success.

Runewars – 2010

Back in 1998, FFG made a fantasy take on Twilight Imperium known as Battlemist. I was tasked with making a spiritual successor that lived in our Terrinoth universe (used both in Runebound and Descent: Journeys in the Dark).

While the premise of the game was the same, the mechanics were designed from scratch. This was definitely one of my heavier designs and included everything from huge strategic battles to heroes sent on personal quests. In hindsight, it was probably trying to do too much, but perhaps that was part of the charm?

Mansions of Madness First Edition – 2011

My most vivid memory of this game was a discussion with Tim Uren that went something like this: "If we tell players to not, under any circumstance, go into the freezer, do you think they'll listen?" "Hard to say. Let's make players lose the game if they ignore the warning."

The answer is that when you tell players not to do something, it jumps to the top of their wish list. Many people died because of my curiosity, and I learned a lesson.

Rune Age – 2011

This one has a special place in my heart. It was my attempt to add direct player interaction to a deckbuilding game. While it wasn't a huge hit, it still has some dedicated fans and I'm proud of the game.

Gears of War – 2011

I had dipped my toe in the "co-op" design pool with Death Angel, but this was my first deep dive into a fully cooperative board game. I'm most proud of the AI system I designed to control the Locust enemies, and this design later became an inspiration for AI in apps like Road to Legend for Descent: Journeys in the Dark.

My favorite memory was visiting the Epic Games studio to play my prototype with the Gears of War dev team. It was great to show them my game and meet everyone, including the great Lee Perry, who would later help design a little game called Fortnite.

Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition – 2012

The planned amount of content in this game was staggering, with more hours of scripted playtime than I'd ever been a part of. Luckily, we had a big team (including myself, Adam Sadler, and Daniel Lovat Clark). The plan was to draw on Kevin Wilson's first edition, but to include a campaign from the start. I learned how to split up design tasks among big teams and gained a new appreciation for this style of game.

Eldritch Horror – 2013

I was tasked with building a world-spanning Lovecraftian adventure that borrowed heavily from Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson's amazing Arkham Horror Second Edition.

Nikki Valens came in halfway through the design process and asked some hard questions about this game. She was a key proponent in streamlining the mechanics to what it is today. Before that point, there were probably twice as many token types (including money tokens).

Star Wars™: Imperial Assault – 2014

A Star Wars version of Descent: Journeys in the Dark? Sign me up!

The biggest challenge with this game is that we wanted to have two distinct games in the same box: a traditional dungeon-crawling campaign and a two-player head-to-head skirmish mode. I spent most of my time working on the skirmish game, and I got to geek out and design abilities for this little-known character called Darth Vader.

Star Wars™: Rebellion – 2016

Christian was a fan of the old Rebellion video game, and he thought it would be the perfect inspiration for a board game. Although I had only played that game once growing up, I loved the idea of the game.

I focused my design on what I enjoy most about two-player games: bluffing and mindgames. It's a game about outthinking your opponent and living out Star Wars fantasies in a unique way. If you've ever wanted to blow up a planet, this game is for you.

Star Wars™: Destiny – 2016

In my youth, the Decipher Star Wars CCG was one of my favorite games, so to have an opportunity to work on a new Star Wars collectible card game was a dream come true.

Lukas Litzsinger was the lead designer on this, and it was a pleasure to work with him on this one. From the start, we knew that we wanted to use unique printed dice, and that presented a huge challenge. CCGs with dice have a notorious history, so our first goal was to find a way to integrate them in a fun and novel way. I am super proud of the end result, and I think we created a unique CCG that is engaging, fun, and accessible.

Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition – 2017

This project was weird in that I played the role of guide and overseer, while the actual development work was done by the talented Dane Beltrami. I helped identify the best parts of third edition that we wanted to keep, and I also provided ideas to try and improve an already great game system. My favorite contribution was the new trade system and how it provided even more opportunities to form and break alliances.

I could talk for hours about the development of Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition, and if you want a glimpse into this, be sure to check out the wonderful mini-documentary that Shut Up & Sit Down created.

Discover: Lands Unknown – 2018

I first pitched this game idea in 2014 as my homage to exploration and survival video games. It later was combined with Christian and Eric Lang's brilliant idea of creating a board game in which no two copies in the world are the same (the full history of which is cataloged here).

I feel like this game was a little lighter than many people expected, but I'm really proud of how it turned out, and I think it deserves a second look (especially if you haven't seen the fully cooperative rules).

Star Wars™: Outer Rim – 2019

This game is inspired by space exploration videogames from the mid ‘90s, like Wing Commander: Privateer.

My goal was to create a game that wasn't about delivering colored cubes from one space to another, and instead lean into the flavor of the universe. My fondest game memories always revolve around the people and the stories, and I think we've provided all the tools scoundrels need to tell emergent stories in the Star Wars universe.

....................................................................................................................................................................

Looking back on fourteen years makes me realize how malleable memory can be. Did we have the concept meeting for Battlestar Galactica on a plane ride to visit Blizzard? I think so, but I'm not sure. Human memory doesn't work like a computer, it flows and rewrites itself to make sense of the world. Memory is built from impressions, feelings, and snippets of conversation—our mind fills in the gaps, but I'm never quite sure which bridges are fabricated.

I do know one thing for certain though: this long list of games are not my accomplishments; they are the accomplishments of hundreds of people. They only exist because of other designers, producers, artists, graphic designers, editors, licensors, playtesters, and more.

I was born in the right place and in the right century, and I have had the pleasure of working with wonderful people to craft fascinating games. The future beckons, and my journey continues.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Gods and Monsters

Published 12 October 2018 | Arkham Horror: The Card Game

Gods and Monsters

Arkham Nights 2018 Begins Next Week

The sun’s light grows weaker with each new day as the shadows begin to lengthen, reaching to catch an unwary traveler in their grasp. A creeping mist rises from the ground and curls around your ankles, waiting for the time when it can tighten its grip and pull you to the realm of nightmares. The creatures that dwell just out of sight have been waiting patiently, and soon their moment will arise.

In one week, Arkham Nights 2018 will be held from October 19 – 20 at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, MN! We invite you to join in the revelries and unite with investigators from across the mythos during the ultimate celebration of Lovecraftian horror. Even if you missed pre-registration, you can still attend the event and register onsite!

Terrors Untold

At Arkham Nights 2018, you will have a chance to play demos, receive exclusive gifts, and meet the designers who bring your favorite Lovecraftian games to life. The highly anticipated Arkham Horror Third Edition will be featured, as well as Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Elder Sign, Eldritch Horror, End of the World: Wrath of the Gods, and Mansions of Madness.

The maddening event begins on Friday, October 19 at 4:00 P.M. To open the event, on Friday night, Kevin Wilson will be there to meet with investigators and sign autographs. Richard Launius will also be in attendance, along with his original prototype for Arkham Horror. You will have a chance to peer into the past, looking at where it all began, and then play a game of Arkham Horror First Edition with Launius himself on a giant game board!

There will be other play-with-designer opportunities throughout the event, as well as chances to demo and play through beloved games with investigators from across the globe. During the event, investigators of Arkham Horror: The Card Game will have the chance to play through The Night’s Usurper, the conclusion of the story that began at Gen Con 2018 with The Eternal Slumber. (To see how the investigation at Gen Con will affect Arkham Nights 2018, you can check out Matt Newman’s debrief here!)

The results that players obtain at Arkham Nights 2018 will affect all players of Arkham Horror: The Card Game, adding one of three possible basic weaknesses to a future scenario. Participating investigators will also receive a brand-new extended art promo card!

To kick off the event on Friday night, 24 lucky attendees will have the chance to participate in one of two Card Councils with developers Matt Newman and Daniel Schaefer where they will work together to design a brand-new weakness and player card for Arkham Horror: The Card Game! These cards will then be printed at Fantasy Flight Games’s print-on-demand factory and handed out to every attendee on Saturday. Also on Saturday, the hour arrives for you to don your flapper dresses, trenchcoats, cloaks, and pallid masks for the Arkham costume contest, beginning at 7:00 P.M.!

