Arkham Horror: Opinions Please?

[Headless_Ninja]

As a longstanding fan of eldritch horror and a player of mainstream and/or light boardgames that really wants to move into some heavier stuff (and may actually have a chance to, with uni fast approaching), Arkham Horror (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=6) seems perfect for me. But before I actually buy it, I was wondering if any Playgrounders had opinions to share - warnings, recommendations, or just general chat on the topic of the game. So, Playgrounders?

[Ianuagonde]

I consider it awesome. Some of my friends do not. If you like a cooperative game in which humans try to work together to prevent the ultimate horror from devouring the world, it's very good. There are lots of characters to choose from, and the large number of Ancient Ones (the big bad) keeps the game fresh. The interaction between players can also influence the game: do you keep your best weapons or do you donate them to poor players? Do you stick to your plan to explore another dimension, or are you going to help another player defeat a nasty monster?

The rules are quite heavy however, and the sheer number of cards can be intimidating.

I'd recommend it. At least four of my friends have bought it.

[banjo1985]

It's a very very good game, quite difficult to actually win, and a nice challenge. It matches the Cthultu Mythos and atmosphere quite well, and doesn't seem to get old after a while like some games. A few of the expansions, like The Dunwich Horror, are definitely worth getting and add to the game.

A few words of caution though, it's not something you can play in a few hours, it'll take between 3 and 5 including setup and clear away. Talking of setting up...it takes aaaaaages, and a few of the expansions can complicate things and slow the game down further. Definitely worth getting though.

[Headless_Ninja]

So thus far the opnion is: good, but requires a fair bit of effort?

[JellyPooga]

It certainly takes a dedicated evening to play, including set-up and pack-away time, but it's definitely worth it. I'd personally advise you stay away from the expansions, at least until such time (should it ever occur at all) as you get bored of the original game; they don't really add much in the way of gameplay and just make it more complicated and occasionally much more difficult.

[Headless_Ninja]

So go easy on the expansions, got it. Does it take a loooooong time to get to grips with the rules? How long would you expect new players to take before they're at a point when play is flowing well, not held up by trying to remember rules?

[Hazkali]

I've only played it a couple of times, but from what I remember it didn't take long for me to get into the game after watching a couple of turns of play. I couldn't have done it that quickly if everyone had been newbies though.

As for the game itself, it's quite good, but it will take all the time that others have mentioned, which I think is it's major weakness.

[potatocubed]

Somewhere on the internet there is an Arkham Horror rules summary, that lays things out in a nice step-by-step kind of way. This is infinitely better than the rulebook that comes with the game.

Honestly, if you can wrap your head around D&D then Arkham Horror shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[Lycan 01]

Personally, I prefer the Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game, but Arkham Horror has its strengths, too.

Arkham Horror:
Pro: Only need 2 people, although 3-5 are prefered
Neutral: Rules are intimidating at first, but after a round or two it just clicks
Pro: You learn a lot about teamwork and share plenty of laughs
Pro: Everything you need comes in the box! :smallbiggrin:
Con: Time. It takes awhile to actually set up, and quite a few hours to actually play. Cleaning up is a pain, too.
Neutral: ITS HARD!! But some people like a challenge. :smallwink:
Neutral: Its a lot more casual when compared to the CoC RPG. :smalltongue:



Call of Cthulhu RPG:
Pro: Its a lot deeper and provides many, many more options than AH.
Con: You need one person to run the game, and then players. 1-2 players usually ends badly, but can succeed if the players are lucky. 3-5 actually players, not counting the keeper, are optimum.
Pro: Its VERY easy to get the hang of, and you have tons of character options.
Pro: Time. Games can be 2 or so hours, or all day, depending on what you're in the mood for.
Con: You have to buy dice, pencils, print character sheets, and keep track of all that, which can get annoying.
Pro: Its very open-ended. If Arkham gets old, run the players through a haunted house in London or something. :smalltongue:
Con: I've never seen it in stores, so you'll probably have to order it online at Chaosium.com.
Neutral: Its a lot more in-depth than Arkham Horror, but that may or may not be what you want...



...

Dangit, I want to play Arkham Horror now. :smallannoyed:

[Headless_Ninja]

Oh, I've played (and loved) the CoC RPG. I'm really hoping that there'll be a gaming group/society at uni that will have a copy. Arkham Horror appeals to the board game fan in me, though.



Honestly, if you can wrap your head around D&D then Arkham Horror shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Well, I'm really not sure I'd say I could 'wrap [my] head around' D&D. I've played a few sessions of basic 3.5E, with a DM that didn't mind endlessly repeating rules etc, but it take me ages to understand what you folks are talking about when you say 'PrC' or 'Gestalt build' or things like that...

Anyway, Arkham Horror sounds like a good buy. Unfortunately, it's not listed in the stock of my local games store; there's a chance they may have a copy, so I'll have to go and have a look.

[Lycan 01]

My local game store was out of stock when we tried to get our copy of Arkham Horror. They actually offered to order in a copy just for us, but they called us the next day and said they'd found an extra box tucked away in the back. So if they don't have it, just ask about ordering one or something. :smallbiggrin: