The Arkham Horror universe boasts a vast library of games, so much so that we've divided them into two guides for easier navigation. This buying guide focuses on the board games; for the deck-building card games, please refer to our Arkham Horror: The Card Game Buying Guide.
Arkham Horror is a long-standing franchise of cooperative horror board games. Players collaborate, communicating strategies to overcome terrifying challenges. Gameplay offers diverse paths depending on chosen roles, expansions, and campaigns, making them excellent solo games as well.
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Want to jump straight to the games and expansions? Browse the catalog above. For a deeper dive into the connections within the Arkham Horror universe, continue reading.
Arkham Horror: The Board Game
MSRP: $65.95 USD Players: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hours Ages: 14+
Arkham Horror is a cooperative board game where players team up to combat various terrors. Choose from six investigators to solve mysteries and defeat monstrous creatures. Multiple campaigns offer high replayability due to the significant luck element and unpredictable events. Be warned: this game is challenging, with lengthy setup and playtime. Death is a setback, requiring restarting with a new investigator.
Arkham Horror: The Board Game Expansions
Three expansions enhance the base game:
**Arkham Horror: Under the Dark Waves Expansion**
**MSRP**: $59.99 USD **Players**: 1-6 **Playtime**: 2-3 hours **Ages**: 14+
This large expansion introduces underwater horrors, eight new investigators, and four new scenarios.
**Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order Expansion**
**MSRP**: $44.99 USD **Players**: 1-6 **Playtime**: 2-3 hours **Ages**: 14+
A medium-sized expansion adding three scenarios, three investigators, and a new location: French Hill.
**Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion**
**MSRP**: $32.99 USD **Players**: 1-4 **Playtime**: 2-3 hours **Ages**: 14+
A smaller expansion with two scenarios and four investigators.
Other Arkham Horror Board Games
These standalone games offer unique Arkham adventures:
Elder Sign
**MSRP**: $39.99 USD **Players**: 1-8 **Playtime**: 1-2 hours **Ages**: 14+
Elder Sign is a dice-rolling game, the most accessible in the Arkham Files franchise. It's a standalone game with six expansions. Dice rolls determine actions and encounters.
Elder Sign Expansions
Elder Sign features six expansions: Unseen Forces, Gates of Arkham, Omens of Ice, Grave Consequences, Omens of the Deep, and Omens of the Pharaoh. Grave Consequences is standalone.
Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)
**MSRP**: $109.95 USD **Players**: 1-5 **Playtime**: 2-3 hours **Ages**: 14+
An app-driven dungeon crawler, this standalone game combines physical components with an app for narrative, gameplay, and setup.
Mansions of Madness Expansions
Two cooperative app-driven expansions exist: Path of the Serpent and Beyond the Threshold.
Unfathomable
**MSRP**: $64.99 USD **Players**: 3-6 **Playtime**: 2-4 hours **Ages**: 14+
A social deduction game where players escape monstrous sea creatures while trying to identify a traitor amongst them.
Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion
This expansion adds new prelude cards, monstrous horrors, skills, items, and boon cards.
Eldritch Horror
**MSRP**: $59.95 USD **Players**: 1-4 **Playtime**: 1-3 hours **Ages**: 14+
A globe-trotting cooperative game with simpler rules and faster setup than Arkham Horror. Focuses on strategy and puzzle-solving.
Eldritch Horror Expansions
Eight expansions are available: Forsaken Lore, Mountains of Madness, Strange Remnants, Under the Pyramids, Signs of Carcosa, The Dreamlands, Cities in Ruin, and Masks of Nyarlathotep.
Other Ways to Play
Beyond board games, explore online versions and the Arkham Horror roleplaying game:
The Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game
The Hungering Abyss Starter Set provides an accessible entry point, while the Core Rulebook expands gameplay.
Video Game Versions
Arkham Horror: Mother's Embrace (Steam, Switch) and Elder Sign: Omens (Steam, Mobile) offer digital adaptations.
The Bottom Line
Arkham Horror offers diverse Lovecraftian experiences, playable solo or with friends. While challenging and potentially frustrating due to the luck element, their replayability and unique themes make them worthwhile for fans of the genre.