For those who cannot attend Arkham Nights this year, we will also be livestreaming several of the events, including Arkham Horror Third Edition, Mansions of Madness, and Arkham Horror: The Card Game, so even if you cannot attend in person, you can still be part of the madness! Follow us on Twitch to catch all of the livestreaming action.

In addition to the cards created at the council, each attendee will receive a gift bag filled with macabre mementos of madness, and just for Arkham Nights 2018, we have included two brand new items! As mentioned in our announcement article, you will gain an exclusive velvet bag with an eldritch emblem emblazoned on it, a collection of acrylic health and sanity tokens, a promotional character for Arkham Horror Third Edition and one for Elder Sign, and The Night’s Usurper scenario pack for the Arkham Horror: The Card Game. But beyond these implements, you will also receive an exclusive poster and playmat!

Investigators familiar with The Investigators of Arkham Horror may recognize the promotional poster for the haunting play The King in Yellow, director Nigel Engram’s greatest triumph. Investigator Lola Hayes is set to star as the regal and tragic Cassilda, but as the production seems cursed by tragedy and misfortune, it remains to be seen whether the play will ever reach the stage for its one-night engagement.

Then, in the spirit of The Night’s Usurper, the playmat included in your collection of arcane implements features gorgeous artwork reminiscent of the mysteries in Cairo. The 24” x 14” mat provides a high-quality, slip-resistant rubber base to display your cards in style, whether you're participating in a tense Invocation Event or summoning eldritch monstrosities from the comfort of your own home.

Pass Through the Veil

Are you ready for Arkham Nights 2018? October 19 is quickly approaching, so mark your calendars, brush up on your arcane texts, and steel your nerves to stand against the power of the mythos!

Arkham Nights 2018 will be held from 4:00 P.M. on October 19 to 11:59 P.M. on October 20 at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, Minnesota! Tickets are available onsite.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Arkham Nights 2018

Published 20 September 2018 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Arkham Nights 2018

Two Days of Horror and Madness on October 19 – 20

The heat and light of summer have passed away once again. In its place, the ghosts of autumn take to the streets, haunting the smoke that curls from chimneys and lonely fields ready to be reaped for the harvest. You cannot help but feel a tinge of sadness as the trees drop their leaves in a vibrant death throe of red and gold, and there is something else in the air… something sinister that you can’t quite put your finger on.

The wind has turned from a playful friend to a prowling imp, snatching scarves and cutting through warm flesh to the bones beneath. In the evenings, the shadows stretch to catch your ankles as you hurry for home. You can tell yourself that it’s just the season, that you’re being silly and there’s nothing waiting in the dark. But you know the truth. You know that the divide between worlds weakens with each day, and once the cold sunlight dips beneath the horizon, the creatures of nightmares will arrive.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that the ultimate celebration of Lovecraftian Horror returns with Arkham Nights 2018, which will be held at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, Minnesota on October 19 – 20! You can purchase your tickets for the event here, and read on to learn about the horrors and thrills that await!

Embrace the Madness

This bone-chilling two-day event is the ultimate destination for seekers after horror, offering participants the chance to play demos, receive exclusive gifts, and meet the masters of madness who bring the Arkham Horror Files games to life. At Arkham Nights 2018, you can celebrate Lovecraftian horror in all its forms, as the event will feature both classic games and new adventures. Here, you’ll have the chance to experience demos and playthroughs of Eldritch Horror, Elder Sign, Mansions of Madness, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, End of the World: Wrath of the Gods, and have a chance to look beyond the veil with previews of the highly anticipated Arkham Horror Third Edition!

You will also have a chance to experience the thrilling final chapter of a two-part scenario for Arkham Horror: The Card Game. This scenario, which began with The Eternal Slumber at Gen Con Indy earlier this year, has already been shaped by the results of the previous investigation, and Arkham Nights 2018 is your chance to leave your mark on the game. While The Night’s Usurper will have a wide release at a later date as part of Guardians of the Abyss, this event holds a special weight, as the final outcome will shape the future of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. Based on the results of this event, one of three possible basic weaknesses will be added to a future product. Will you be able to lessen the blow for your fellow investigators, or will your actions doom the world to a terrible fate?

Dark Memories

Beyond the games themselves, Arkham Nights 2018 will also feature special guests Richard Launius (the original designer of Arkham Horror), the designers of Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Matt Newman and Nate French, and more! But that’s not all—some designers will be leading “Play with the Designer” sessions and other special events. You will have the rare chance to play some of your favorite Arkham Horror Files games with those who created them, like the first edition of Arkham Horror with Richard Launius on a giant board.

Then, on Friday night, seats will be raffled off to design a card for Arkham Horror: The Card Game in a Card Council with Matt Newman and Nate French, granting you a rare glimpse into the deranged minds behind the Arkham Horror: The Card Game. The cards designed at Arkham Nights 2018 will be printed and distributed to all attendees before the end of the event, so that even if you aren't chosen for the Card Council, you can still bring a small totem of remembrance when you are relinquished to the cold and cruel world.

To commemorate your journey into the unknown, all Arkham Nights 2018 attendees will also receive a gift bag filled with Lovecraftian loot. You will gain an exclusive 6” by 9” black velveteen bag, emblazoned with an eldritch emblem, as well as a collection of acrylic health and sanity tokens, a set of Arkham-themed dice, a preview character from Arkham Horror Third Edition and one from Elder Sign, along with a deck box and a copy of The Night’s Usurper Scenario Pack for Arkham Horror: The Card Game before its wide release. These mementos may be all you have to prove that what you witnessed at this horrifying event truly happened—be sure to keep them safe.

The Portal is Open

Mark your calendars! The nightmare begins when the doors open at 4:00 P.M. on Friday, October 19, and continues until the final stroke of midnight on Saturday, October 20. Steel your nerves and prepare to stand against dark forces unlike anything you have ever seen! We’ll be waiting.

To attend Arkham Nights 2018, you can purchase your ticket for the event here!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Seal the Ultimate Gate

Published 15 February 2018 | Eldritch Horror

Seal the Ultimate Gate

Masks of Nyarlathotep Is Now Available for Eldritch Horror

“A sense of monstrous guilt was upon the land, and out of the abysses between the stars swept chill currents that made men shiver in dark and lonely places. There was a daemoniac alteration in the sequence of the seasons[...], and everyone felt that the world and perhaps the universe had passed from the control of known gods or forces to that of gods or forces which were unknown.”
–H.P. Lovecraft, Nyarlathotep

There is very little light in the cavern, and you’re certain that he hasn’t noticed you following him. You shiver as the silhouette of Nyarlathotep himself stands before the round, dark pool of liquid not more than twenty feet from where you are hiding. For a moment, he looks like a normal man as he sets the tips of his fingers to the surface of the pool. A sour-smelling phosphor seeps out from his touch and spreads across the liquid. The sickly light deepens shadows and casts a lurid sheen into the dank corners of the cave. Voices echo on all sides as the water ripples and flexes, and you can see Nyarlathotep’s form shift and flow effortlessly from one grotesque visage to the next. Its head snaps, stretches, and gibbers at each shadow in its turn. You lose track of how long the barrage of uncanny sound continues, when suddenly, silence reigns. Acutely aware of your labored breathing, you try to calm your fraying nerves and remain hidden. “It won’t matter, you know,” says Nyarlathotep crisply, and your mouth goes dry. It's hard to tell in the darkness, but you're sure he’s looking directly at you. “You can struggle and rage against their arrival, but they will come. Your world is forfeit… but I will savor your pathetic efforts.” With that, you can just see the figure Nyarlathotep bend bonelessly and slip into the inky pool as you sprint towards the cavern’s exit.

