2GP's Legendary Gaming Presents: Our Favorite 13 Games of Cthulhuween (2016)
Stars align as squamish things claw through the misty fabric of reality, preying upon flesh and sanity. That which cannot die stirs deeply in dark, somber oceans. Poets and artists begin bizarre dances through black, spiral paths while the insane babble incoherently in tongues long dead before man did trod this earth. Antediluvian cults, secret and hidden, rise from shadowy lairs, their souls dripping with the markings of ownership by nigh-immortal Elder Beings.
Put away your fangs. Remove your undead makeup. Take off that Werewolf mask. H.P. Lovecraft gave to the world a different kind of horror, that which looms over the infantile fears of vampires, zombies, and werewolves. The new horror introduced us to the dread of an all-consuming, unfathomable cosmic beings older than space and time. Over the years these weird tales became collectively known as the Mythos Cycle. This sub-genre of horror has birthed many games over the decades; video, board, card, dice, phone apps, and RPGs.
For the upcoming Halloween weekend we here at 2GP have compiled a list of some of our favorite tabletop games featuring Lovecraft's Mythos, theme-heavy as well as lite and funny. Some games, such as Betrayal at the House on the Hill, did not make the list because only one or two game scenarios revolved around the actual Mythos. Not because we don't love them, they just didn't completely fit for this category.
Two-Gun Pixie Proudly Presents
Legendary Gaming:
Our Favorite... 13 Games of Cthulhuween
• Eldritch Horror
Published By: Fantasy Flight Games Number of Players: 1 - 8 Suggest Player's Age: 14+ Game Length: 120 - 240 minutes
From the Publisher: Eldritch Horror is a cooperative game for one to eight players, based on the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and inspired by the classic board game Arkham Horror. In Eldritch Horror, investigators travel the globe in an urgent quest to save the world from a diabolical, omnipotent Ancient One. With four different Ancient Ones, twelve investigators, numerous monsters, and hundreds of possible encounters, every game provides an unique and epic adventure.
Quick Thoughts: Eldritch Horror is a co-operative play game of dice rolling, point-to-point movement, and variable player powers. It might just be the most thematic Lovecraftian board game on the market. This is because each of the game's playing card decks are uniquely written for one of the Elder Gods that come with the base game (or an expansion). Researching these Elder Gods bring a different story with each play-thru making this game more about the story than most other Mythos-inspired board games. Beware; this game makes a huge footprint on your gaming table and could take a bit longer than the manufacturers suggest play time of 3-4 hours. The good news is that the stories and background that unfolds is amazing! Eldritch Horror is a fantastic upgrade to the game system originally presented by Fantasy Flight Games for their earlier release, Arkham Horror.
• Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu
Published By: Z-Man Games Number of Players: 2 - 4 Suggest Player's Age: 14+ Game Length: 45 -60 minutes
From the Publisher: Beings of ancient evil, known as Old Ones, are threatening to break out of their cosmic prison and awake into the world. Everything you know and love could be destroyed by chaos and madness. Can you and your fellow investigators manage to find and seal every portal in time? Hurry before you lose yourself to insanity.
Quick Thoughts: Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu uses an action point allowance system, co-operative play, hand management, point to point movement, set collection, trading, and variable player powers system of play. These mechanics join together to create a fantastic blend of classic sanity-smashing Mythos-inspired action meets the nerve-wracking, high intensity of the original Pandemic. The Pandemic games typically find the players racing across the globe desperately trying to cure four diseases before one or more turns into a world-wide epidemic. In this version players race through "Lovecraftian cities like Arkham, Innsmouth, and Dunwich to stop cultists from opening too many gates and bringing forth too many elder things into this world. This game bridges the gap for fans of both Mythos-inspired tabletop gaming and the Pandemic gaming systems. A truly great gateway game (all pun intended) for fans of either to appreciate the other.
