Arkham Horror Board Games: Comprehensive Purchase Guide

The Arkham Horror series boasts an extensive lineup of board games, so vast it requires two separate guides. This guide dives into the various board game families. For details on the deck-building card games within the franchise, visit our Arkham Horror: The Card Game Purchase Guide.

Arkham Horror is a storied series of horror-themed board games. Players collaborate on missions, relying heavily on teamwork to succeed. Each game offers multiple paths based on chosen roles, expansions, and campaigns, making them ideal for solo play when a group isn’t available for an hour-long session.

Highlighted Products

Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

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Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

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Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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Elder Sign

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Elder Sign: The Gates of Arkham Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh Expansion

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Elder Sign: Unseen Forces Expansion

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Elder Sign: Grave Consequences

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Elder Sign: Omens of Ice

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep

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Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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Unfathomable

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Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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Eldritch Horror

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Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Under the Pyramids Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Strange Remnants Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Signs of Carcosa Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin Expansion

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Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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Ready to explore the games and expansions directly? Browse the catalog above. For a deeper understanding of how these products connect within the Arkham Horror universe, continue reading below.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game

Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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MSRP: $65.95 USDPlayers: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Arkham Horror is a cooperative board game where players unite to confront terrifying threats. Choose from six investigators to unravel mysteries and battle monstrous creatures. With multiple campaigns and a significant luck factor—rolling dice to overcome challenges and foes—the game offers high replayability.

Be prepared: this game isn’t simple. Setup and learning take time, and sessions can stretch over hours or end swiftly if luck isn’t on your side. If a player falls with fewer than six investigators, you can select a new one, but you’ll restart without prior progress. My initial group attempt on the easiest campaign was a fiasco, and solo play wasn’t much better. Victory, however, sparks celebration across your team.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game Expansions

Three expansions enhance Arkham Horror: The Board Game, each adding unique depth to the core experience.

Arkham Horror: Under the Dark Waves Expansion

Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

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MSRP: $59.99 USDPlayers: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Under the Dark Waves, the largest expansion, explores aquatic terrors. It introduces eight new investigators and four scenarios, shifting the adventure from city streets to the open sea.

Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order Expansion

Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

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MSRP: $44.99 USDPlayers: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

This mid-sized expansion adds three scenarios and three investigators, expanding exploration to the French Hill neighborhood, where ghosts and monsters challenge your journey.

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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MSRP: $32.99 USDPlayers: 1-4Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

The Dead of Night, a compact expansion, offers two scenarios and four investigators, delivering nighttime horrors at a budget-friendly price.

Other Arkham Horror Board Games

Several standalone board games exist within the Arkham universe, independent of the core Arkham Horror game. These offer unique adventures with familiar characters, some with their own expansions.

Elder Sign

Elder Sign

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MSRP: $39.99 USDPlayers: 1-8 Playtime: 1-2 hoursAges: 14+

Elder Sign, an early Arkham Files title, is a dice-driven game for one to eight players. As the most approachable game in the series, it stands alone with six expansions. Dice rolls dictate gameplay, where investigators battle monsters, gather clues, and solve mysteries before time expires.

Elder Sign Expansions

Elder Sign: The Gates of Arkham Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh Expansion

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Elder Sign: Unseen Forces Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep

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Elder Sign: Grave Consequences

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Elder Sign: Omens of Ice

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Elder Sign’s six expansions—Unseen Forces, Gates of Arkham, Omens of Ice, Grave Consequences, Omens of the Deep, and Omens of the Pharaoh—enhance the core game. Grave Consequences is a standalone deck, playable independently. The latest expansion launched in 2018, with no further releases confirmed.

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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MSRP: $109.95 USDPlayers: 1-5Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition) is an app-guided dungeon crawler set in the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign. Supporting one to five players, the app streamlines setup, narrative, and gameplay. Pausing is easy, though you’ll need to photograph the board to resume physical piece placement later.

Mansions of Madness Expansions

Two app-guided cooperative expansions expand Mansions of Madness.

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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MSRP: $69.99 USDPlayers: 1-5 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Path of The Serpent ventures into perilous jungles filled with serpents and Lovecraftian dangers, requiring the base game and app for play.

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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MSRP: $39.19 USDPlayers: 1-5Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Beyond the Threshold, a more affordable expansion, introduces two investigators, two scenarios, and an insanity mechanic, making it an accessible addition.

Unfathomable

Unfathomable

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MSRP: $64.99 USDPlayers: 3-6Playtime: 2-4 hoursAges: 14+

Unfathomable challenges players to survive monstrous seas aboard a ship, best with five or six players. Its social deduction element, where a hidden traitor lurks, evokes Battlestar Galactica in a Lovecraftian setting. Long sessions blend survival and betrayal, creating a divisive yet immersive experience.

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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This expansion adds prelude cards for diverse starting setups, three new monsters (Shoggoth, Drowned Spirit, Grasping Tendril), and additional skills, items, and boon cards.

Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror

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MSRP: $59.95 USDPlayers: 1-4Playtime: 1-3 hoursAges: 14+

Eldritch Horror offers a global adventure, contrasting Arkham Horror’s city focus. Players travel worldwide, solving objectives cooperatively. With simpler rules and faster setup, it’s more beginner-friendly, emphasizing strategy and puzzle-solving since its 2013 debut.

Eldritch Horror Expansions

Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Under the Pyramids Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Strange Remnants Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Signs of Carcosa Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin Expansion

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Eldritch Horror supports eight expansions: Forsaken Lore, Mountains of Madness, Strange Remnants, Under the Pyramids, Signs of Carcosa, The Dreamlands, Cities in Ruin, and Masks of Nyarlathotep.

Alternative Play Options

Beyond traditional board games, the Arkham universe offers online play and a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG).

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game

Launched last year, Arkham Horror’s TTRPG includes a starter set and rulebook. Begin with the starter set to grasp the mechanics before diving into the rulebook for custom adventures.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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MSRP: $34.99 USDPlayers: 2-4 Playtime: 1-3 hoursAges: 14+

The Hungering Abyss Starter Set is beginner-friendly, offering a sample campaign that doesn’t demand an experienced Game Master.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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MSRP: $49.99 USDPlayers: 2-6 Playtime: 1-3 hoursAges: 14+

After mastering the starter set, the Core Rulebook unlocks new TTRPG adventures in the Arkham Horror universe.

Video Game Versions

Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace, a 2021 Steam release, is a solo digital game akin to Mansions of Madness expansions. Priced at $19.99, it’s available on Steam and Switch but received mixed reviews, with IGN rating it 5/10 for weak storytelling.

Elder Sign: Omens, a 2011 digital version for Steam and mobile, costs $5.99 and enjoys mostly positive feedback.

Final Thoughts

For fans of Lovecraftian horror, Arkham Horror delivers thrilling experiences, playable solo or with friends. Each game offers a distinct take on the mythos. However, their complexity, luck-driven mechanics, and lengthy setup can challenge players. Card games are simpler to prepare than board games, even without expansions.