When the Ancient Ones have occasionally turned their attention to our tiny corner of the universe, it has often been due to a small subset of wrongheaded worshippers calling out to the cosmos for power. Now, the stars have aligned to amplify this call in Masks of Nyarlathotep, the newest expansion for Eldritch Horror, now available at your local retailer or online through our webstore!

Chaos Sown and Reaped

After aeons of playing mankind like a mad puppeteer, Nyarlathotep’s plans are finally coming to fruition. The heavens will soon align to allow passage for all manner of horrific creatures to emerge into our world. The investigators will need to stop many different cults from gathering arcane artifacts and tearing open holes in space and time, granting access to long vanished Mystic Ruins. Nyarlathotep continues to draw strength as his followers unwittingly worship his many aspects, and each one will require the investigators to engage a series of dangerous Adventures.

As these horrifying creatures pour through the gates, new investigators like Sefina Rousseau and Father Mateo rise to meet the tide of oncoming monstrosities. As these fresh faces join the fold of those who stand against the darkness, investigators both old and new can develop new strengths with the Personal Stories included in Masks of Nyarlathotep. Personal Stories give investigators a chance to adapt to the threats they face or else become permanently hindered by the horrors they’ve endured. Paying close attention to each investigator’s Personal Story can grant you the advantages they offer in fighting back against the minions of the Ancient One.

The Gods Descend in Force

The investigators have defended our fragile world from terrible threats before, and each Ancient One nearly consumed the planet as a brave few stood against such immense power. As Messenger to the Outer Gods, Nyarlathotep knows that the time is ripe for all manner of otherworldly powers to focus on our humble world, and he has worked among us for centuries to prepare the way for his kin. Nyarlathotep’s many aspects gain followers around the world—are these cults feeding Nyarlathotep himself by unknowingly serving one of his many aspects, or do they strive to draw the attention of yet another otherworldly force? Either, or both, could be true.

In Masks of Nyarlathotep, a new campaign mode is introduced that pits the investigators against a multitude of titanic threats, one after another, as the cultists and Ancient Ones work to open the Ultimate Gate. In a campaign, players will take on six sequential Ancient Ones, and failing to seal away any one of the creatures means that the world is lost. Each upcoming Ancient One influences the battle against the current threat, increasing the intensity of the struggle against the encroaching darkness. Two Preludes are used to set up each game in a campaign. One Prelude represents the threat of the current Ancient One, while the second heralds the looming horror on the horizon that must be sealed away in the next game.

Two Prelude cards are active during a campaign game, raising the stakes for an added challenge.

As the investigators face this barrage of cataclysmic forces, they must conserve their energy if they hope to stop the opening of the Ultimate Gate. Many of the effects of the struggle against each Ancient One carries into the battles to come. Devastated cities and devoured investigators do not re-emerge if destroyed in a previous game of a campaign. Savvy investigators will know to seek out the Rewards from each investigator’s Personal Stories, and fight fiercely to keep the world intact for as long as they can.

The Ancient Ones are often appealed to as unknowable and godlike entities, spawned aeons ago and powerful beyond human measure. As always, the investigators will be hard-pressed to defeat even one of these beings, and Masks of Nyarlathotep brings new Unique Assets, Spells, Items, and more to help battle these new and terrible threats. This expansion also includes two new Ancient Ones, five new Investigators, a new Mythos Deck, and new Other World and Encounter Cards.

Stop the Crawling Chaos

Nyarlathotep must be stopped. If the Crawling Chaos is able to guide his kin to our world from beyond the stars, then mankind is doomed.

Join the struggle to silence the Messenger of the Outer Gods and pick up Masks of Nyarlathotep (EH09) at your local retailer or our webstore today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

An Onslaught of Abomination

Published 6 February 2018 | Eldritch Horror

An Onslaught of Abomination

Preview Campaign Mode for Masks of Nyarlathotep

“And were those others—those shocking Elder Things of the mad winds and daemon pipings—in truth a lingering, lurking menace, waiting and slowly weakening in black abysses while varied shapes of life drag out their multimillennial courses on the planet’s age-racked surface? I do not know. If that abyss and what it held were real, then there is no hope.”
–H.P. Lovecraft, The Shadow Out of Time

Stumbling into your hotel room, you want nothing more than to take a hot shower and drift off to the sweet oblivion of sleep in crisp, clean sheets. The shower would go a long way to getting some of the reeking stink out of your nose, but you know it won’t be quite so easy to divest yourself of the stain of this evening’s work. You feel marked and marred. You had thought this would feel better—you and the others had won, right? It was finally done. A few brave souls had sacrificed themselves to destroy a threat that had nearly swallowed the world, and it had been worth it. And now, it was supposedly over. As you undo the first button on your coat, you jump at a sharp knock at the door, and some part of you already knows what’s going to happen. You’ll open the door, you’ll be told that the strange rituals haven’t stopped, and your companions insist that you leave immediately on the next ship. You may have stopped one of those things from breaking through, but there would be more. Your days of fighting the darkness are far from over. You sigh and reach for the door. That shower will have to wait.

There are many threats that slumber beneath the earth and lurk in the vast, cold darkness between stars. In Masks of Nyarlathotep, the newest expansion for Eldritch Horror, the heavens have aligned, and our tiny world is at the mercy of the cosmos. The investigators will find themselves caught up in a task much larger than any they have previously faced. Sometimes known as the Messenger of the Outer Gods, Nyarlathotep seeks to call others of his kind to our world. Unfortunately for us, it would seem he has already had some success in drawing their attention...

Masks of Nyarlathotep introduces a brand new way to experience games of Eldritch Horror with its campaign mode. Campaign mode sets up a world that's threatened by a continuous onslaught of Ancient Ones, tasking the investigators to undertake six sequential games. Losing a single game to any one of these horrifying forces spells certain doom for mankind, and will cost you the entirety of the campaign. Can the investigators stop this barrage of Ancient Ones from destroying our vulnerable world during this unique cosmic event?

You can pre-order your copy of Masks of Nyarlathotep at your local retailer or online through our webstore today! Then, read on for more information.

The Ancient Ones Approach

As the otherworldly entities begin their approach, the investigators will feel the effects of the multiple creatures that attempt to rend our vulnerable reality asunder. Each game in a campaign begins with two Prelude cards in play: one Prelude for the current Ancient One, and one Prelude for the Ancient One that must be faced in the next game. Though the investigators must focus their energies on averting one Ancient One at a time, their path to victory will be fraught with greater peril as the next threat approaches.

In above example, players are setting up a Campaign game where Nyarlathotep is the current Ancient One and Azathoth is the next game’s threat. Since Nyarlathotep is the current Ancient One, his Harbinger of the Outer Gods Prelude is used without the Corruption conditions and skill improvements taking effect. However, Azathoth’s Beginning of the End Prelude dictates that the Doom track will move a bit faster with his dread form waiting to emerge in the next game. Even when Azathoth is not the current Ancient One, the impending presence of another Outer God seems to hasten the waking of Nyarlathotep. If the many masks that Nyarlathotep has donned fall away, if the Harbinger’s true form bursts into our reality, would there be any hope for the investigators?

Even if the Crawling Chaos is stopped, the investigators will need to contend with Azathoth in their next endeavor to beat back the darkness. And should the beleaguered investigators manage to stop Azathoth, what new horrors await them in their next battle?

A Thread of Reward and Ruin

The investigators will need to plan ahead if they have any hope of lasting long enough to stop six cataclysmic assaults in a row. In Masks of Nyarlathotep, investigators can use the Gather Resources action to to gain new Resource tokens. These tokens can be spent to recover additional health or sanity while resting, or can be used to add dice when you're attempting to acquire new assets for your investigators. Gather and spend your Resources wisely to steel yourself against each new threat and arm yourself with the tools needed to continue defending our world.

