arkham horror the card game review

So, I finally gave in and got myself a copy of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. I kept hearing about it from my buddies, and they are all into these kinds of board games. You know, I am always down for some fun, so I figured, why not? I got the revised core set, I guess that’s the one to start with.

Unboxing and First Impressions

I ripped open the box, and it was packed with stuff. A bunch of cards, some tokens, and these rulebooks. Honestly, it looked a little overwhelming at first. I mean, there are like, three different rulebooks! But I started with the “Learn to Play” book, and it walked me through a basic scenario. I picked two investigators, Roland Banks and Wendy Adams, I guess just randomly. And then I started playing.

My First Game

The first scenario is called “The Gathering,” and let me tell you, it’s pretty spooky. You’re in this house, and there are all these creepy things going on. I got the whole setup going, following the instructions step by step, placing the location cards, the act and agenda decks, it felt like a lot at first, but I just took it slow.

I started exploring, drawing cards, and trying to figure out what was going on. It’s kind of cool, you have to make these skill tests by using your stats and drawing chaos tokens from a bag. I rolled with Roland first, trying to investigate the Study, but failed. Man, those chaos tokens can really mess you up, I drew some nasty ones. Then, I tried with Wendy, and she did a bit better. I guess she’s good at evading enemies, which is good because these monsters started popping up.

Getting into the Game

I played through that first scenario a couple of times, just to get the hang of it. I mean, I got my butt kicked a few times, but I started to understand the flow of the game. It’s all about managing your resources, making smart choices, and hoping you don’t draw the worst chaos tokens. I can see why people like this game so much, it really feels like you’re in a horror story. The story really starts to pull you in after a while.

Building My Own Decks

After playing the core set scenarios a few times, I tried my hand at deckbuilding. There are a bunch of player cards in the box, and you can customize your investigator’s deck. It’s pretty cool to try different combinations of cards. I built a deck for Roland that focused on fighting, and another for Wendy that was more about investigating. It’s not as tough as I thought it would be, and it is actually fun to do.

Overall Thoughts

• Fun Factor: This game is seriously fun. It’s challenging, but in a good way. It is fun to play with friends or even solo.
• Replayability: Even with just the core set, there’s a lot of replayability here. Different investigators, different player cards, and the scenarios can play out differently each time.
• Theme: If you’re into Lovecraft or horror stuff, you’ll love the theme. It’s really well done. It made me feel like I really was part of the story.

So, yeah, Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a winner for me. I’ve already ordered some expansion packs, and I can’t wait to see what other craziness is out there. If you’re looking for a good time, I highly recommend giving it a shot.