Home News Arkham Horror Board Game: Ultimate Buying Guide

Arkham Horror Board Game: Ultimate Buying Guide

Author: David May 13,2025

The Arkham Horror universe boasts an extensive range of games, so much so that we've divided them into two comprehensive guides. In this particular guide, we'll delve into the various families of board games. If you're curious about the deck-building card games within this universe, you can explore our dedicated guide on Arkham Horror: The Card Game.

Arkham Horror is a well-established franchise that offers immersive horror-themed board games. Players team up to tackle missions that require strong communication to succeed. Each game presents multiple paths that can be navigated based on the roles, expansions, and campaigns chosen, making them excellent choices for solo play as well, especially when you're looking for an engaging way to spend over an hour immersed in a board game experience.

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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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If you'd like to skip the detailed descriptions and dive straight into the catalog of games and expansions, feel free to scroll through the list above. For a deeper understanding of how these items interlink and fit into the larger Arkham Horror universe, keep reading.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game

Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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MSRP: $65.95 USD
Players: 1-6
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Arkham Horror is a cooperative board game where teams of players work together to combat various horrors. You can journey through Arkham as one of six investigators, solving mysteries and confronting monstrous creatures. The game offers several campaigns with significant luck elements, such as rolling dice to overcome challenges and face bosses. This adds a high level of replayability and excitement, though it can also lead to chaos and unexpected twists. However, be prepared for a challenging experience; it requires time to set up and learn, and sessions can last for hours or be surprisingly quick depending on luck. Even if you play solo, the game remains challenging but rewarding when you finally achieve victory.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game Expansions

The Arkham Horror board game has three expansions, each adding new layers of depth and complexity to the base game.

Arkham Horror: Under the Dark Waves Expansion

Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

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MSRP: $59.99 USD
Players: 1-6
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

The largest expansion, Under the Dark Waves, immerses players in underwater horrors. It introduces eight new investigators and four new scenarios, taking your adventure from the city to the mysterious depths of the sea.

Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order Expansion

Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

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MSRP: $44.99 USD
Players: 1-6
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Secrets of the Order is a mid-sized expansion that brings three new scenarios and three additional investigators. It expands the game to include the French Hill neighborhood, where players must navigate through ghostly apparitions and terrifying monsters.

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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MSRP: $32.99 USD
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

The Dead of Night is a smaller expansion with a lower price point, offering two new scenarios and four additional investigators to help you confront the horrors that emerge in the darkest hours.

Other Arkham Horror Board Games

There are several other board games within the Arkham Horror universe, each providing a standalone adventure within its own unique setting. These games do not require the original Arkham Horror to play and offer fresh experiences with familiar characters.

Elder Sign

Elder Sign

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MSRP: $39.99 USD
Players: 1-8
Playtime: 1-2 hours
Ages: 14+

Elder Sign, one of the earliest games in the Arkham Files franchise, is a dice-rolling board game that can be enjoyed by one to eight players. It's the most accessible game in the series, primarily driven by dice rolls to complete tasks and navigate through six encounters. Players choose investigators with specific stats to fight monsters, gather clues, and solve mysteries before time runs out.

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: 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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Elder Sign has six expansions: Unseen Forces, Gates of Arkham, Omens of Ice, Grave Consequences, Omens of the Deep, and Omens of the Pharaoh. Notably, Grave Consequences can be played independently. The last expansion was released in 2018, and it's uncertain whether more will follow.

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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MSRP: $109.95 USD
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition) is an app-driven dungeon crawler set in the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign. It supports one to five players and uses an app to guide the narrative and gameplay mechanics. The combination of physical pieces and the app's interactivity creates an engaging experience, and the app's save feature allows you to pause and resume your game later, though you'll need to set up the board again.

Mansions of Madness Expansions

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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MSRP: $69.99 USD
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Path of The Serpent takes players into the jungle, facing serpents and Lovecraftian horrors. This expansion requires the base game and is guided by the app.

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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MSRP: $39.19 USD
Players: 1-5
Playtime: 2-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Beyond the Threshold introduces two new investigators, two new scenarios, and an insanity gameplay element. It's a more budget-friendly option for expanding your game.

Unfathomable

Unfathomable

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MSRP: $64.99 USD
Players: 3-6
Playtime: 2-4 hours
Ages: 14+

Unfathomable is a unique game where players attempt to escape a sea filled with monsters. It includes a social deduction element, making it ideal for larger groups. One player is secretly a traitor, adding tension and intrigue reminiscent of Battlestar Galactica but set in the Lovecraftian universe. Sessions can last several hours as players navigate the game, trying to identify the traitor while striving to survive.

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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This expansion adds new prelude cards, three new monstrous horrors, and new skills, items, and boon cards, enhancing the game's variety and challenge.

Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror

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MSRP: $59.95 USD
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Ages: 14+

Eldritch Horror offers a global adventure, contrasting with Arkham Horror's city-centric focus. Players travel worldwide to complete objectives, making it more accessible for beginners and mid-level gamers due to its quicker setup and simpler rules. It emphasizes strategy and puzzle-solving, with the first game released in 2013.

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 has eight expansions: 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 the traditional board games, the Arkham universe offers additional ways to engage with its lore. You can play some of these games online or explore the franchise's tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) offerings.

The Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game

Arkham Horror ventured into TTRPGs with a starter set and a core rulebook released last year. The starter set is perfect for beginners, offering a sample campaign that doesn't require an experienced Game Master.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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MSRP: $34.99 USD
Players: 2-4
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Ages: 14+

The starter set is highly accessible for new players, providing a sample campaign to ease into the TTRPG experience.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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MSRP: $49.99 USD
Players: 2-6
Playtime: 1-3 hours
Ages: 14+

After trying the starter set, you can purchase the Core Rulebook to continue your TTRPG adventures in the Arkham Horror universe.

Video Game Versions

A digital version, Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace, was released on Steam in 2021. This single-player game, similar to the Mansions of Madness board game, is available on Steam and Switch for $19.99. However, it has received mixed reviews, with IGN giving it a 5 out of 10 due to its storytelling shortcomings.

Additionally, a digital version of Elder Sign, Elder Sign: Omens, is available on Steam and mobile platforms. Released in 2011, it has garnered mostly positive reviews and is priced at $5.99.

The Bottom Line

For fans of Lovecraftian-themed games, the Arkham Horror series is a must-explore. The games offer diverse experiences, suitable for both solo and group play. However, they are challenging, with significant elements of chance that can enhance replayability but also lead to frustration. Setup and learning times can be lengthy, though card games within the series are generally quicker to set up than the board games, even without expansions.