Each battle leaves its mark on the world and the investigators, so some effects, both good and bad, from a campaign’s previous games will carry forward into the fight against subsequent Ancient Ones. If the thrashings of Shudde M’ell should destroy San Francisco, then that once great metropolis, or any Devastated cities, will remain rubble for the duration of the Campaign. Likewise, once an investigator, or an Ancient One, is defeated or devoured, they are eliminated for good, and won’t be able to come back for the remainder of the campaign.

Thankfully, the investigators can also carry the lessons they’ve learned into each new struggle against the Ancient Ones. The Personal Stories introduced in Masks of Nyarlathotep must be used when playing in campaign mode. As mentioned in our first preview, Masks of Nyarlathotep contains Personal Stories for all of the investigators, from every expansion. Keeping a close eye on the goals for investigators both old and new could give you an extra edge for the remainder of the campaign if they gain their Reward early. On the other hand, they may face a permanent hobble if they must deal with the Consequences of their actions.

Slay enough monsters, and Jim Culver can play sweet harmonies on his trumpet, getting an extra chance when resolving tests and soothing his own sanity. Unfortunately, if the musician takes too much punishment, Jim will be permanently weakened and find himself struggling to face the monsters that plague his travels.

Diana Stanley’s spent enough time with cultists to have learned to fear them. If there are too many cultists on the board, Diana’s Consequence will make it much harder for her to fight off monsters and resolve Other World encounters. However, if Diana can quickly get used to killing the creatures she once sought to summon, she can push back the Doom track and gain Focus every round, making her quite a powerful force when fighting off any Ancient One’s monstrous minions.

Unending Trials

Gather what you’ll need to survive, guide each investigator to their full potential, and take on a campaign to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.

Ancient Ones gather and rise together in Masks of Nyarlathotep (EH09), available for pre-order from your local retailer or our online webstore!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Ruins Reborn, Stars Align

Published 29 January 2018 | Eldritch Horror

Ruins Reborn, Stars Align

Preview the Dark Cults and Investigators from Masks of Nyarlathotep

“And in the Stygian grotto I saw them do the rite, and adore the sick pillar of flame, and throw into the water handfuls gouged out of the viscous vegetation which glittered green in the chlorotic glare. I saw this, and I saw something amorphously squatted far away from the light, piping noisomely on a flute…”
–H.P. Lovecraft, The Festival

An irritating hum that seems to come from everywhere at once alerts you that you’ve probably arrived too late to stop the ritual. Though the peculiar trappings of this cult’s bizarre and bloody arcana are strewn about the crumbling stone altar, not a single robed figure is present. Puzzled, you circle the foul edifice and a strange vista abruptly snaps into view, as though someone had ripped a hole in the air only ever seen from this exact spot. Through the hole, you see limp, robed figures scattered across the floor of an entirely alien chamber. It looks as though the cultists did not survive their trip, but something else moves among the still forms. A spongy appendage attached to the creature’s conical body swings towards you, and you are suddenly struck by how strange it is to be looking back at yourself through the tear. You simultaneously see and feel yourself starting forward, beginning to reach through the rip in reality. The hum in your head urges you a bit closer… closer… but then the unmoving forms of the robed figures spring back into your mind. You close your eyes and shake your head, the hum subsides, and the image of yourself disappears from your vision. Realizing you are drenched in cold sweat, you turn quickly and flee, an enraged howl echoing faintly as the hum fades from your mind.

In Masks of Nyarlathotep, the newest expansion for the Lovecraftian board game Eldritch Horror, particular celestial bodies have aligned and hidden cults have begun to enact grotesque rituals in remote locations all over the world. Are these cults working towards one common goal? Does each group have its own aims? The investigators must work to cover an extraordinary amount of ground as they seek out the hidden objectives of these clandestine cultists.

You can pre-order your own copy of Masks of Nyarlathotep at your local retailer or online through our webstore today! Then, read on for more information.

Cults Drawn to Ruined Sites of Power

In Masks of Nyarlathotep, the cultists appear to be conducting rites that grant passage to long-vanished cyclopean cities at the height of their power in aeons long past. One of the two new Ancient Ones available in this expansion, the Antediluvium, brings investigators face to face with these lost locales through a new deck of Mystic Ruins. First introduced in the Mountains of Madness expansion, Mystic Ruins are locations that offer portals to other places and times, filled with strange beings, mind-bending secrets, and powerful relics. Access to these sites pop up only one at a time as the cultists must focus their energies to force open a passage to these otherworldly places.

Undertaking a Location Encounter on any space with a Mystic Ruin token usually yields opportunities to close gates, acquire Unique Assets or Talents, or move the Omen track without advancing Doom. Investigators may be called to seek out the lost continent of Mu, deep beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean, or uncover the secrets of Hyperborea far in the frozen north. Many more of these ruins await discovery by the investigators, and they would be wise to seek out these same powers that the cultists will twist to their nefarious ends.

Clearly the ruins you walk among were once seats of great power, but who knows what these cultists seek in those ancient realms? Though the cults that are scattered across the globe are many and varied, the Order of Rising Stars is a name whispered by many, and their name speaks to the celestial alignment that has set all of this in motion. Could they be the common thread?

Only one thing is certain: time grows short for the investigators. The stars crawl across the night sky, inching ever-closer to an alignment in the heavens that could spell doom for the world. Whether the threat comes from the Order of Rising Stars or some other hidden group of hooded occultists, the investigators would be wise to add some new blood to their ranks in order to stand against the encroaching darkness.

Living Landscapes and Damned Souls

Sefina Rousseau is a remarkably talented painter, though she has more often applied her skills to forgery than the creation of new works. After a strange client asked her to reproduce an especially fascinating cityscape, Sefina found herself pulled into the very locale she had created. Now, while Sefina searches for answers about the bizarre cities that she cannot purge from her mind, she is also stalked by those who would use her unique talents to puncture the veil between worlds.

Sefina will never allow her talents be used to bring abominable creatures into our world. Sefina is keenly observant, and begins the game with a Treasured Memento, the very anchor that she believes helped her return home from the shores of that strange and distant world she visited.

Sefina may often literally lose herself in her paintings, but practice will make perfect. With Sefina’s Personal Story in play, players can gain her Reward by spending improvement tokens—using her prescient paintings as a way to reveal and potentially discard the top Gate. But be wary of ignoring Sefina’s need to improve her skills—if too many Gates enter the fray before Sefina has gained her Reward, her penchant for slipping the bonds of space and time will make Other World Encounters more of a risk.

When it comes to encountering other worlds, Calvin Wright knows more about the other side of the veil than he cares to admit. Calvin made a deal that saved the love of his life and granted him incredible durability, but cast a dark shadow over his soul. Calvin’s strength and his lack of willpower are boosted by the Spirit Dagger that he starts with, having gained the weapon during his many brushes with the occult. Now, Calvin travels the world, seeking only to rescue as many souls as he possibly can before he is consumed by the darkness inside himself.

Calvin’s commitment to self-sacrifice has made him a lifeline for others, able to trade the health of his own body and mind to assist a friend in need. Calvin refuses to let down the people who depend on him, and Calvin’s continued self-sacrifice may actually be a path to retaining whatever is left of his soul.

If Calvin gives enough of his health to a fellow investigator, he’ll gain a Reward that boosts his meager Will and raises his maximum health and sanity. Unfortunately, if any fellow investigator meets an untimely demise before Calvin gains this Reward, the demons that Calvin’s been fighting for so long start to finally wear him down. Calvin will find it harder to recover from his injuries, and, if Calvin should be consumed by the darkness, the demon’s victory pushes the world that much closer to its end.

What's Behind the Mask?

Each investigator’s Personal Stories add a unique aspect to every character’s battle against the cults that threaten to bring the Ancient One into our world from beyond the stars. As gates to other times and strange worlds continue to open at sites of ancient civilizations across the globe, the question remains: what fell purpose drives these cults? What single implacable will drives our world to the brink of destruction?

