Arkham Horror is a board game that digs its claws deep into that world of nightmares, and it seriously hates you, the player.
Most of the events and player actions in the game are - in theory - controlled by chance, but if you think that is enough to stop or even slow down the Great Old Ones and their incomprehensible will... Well, ignorance is a bliss.
This game finds a way, sooner or later, one way or the other, and then it kicks you in the nuts so hard that your ears will start bleeding. In fact, "sanity" is one of the basic resources of the game, and just about every action is rigged to slowly drain that sanity. Luckily there is a mental asylum in town that can recharge your batteries after your character finally starts chewing on the furniture - and with all the traffic in and out, they might just as well install a revolving door.
All those pieces and it's only the basic set - there are several extensions that enlarge the game board and/or multiply the number of cards, sheets and colorful little parts that you shouldn't let your dog devour. I need a bigger kitchen table, I think...One thing that separates Arkham Horror from most of the board games I've played is that the players cooperate to defeat the odds together instead of competing against each other. Victory is shared, defeat is shared. It's almost silly, how hard it can be for a group of actual people working together to beat the game, if their luck runs foul.
You and your mates take up the roles of investigators (each with their own strengths, weaknesses and bonuses), who come into the town of Arkham for various reasons to fight back the evil that threatens to overrun it and the rest of the world. Gates open and evil things that range from maniacs to cultists to undead to monsters to demi-gods creep through to roam the streets. You must fight them, make plans with your friends, collect information, weapons, magic spells and allies, enter other dimensions through the gates and try and seal them, before enough horror is unleashed to allow something even worse to enter the world. As the game progresses, things get more and more difficult, as more gates open, streets get swarmed by (sometimes very strong) enemies and the townsfolk flee their homes in panic, shutting down shops and cutting you off from supplies. Most events are presented in forms of very short story snippets, which often involve choices made by the players and by throwing dice: "A student of the university finds you working in the laboratory at night, but mistakes you for the bursar. If you wish to go on with the deception, throw a will check (throw 1 or more dice, depending on your characters stats and items), if you succeed, the student gives you $8, but if you fail, you will be thrown out to the street and lose one stamina point. If you do not wish to continue with the deception, you must leave immediately." There is so much material included just in the basic game set that replay value is high indeed.
It's not quite as complicated a game as you might (and will) think at the first glance, but for the first one or two games it is better if you are playing with someone who knows the game and its tricks already: one game can last up to 4 hours, and if you have to check and double check every single thing from the manual, you better have enough food in the house to get you and your friends through the weekend.
I like it. Will hunt down more hapless people to play it with. (****)
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