Find out more in our future previews and make sure to pre-order your copy of Masks of Nyarlathotep (EH09) from your local retailer or from our website here!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Beat Back the Crawling Chaos

Published 23 January 2018 | Eldritch Horror

Beat Back the Crawling Chaos

A Preview of Masks of Nyarlathotep for Eldritch Horror

“I remember when Nyarlathotep came to my city—the great, the old, the terrible city of unnumbered crimes. My friend had told me of him, and of the impelling fascination and allurement of his revelations, and I burned with eagerness to explore his uttermost mysteries. [...] And I heard it hinted abroad that those who knew Nyarlathotep looked on sights which others saw not.”
–H.P. Lovecraft, Nyarlathotep

Following your hunch, you watch the park from a window across the street. A tall, smiling young man gives a subdued lecture to a small group of people. The listeners recline lazily in a small green clearing encircled by a thin line of trees. Despite the apparently innocuous nature of the gathering, a large crowd quickly gathers around the man and his listeners, all of them decrying the grinning lecturer, many calling loudly for his harm. As you watch, the anger in a pocket of the mob boils over, and a man rushes the group of listeners. Inexplicably, as the newcomer approaches the group, he slows to a walk, and then sits complacently before the smiling man. This happens several more times, and each addition to the listeners whips the crowd into a greater fury. They are tearing at one another, biting and scratching and screaming for the speaker’s death. At last a group of police officers arrive and slowly approach as the speaker, smiling, steps carefully into the trees behind him, apparently finished with his lecture. As the man vanishes, so does whatever held back the raving mass of the crowd, and they descend upon the apparently unconcerned group of listeners. You look away as the police struggle to gain control of the sudden and horrible violence, and you notice one man calmly walking away from the park. You shudder as you recognize the speaker’s cold, unmistakable smile on the face of a now short, stout, and elderly man.

Your investigation into strange and seemingly unrelated cult activity has taken you to sites of gruesome, bizarre, and often unintelligibly complex rituals, each one different from the last. The one, thin thread that has tied each of these incidents together has been one name; a name often whispered in fear, muttered at times in confusion, but a name always spoken with an awed reverence: Nyarlathotep. In Masks of Nyarlathotep, the newest expansion for the Lovecraftian board game Eldritch Horror, Nyarlathotep dons hundreds of guises to manipulate the cults that worship his many aspects all over the world.

For eons, Nyarlathotep, the Messenger of the Outer Gods, has walked among the ranks of mankind, bearing a vast array of names and visages. Some claim to have walked and spoken with him, and there are those that say Nyarlathotep has yet to awaken. Still others claim that Nyarlathotep has never truly slept, but works tirelessly to summon his kin from beyond the stars. Are you bold enough to follow these leads and uncover the truth? You can pre-order your own copy of Masks of Nyarlathotep at your local retailer or online through our webstore today!

Peeling Back the Masks

If our world is to survive, then the investigators must rise to the challenge of seeking out the underlying patterns within the many aspects of the one known as the Crawling Chaos. Nyarlathotep’s followers know him by many faces and many names, and each cult worshipping his aspects grants him influence in our world. The investigators must take time to unpack the secrets surrounding each different bastion of occult power that feeds the Crawling Chaos.

In Masks of Nyarlathotep, the investigators will undertake the search for each aspect’s worshippers by using unique adventure decks in conjunction with Nyarlathotep’s mysteries. Each mystery’s adventures require the stalwart investigators to use a different approach in order to come closer to sealing away Nyarlathotep and his minions. Perhaps there is a rumor of occult activity in Shanghai, requiring the investigators pool their gathered clues and begin to uncover the secrets of the Order of the Bloated Woman.

Conversely, the Cult of Sand Bat may rise to prominence by uncovering incredibly ancient ruins, and the investigators will have to plunge beneath the earth, taking on special encounters designed to stop the cult from gaining knowledge not meant for this world. Each set of worshippers and each cult that arises against you will present a different set of adventures that will lead the investigators further on their journey to confront the Messenger of the Outer Gods. It will take men and women of extraordinary mental and spiritual fortitude to delve into so many of these dark places and still retain some shred of their sanity.

Followers of Faith and Fact

Agatha Crane has devoted her career to attempting to prove to her colleagues that the study of the paranormal is worth their attention as scientists. Agatha has accrued a vast knowledge of the occult during her years of research, and she’s worked out a tenuous pattern beneath the seemingly unconnected actions of these cults.

Agatha begins her journey armed with powerful spells, and is able to enact Rituals and use Tomes with an advantage due to her time spent studying the arcane. Agatha combines her deep knowledge with her keen eye for gathering evidence, and gains a clue for passing a lore test when casting spells.

In focusing her research on parapsychology, Agatha has struggled to gain the backing of other professionals for years. After gathering enough evidence, Agatha will at last feel confident in her findings, and gains the Rational Explanation reward, improving her already sharp mental faculties and allowing her to use clues to a much greater effect. Unfortunately, such immersion in the occult may take its toll. If Agatha doesn’t devote enough of her clues to gaining her reward, she may find her sanity, and her evidence, quickly slipping through her fingers as she loses the ability to tell science from superstition.

Discerning fact from fiction has never been a difficult task for Father Mateo. Mateo’s faith has instilled within him an unshakable certainty that there is a higher power that can help guide our world to salvation from the dark forces that have been hounding his hometown in Mexico. Father Mateo knows that he need only ask for the truth, and God will show him the way.

Mateo has traveled to Rome with nothing more than his King James Bible, seeking a way to rescue his flock from whatever creatures have been attacking his town. Mateo’s powerful faith gains him a Boon every time he is faced with closing a gate to another realm. Even in these dark times, Father Mateo serves as a beacon of hope, and is capable of granting these Boons to companions.

After traveling the world and facing the soulless horrors that Nyarlathotep has brought into our reality, Father Mateo’s faith will be sorely tested. Father Mateo may find solace and salvation in his mission to help others, gaining his reward and a greater ability to focus his faith to fulfill God’s will. However, if the investigators do not act fast enough in uncovering a path to defeating the Ancient One, Father Mateo’s faith may begin to falter, making it harder for him to help in sealing away the dread force that threatens our world.

Beneath the Horrid Masks

As the investigators swell their ranks, Nyarlathotep continues to formlessly flow through our world, leaving chaos in his wake as he moves towards his ultimate goal. What will all of this Ancient One’s machinations accomplish? How many times must these creatures be stopped before our world can take no more? Join us in our next preview as we seek answers and explore the Campaign Mode of Masks of Nyarlathotep!

Pledge yourself to the coming challenges and pre-order Masks of Nyarlathotep (EH09) from your local retailer or on our webstore today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Masks of Nyarlathotep

Published 6 October 2017 | Eldritch Horror

Masks of Nyarlathotep

Announcing the Newest Expansion for Eldritch Horror

“...I saw the world battling against blackness; against the waves of destruction from ultimate space; whirling, churning; struggling around the dimming, cooling sun. Then the sparks played amazingly around the heads of the spectators, and hair stood up on end whilst shadows more grotesque than I can tell came out and squatted on the heads.”
–H.P. Lovecraft, Nyarlathotep

Join the search to stop innumerable cults worshipping a single, dreaded being in Masks of Nyarlathotep, a new expansion for Eldritch Horror from Fantasy Flight Games, inspired by the classic Call of Cthulhu roleplaying adventure! At the same time, you can experience the adventure anew in your roleplaying group with a new edition of the Masks of Nyarlathotep adventure from Chaosium that brings the definitive Call of Cthulhu roleplaying campaign into the game's seventh edition.

From this story's inception in the first edition of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, the dark horrors of Nyarlathotep have thrilled and delighted fans around the world. With this expansion, Fantasy Flight Games worked closely with our good friends at Chaosium to learn the midnight secrets and terrifying truths of one of their most famous Ancient Ones—and we're thrilled for you to experience that in Eldritch Horror and the Call of Cthulhu RPG. The Masks of Nyarlathotep expansion for Eldritch Horror is now available for pre-order from your local retailer or the Fantasy Flight Games website here! For more information on the Masks of Nyarlathotep adventure for the Call of Cthulhu RPG, visit their website here!

The stink of charred flesh still lingers in the night air amidst a dense copse of trees. You stare numbly at the pages in your hands and try to fight off the realization that threatens to coalesce in your thoughts. Three different cults. One under the streets of London, one amongst the sands of Egypt, and now this sect just outside of Tokyo. The specifics of the horrific rituals had all been wholly different, save for one, singular detail: the mind-bending invocation that closed each of the ceremonies was exactly the same at each site. Each time, you and your compatriots had barely averted some soul-wrenching atrocity against nature. How many more groups were still chanting this terrifying phrase? Each cult had been so difficult to find, and so different from the last. None of it added up. What thing were these rites feeding and how could you follow this thing when every clue led to a new trail?

Once again, the world’s intrepid investigators must attempt to thwart the cataclysmic rise of an otherworldly Ancient One. Strange cults are gathering strength in remote corners and bustling cities all over the world. Though the cults seem to worship different gods, the investigators will find one thread that runs throughout all their evil rites: Nyarlathotep. Known as the Messenger of the Outer Gods, Nyarlathotep is the only Ancient One who still actively walks the Earth to work his will upon humanity. The investigators must stop these cults, or Nyarlathotep will gain enough strength to open the Ultimate Gate, ushering in an unthinkable doom.

Many Guises With One Goal

Nyarlathotep’s followers dot the face of the earth, opening gates and weakening the membrane between this reality and the realm of the Outer Gods. These cults of Nyarlathotep must be rooted out by undertaking new Adventures and by visiting the sites of new Mystic Ruins. Will you work to destroy the Australian Cult of the Sand Bat, or perhaps there is something to be found in the lost Yithian city of Pnakotus? The investigators will need to race to gather information and stop the influence of Nyarlathotep in each and every form he takes, but it will take careful planning if they hope to stamp out enough of his followers in time.

Nyarlathotep sows chaos, gathers followers, and then changes his face as easily as a person changes clothes. Constantly altering his form and taking on new aspects, Nyarlathotep works ceaselessly to bring the Outer Gods into our world. He has pulled his puppeteer’s strings so subtly and for so long, that there are very few that have not been affected by his fell purpose. In Masks of Nyarlathotep, each investigator bears the scars of their own unique brushes with the otherworldly in the form of new Personal Stories. Pursue an investigator’s Personal Story to gain insight into each character’s background, gain unique rewards, and stave off terrible consequences, but take care to weigh the needs of these few with the fate of the many who hang in the balance.

Gathering Strength to Stop the Chaos

The investigators will need to be well-prepared to take on the widespread threat of cultists that support Nyarlathotep by gathering new Artifacts, Unique Assets, and Spells for the journey ahead. The team will also need to be especially well-equipped when taking on the new Campaign mode of play introduced in the Masks of Nyarlathotep expansion. When taking on a Campaign, players will need to win multiple games, with consequences and benefits carrying over to the next game after each threat is sealed away from the world. If stopping any single Ancient One seems an impossible task, can the investigators possibly hope to succeed as these otherworldly beings attack one after another?

Around the world, the cultists chant on, each committed to their own goals while unwittingly worshipping one of the myriad aspects of Nyarlathotep. How many of these groups have completed their occult rites? How many more have yet to be stopped by the investigators? Find out more about the new investigators and how their pasts factor into the fight against the Messenger of the Outer Gods in our upcoming previews of Masks of Nyarlathotep!

Masks of Nyarlathotep (EH09), the newest expansion for Eldritch Horror, will be available in the first quarter of 2018. Pre-order from your local retailer or the Fantasy Flight Games website here, and remember to visit the Chaosium website to learn more about the Masks of Nyarlathotep adventure for the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Shudde M’ell Shakes the World

Published 6 July 2017 | Eldritch Horror

Shudde M’ell Shakes the World

Cities in Ruin is Now On Sale for Eldritch Horror

“Then came the devastating stroke of lightning which shook the whole mountain, lit the darkest crypts of the hoary grove, and splintered the patriarch of the twisted trees. [...] That I am alive and stills sane, is a marvel I cannot fathom. I cannot fathom it, for the shadow on that chimney was [...] a blasphemous abnormality from hell’s nethermost craters; a nameless, shapeless abomination which no mind could fully grasp and no pen even partly describe.”
- H.P. Lovecraft, The Lurking Fear

You pause for a moment and, once again, consider turning back. The tunnel you had entered in search of survivors has opened to this chamber, and something tells you that this is your last chance to leave. The same foul smell is still in the air, and you can still hear the faint voices in the distance. But now, what had sounded like cries of pain from are now clearly identifiable as some eerie form of song. It drifts up from the darkness, and you suddenly find yourself stairs. The dim beam of your dying flashlight makes it clear that the clean-cut steps were not built for humans; the length of the step is slightly too short, the drop to the next precipitously deep. Before you can wonder at what may have once walked here, the song reaches a crescendo, a light flares in the darkness far below, and a great stinking rush of stinking air washes over you. You turn back to the world above, back to the light, but it’s too late. You have seen the great writhing thing that thrashes beneath the ruins of this city, and you know now that the world is doomed.

Meet this unstoppable challenge by traversing the globe to attempt to halt the rise of Shudde M’ell, the Cataclysm from Below, in Cities in Ruin, the newest expansion for Eldritch Horror, available now! Can the investigators stem the tide of destruction that heralds the coming of the Ancient One?

A World Pummeled by Disaster

Cities across the globe are reeling from the effects of Shudde M’ell struggling in his prison beneath the Heart of Africa. The seals that had trapped him beneath the ancient city of G’harne are weakening. The earth’s crust cracks and heaves, and the very fabric of reality warps and splits. As we’ve shown in our two previews, cities that were once safe havens can now be wiped entirely off the map by disasters that arise amid Shudde M’ell’s dreams. Even though this devastation is a serious setback, unique challenges await amidst the ruins that could yield great insight and valuable assets for your investigators.

As the great cthonion creature stirs, the investigators must meet this incredible threat with new strategies. Gain an array of advantages by arming your desperate team with a folio of Agency Secrets, or attack the creatures head-on by unleashing some powerful arcane forces of your own with the Wave of Destruction task.

Both of these Unique Assets are new to this expansion, and are just a sampling of some of the new Asset, Condition, and Spell cards you’ll find in Cities in Ruin. Take advantage of every last scrap of resources that you can gather, for the Cataclysm from Below is waking, and the investigators must race to stop him.

Running Into Danger

Being a fast learner earned Rita Young a scholarship to Miskatonic University, and being an even faster runner gained her a spot on the school’s track and field team. Both of these successes had been hard won, and Rita has spent her entire youth defying the expectations of a society that seemed bent on sidelining her at every turn. An avid student, Rita had wanted to see the far flung corners of the earth with her own two eyes. As long as she showed no sign of slowing down on the track, Rita knew that her fast feet could carry her to compete in a wider world than the one in which she grew up. While many would run away from the things she’s encountered in her travels, Rita’s the type to sprint straight into the thick of it.

Now, Rita feels the very ground quake beneath her feet, and no matter where she goes, the earth lurches with a sickening familiarity. There is something deeply wrong in the world, and Rita knows she’ll need to be faster than she’s ever been to head off disaster. Rita has stared into the face of evil before, and she’s steeled herself for whatever horrors she may be about to run into.

Rita is used to pushing her body and mind to its limits, and she’s ready to pour everything she has into beating back the coming of the Ancient One. As an Action, Rita can spend Health or Sanity to gain a Talent Condition, and her extraordinary resilience allows her to add one to the result of each die that’s cast to stave off Illness, Injury, or Madness. Whatever rears its head with the coming of the Ancient One, it’s going to have to bring a lot to the table to try and stop Rita Young.

Rita’s years of honing her athletic skills also give her the Rugged condition at the outset of the game. This allows Rita an extra chance to succeed at Strength tests, and to shrug off some damage when she takes a big hit. This condition also allows Rita to recover from an Illness or an Injury, or she can regain a bit of her sanity.

Join with Rita Young and the rest of the investigators as they try to navigate the wholesale destruction of some of the world’s major cities. Can you stop the the coming of Shudde M’ell?

Do your best to head off the coming cataclysm in Cities in Ruin (EH08), on sale now at your local retailer!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Secrets Lie in Ruins Old and New

Published 26 May 2017 | Eldritch Horror

Secrets Lie in Ruins Old and New

Devastation Reigns in Cities in Ruin for Eldritch Horror

“Destruction of cities through the upthrust of mountains, the centrifugal rending of continents, the seismic convulsions of land or sea-bottom, and other natural causes was a matter of common record;[...] The vast dead megalopolis that yawned around us seemed to be the last general centre of the race;[...] It appeared that this general region was the most sacred spot of all, where reputedly the first Old Ones had settled…”
–H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness

So that’s it then. The city is just gone. Just like that. One moment it was there, and then that horrible rending and screeching ran through the air like a siren, the sky opened up and bled... You can’t yet face the memory of those horrors. No one should have seen what you have witnessed. You force yourself to the top of a ridge of rubble and survey the wreckage below. As you look down, you realize that there are dozens of grubby, confused faces gazing up at you. Shaking the fog from your mind, you start to clamber down the hillside towards the dazed survivors. There has to be a way to put a stop to this, and these poor people just might have some answers.

The world is gripped by disastrous weather patterns and the ground quakes as Shudde M’ell, the Cataclysm from Below, begins to wake from is slumber. In Cities in Ruin, the newest expansion for Eldritch Horror, the Ancient One’s dreams rend reality as its slumbering form thrashes about, wreaking havoc on the world of man. In our last preview, we looked at how the new Disaster cards can level a city. So, what is left for the investigators when these former havens are laid low by disaster and invaded by cthonian monstrosities?

Clues Buried in the Rubble

Cities all over the world are left as smoldering or soggy shells of what they once were, but there are still secrets to be learned and there are victims that need help. When a city is devastated, a Devastation token is placed over the location, and it is no longer considered a city space. All of the Clues, Expedition Encounters, and defeated investigators that were in that place are wiped from the map. Any investigators picking their way through the destruction can choose to resolve a Devastation Encounter instead. Obviously these locations have been hotbeds of recent activity related to the Ancient One, and there are opportunities to help survivors or to explore clues that Shudde M’ell’s touch have left behind.

If a ruined structure crumbles around you, will you try to claw your way back to the surface or dig deeper in hopes of finding another passage? When you come upon a crowd of townsfolk in the thrall of one of Shudde M’ell’s cthonian spawn, will you try to wake them from their trance or follow them to the source of its call? Devastation Encounters provide the investigators with choices and tests that can yield an array of rewards and some serious setbacks, so undertake these forays into blighted areas at your own peril.

The Secrets of Shudde M’ell’s Prison

These recently ruined cities may bring new information to the investigators, but the ancient secrets buried in G’harne that originally bound Shudde M’ell to slumber in his prison in aeons past may be just as valuable. One Mystery introduced in Cities in Ruin allows your bold and desperate team to venture below the Heart of Africa and into G’harne itself!

The Elder Things that once inhabited the city are no longer present. No wise and otherwordly creatures are there to keep a close watch on the cthonian monstrosity that they had once imprisoned deep within the earth. With the seals that bound the Ancient One crumbling, the “Exploring G’harne” Mystery takes investigators into the heart of Shudde M’ell’s ruined prison. The investigators must attempt to plumb the depths of city while dodging plundering cultists, defeating horrible creatures, and witnessing arcane secrets that no human mind can safely contain. Will the investigators return from G’harne with the secrets they sought, or will the city’s dark corners hide things no human can see and survive?

The world trembles as Shudde M’ell strains against his bonds beneath Africa. Can you uncover the secrets of his prison even as it crumbles around the investigators? How many cities will fall before the Cataclysm from Below is calmed? Is all hope lost if Shudde M’ell wakes?

Try to save the world from complete devastation in Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin (EH08), coming soon to your local retailer!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Disaster Strikes and the World Burns

Published 8 May 2017 | Eldritch Horror

Disaster Strikes and the World Burns

Shudde M'ell Stirs in Cities in Ruin for Eldritch Horror

“The great storm broke just before midnight on August 8th. Lightning struck repeatedly in all parts of the city, and two remarkable fireballs were reported. [...] Nothing definite could be seen in the candleless night, though some upward-looking spectators thought they glimpsed a great spreading blur of denser blackness against the inky sky…”
- H.P. Lovecraft, The Haunter of the Dark

There had been so many signs. Why had none of them listened? You had tried to warn them that the prison of G’harne was failing in Africa. The media, the police, even the revered professors at Miskatonic University, all of them had treated you like some raving lunatic and thrown you out into the street. Even now, with acrid smoke and the stink of death thick in the air, no one actually looked back at the coiled horrors writhing amongst the city’s ruins. None of them wanted to believe that this level of devastation could be visited upon the world by forces so poorly understood by the minds of man.

Someone must face these horrors and try to drive them back. Someone has to try to keep Shudde M’ell from waking. No one had listened, and now you grimly march into the ruins of the city you tried to save, determined to find some clue to sealing away the ancient creature once and for all.

In the Cities in Ruin expansion for Eldritch Horror, Shudde M’ell, the progenitor of the dreaded chthonians, tosses and turns with the cycle of its dreams. Mankind’s fragile existence is threatened as this otherwordly being comes closer to waking than ever before. Cities fall and storms rage all over the globe as Shudde M’ell thrashes beneath the planet’s surface. Can a few brave investigators scattered across the globe truly hope to stand between this horrifying monstrosity and the utter devastation that heralds its coming?

Civilization Torn Asunder

Horrible disasters plague the entire world as Shudde M’ell thrashes deep under The Heart of Africa. The world must bear the brunt of this being’s assault as he struggles to wake. New for the Cities in Ruin expansion, disaster cards represent all the ways in which the Ancient One makes its mark upon the unsuspecting world. Sydney may explode in gouts of flame, leaving little but charred husks of buildings behind. Tokyo could flood beyond recovery, drowning the city beneath a tsunami of unheard of proportions.

The writhing mass of Shudde M’ell still slumbers in the ruins of G’harne, though its dreams are as dangerous as its movements beneath the ground. Gates to otherworldly realms may spring into being all over the world as the creature’s dreams rend the fabric of reality itself.

Disasters strike as Shudde M’ell’s awakening approaches, and some of the Prelude cards included in the Cities in Ruin expansion can bring ruin on the world with even greater frequency. Investigators who must contend with the Apocalypse Nigh Prelude will find even more Disasters ahead of them as the Doom track progresses to the Ancient One’s awakening. The Fall of Man Prelude adds additional Disasters using the Omen track, tying the Ancient One’s wrath to the cosmos themselves. Truly, there is nowhere to hide from the coming storm, in this world or any other!

While the disasters take many forms, none are so terrible as the events which devastate an entire city! When a city is devastated, it is no longer considered a city space, and all of that city’s Expedition Encounters are removed from the game. Any investigator in a city when it is devastated will suffer terrible consequences and the smoldering ruins of the city will never again be what they once were. If all nine cities are devastated by the chthonian monstrosity, then the game is over. After all, what is left to defend when the whole world is ruin and rubble? The investigators must race to prevent the creature’s waking at all costs!

Roland Banks Is On the Case

Roland Banks is as by-the-book as agents could be, and lately that book has been telling a story that won't end well. For the past few months, rumors have been spreading that small towns and villages have vanished without a trace. Eventually, here and there, a single mad survivor might eventually emerge, babbling about the creatures from below.

As time rolls on, the panic and the destruction has gotten worse. The whole world seems to be shaken up by disasters lately, and while some certainly seem natural, Roland Banks thinks that there’s something more than coincidence behind all these rumblings. Everyone he’s asked has a different idea about why all these things are happening at the same time, and none of them seem to add up. In Agent Banks’ experience, a neat coincidence could leave an awfully big mess, and he has no intention of letting this problem get out of hand.

Roland Banks knows how to make the most of his surroundings because he remembers everything he sees, and after years in the field, he’s seen quite a bit. Roland Banks can set aside Service Assets from the reserve that he and the other investigators can use. Agent Banks can also spawn a Clue if the leads on Shudde M’ell have started to dry up.

The investigators will need every bit of help they can get as Shudde M’ell struggles to wake and break free! In our next preview of Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin, we’ll take a closer look at what the investigators can salvage from ruined cities, and we’ll learn more about the ancient horrors soon to awaken...

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Cities In Ruin

Published 17 February 2017 | Eldritch Horror

Cities In Ruin

Announcing a New Expansion for Eldritch Horror

It is absolutely necessary, for the peace and safety of mankind, that some of earth’s dark, dead corners and unplumbed depths be left alone; lest sleeping abnormalities wake to resurgent life, and blasphemously surviving nightmares squirm and splash out of their black lairs to newer and wider conquests.
–H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Cities in Ruin, a new expansion for Eldritch Horror!

You feel it just below the surface. Something gnawing at the edge of sanity, a feeling that the steady march of machines and concrete that have come to be recognized as progress in the modern world is transient. Your visions show you a desolate future, where all that remains is dust, ash, and those who have long slumbered.

Violent earthquakes contort cities to unrecognizable ruin, unrelenting typhoons eradicate coastlines, and deep below the Earth something ancient stirs. Shudde M’ell, The Cataclysm from Below, approaches with destruction and ruin as his heralds.

Cities in Ruin sees four new investigators face the brink of madness to battle Ancient Ones, and introduces a slew of new monster and encounter cards to the world of Eldritch Horror. And what's more, new Ancient One Shudde M’ell’s presence brings a destructive twist to the game in the form of the Disaster deck.

A World in Turmoil

Shudde M’ell’s violent dreams are throwing cities around the world into a state of bedlam, and players will have to deal directly with the consequences via the new Disaster deck. If they’re lucky, an investigator may escape with some scars, if they're not, they may see a city devastated and left in ruin.

Devastation can happen in a number of different ways, and investigators must work together to prevent such catastrophes. However, they can't save everyone. When a city space becomes devastated, it has a devastation token placed over it, representing its new, and bleak, place in the world. Encounters there now take a post-apocalyptic turn that sees cityscapes turn into wastelands, and citizens looking to saviors to deliver them from eradication.

Investigators will find survivors jumping to their doom under the trance of a servant of Shudde M’ell, a milltary too petrified to fight the horrific creatures that prowl a now ruined city, or a cult preying on those who remain. Regardless of the heroics the investigators pull off, the city is still eradicated and all that remains are ashes to be protected from whatever horrors lurk in the shadows.

The Cataclysm from Below

The ancient city of G’harne was founded by the Elder Things and, in eons past, served to guard Shudde M’ell’s prison. Now it sits abandoned, its ancient warding-stones destroyed or stolen by souls too blinded by greed to understand their importance. Shudde M’ell now stirs, and the world trembles before him.

Ruin is unavoidable in a game featuring Shudde M’ell, as it even begins with Rome being wiped off the map. Your adventure is sure to include more Disasters as the doom track inches forward, terrible tragedies to the rest of the world, horrifying omens to you. Investigators will have to solve three mysteries while dealing with the Ancient One’s catastrophic outbursts if they have any hope of survival. Should they fail to stop the awakening, Shudde M’ell will roar to life, and there may not be a world left to save.

Brave Souls

With the world falling apart around them, a select few have taken it upon themselves to face the cataclysmic storm. Cities of Ruin sees four new investigators: Bob Jenkins, Rita Young, Roland Banks, and “Ashcan” Pete stand against Shudde M’ell and his waves of destruction.

Since the onset of his prophetic dreams, “Ashcan” Pete has taken on the role of the wanderer. Traveling the rails with his trusty companion, Duke, Pete has noticed the disturbing trend creeping up on the edges of society. Fires, floods, earthquakes; calamities are striking cities across the globe, and the cold-hands of desperation grip their survivors.

Except the people of Oulu.

When Pete set foot here, he found a town that didn’t give in to fear or madness, he found a people that had rebuilt after their great fire, he found a purpose. Pete reckons if he can figure out the source of all this carnage, he can help those who need it most.

Pete begins the game with Duke, a unique asset, in play. The trusty companion gives Pete a second chance at success when resolving a test with a free reroll. Additionally, the bond between Duke and Pete allows the drifter to recover one additional sanity when he performs a rest action.

What Pete lacks in influence he more than makes up for in utility, as he is able to perform an additional action while traveling along a train path, as long as the rails aren’t frozen in place by the bizarre weather patterns affecting the planet. Finally, Pete converts trash to treasure when he performs an acquire assets action; he can gain one item or trinket asset with a value less than his observation skill from the discard pile, and he'll need every item he can scrap together in the fight ahead.

The World Trembles

The sky will bleed, the earth will shake, and a few brave souls will face the Cataclysm from Below. Can you survive the devastation to come? Find out when Cities in Ruin releases in the second quarter of 2017.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Fantasy Flight Games

Eldritch Horror: 10-Year Retrospective

Eldritch Horror: 10-Year Retrospective

Early 2005 – Prelude

September 2012 – Conception

October 2012 – Early Design

January 2013 – Fresh Blood

April 2013 – Hints at the Future

November 2013 – The Journey Forward

Arkham Nights Around the World

Arkham Nights Around the World

Spooky Season

Spooky Season

Costume Contest

The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion Livestream

Daily Activities

Arkham Nights

A Week to Remember

Unlocked Secrets

Unlocked Secrets

Wallpapers

Print-and-Play Promo Cards

Horrors for Days

Horrors for Days

Arkham Nights In-Person

A Week to Remember

A Week of Horrors

A Week of Horrors

Our Best Solo Board Games

Our Best Solo Board Games

1. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

2. Descent: Journeys in the Dark

3. Eldritch Horror

4. Star Wars: Rebellion

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

6. Mansions of Madness

7. Star Wars: Legion

Enjoy Your Gaming!

Arkham Nights 2019

Arkham Nights 2019

Madness Takes Hold

An Event to Remember

So Much Madness, So Little Time

$(document).ready(function() { var opts = { iframe: true, innerHeight: 1350, innerWidth: 1725 }; $('#170E1').colorbox(opts); });

Claim Your Place

14 Years

14 Years

World of Warcraft: The Board Game – 2005

Warrior Knights – 2006

Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire ­– 2006

Tide of Iron – 2007

StarCraft: The Board Game – 2007

World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game – 2007

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game – 2008

Middle-earth Quest – 2009

Space Hulk: Death Angel – 2010

Runewars – 2010

Mansions of Madness First Edition – 2011

Rune Age – 2011

Gears of War – 2011

Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition – 2012

Eldritch Horror – 2013

Star Wars™: Imperial Assault – 2014

Star Wars™: Rebellion – 2016

Star Wars™: Destiny – 2016

Twilight Imperium Fourth Edition – 2017

Discover: Lands Unknown – 2018

Star Wars™: Outer Rim – 2019

Gods and Monsters

Gods and Monsters

Terrors Untold

Pass Through the Veil

Arkham Nights 2018

Arkham Nights 2018

Embrace the Madness

Dark Memories

The Portal is Open

Seal the Ultimate Gate

Seal the Ultimate Gate

Chaos Sown and Reaped

Twilight Imperium: Shattered Empire – 2006