• Neil Gaiman's A Study in Emerald
Published By: Tree frog Games Number of Players: 2 - 5 Suggest Player's Age: 13+ Game Length: 60 - 90 minutes
From the Publisher: They arrived seven hundred years ago and have been ruling the planet ever since. The majority of people just get on with their lives, accepting their monstrous rulers. However, there is a growing band of revolutionaries who wish to free mankind from their slavery. These freedom fighters call themselves the Restorationists. A secret war has already broken out between the Restorationists and the forces loyal to the Old Ones. The invention of dynamite has changed the balance of power and a lone assassin now has the capacity to destroy an Old One. In this shadow world of assassins, informers, police agents and anarchists nobody is quite sure who is who and which side they fight for. A Study In Emerald draws its central plot from the award winning short story penned by Neil Gaiman, in which the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and H.P. Lovecraft are combined to telling effect. However, to create a world detailed enough for players, much has been added from real history. The nineteenth century was a time of unrest, with many colourful characters fighting both for and against the authorities. A Study In Emerald is the outcome of the merging of these three worlds.
Quick Thoughts: A Study in Emerald blends the gaming mechanics of Area Control / Area Influence, Auction/Bidding, Card Drafting, Deck / Pool Building, Hand Management, Hidden Role, Partnerships, and Point-to-Point Movement to create a rather unique way of working the Mythos into a board game. This second edition is a beautifully stream-lined version of the original first edition that deserves to be on the gaming shelf of any fan of the Mythos. Although the average game time should run about 90 minutes or so don't be surprised if this game ends brutally after only 20 minutes as it can be very tough.
• Mansions of Madness
Published By: Fantasy Flight Games Number of Players: 2 - 5 Suggest Player's Age: 13+ Game Length: 120 - 180 minutes
From the Publisher: Mansions of Madness is a scenario-driven board game of occult horror and mystery for two to five players. One player takes on the role of the keeper, a malevolent force working to complete a sinister plot. All other players take on the roles of investigators who explore an eerie location in the hopes of solving a mystery before it’s too late. The keeper’s goal is to fulfill an evil scheme, using the weapons of fear, paranoia, and terrifying monsters. The investigators win or lose as a team, and must keep their wits about them to find the artifacts, weapons, and clues needed to stop the keeper’s diabolical plot. Can a handful of brave investigators uncover the truth in time or will the wicked plans of the keeper come to fruition?
Quick Thoughts: Mansions of Madness is a game which utilizes the mechanics of Area Movement, Co-operative Play, Dice Rolling, Hand Management, A Modular Board, One vs All, Partnerships, Pick-up and Deliver, Role Playing, Variable Player Powers. The role of the keeper is not easy and requires more than a little time be put in before the game actually starts. Let me tell straight up, this game is dripping with theme and flavor. Where Eldritch Horror takes for a world-spanning adventure Mansions of Madness drops you deep within an ancient mansion of Lovecraftian dread. Unlike most Mythos games where clues are simply collected to use later to improve rolls, in this game you really have to solve puzzles in order to pass certain rooms or situations. This mechanic is a pure explosion of a thematic quality unused in other games of Cthulhian proportions. Another must have for any fan of the Mythos, not just hard-core gamers. NOTE: An updated, slightly streamlined 2nd edition has recently dropped which uses an app to help keep track of all the gaming action. Either edition will make a great game to play for Halloween!
• Kingsport Festival
Published By: Stratelibri Number of Players: 3 - 5 Suggest Player's Age: 12+ Game Length: 90 minutes
From the Publisher: This time, you are the bad guys. Why settle for the lesser evil? In the unimaginable darkness of Kingsport, silent wanderers are called to a profane celebration. Their goal: to invoke unthinkable horrors! A dread terror that is not of this world or any other - but rather from the spaces between the stars - demands your submission. Meanwhile, unwary investigators vainly attempt to halt this appalling chapter in the dark history of Arkham. As the high priest of one of these shadowy cults, you must dominate the city. You will invoke cosmic creatures and unholy gods to receive their "gifts", but you must take care to preserve your sanity and thwart the investigators who seek to stop you.
Quick Thoughts: Kingsport Festival uses the very simple gaming mechanics of Dice Rolling and Worker Placement to great effect. Perhaps the best aspect of this game is the simple fact that you are actually playing the cultists this time. What a refreshing change of pace to fight investigators this time around instead of cultists. The scenario Cards supplied with the game are interesting and bring a deeper level to the thematic feel of the game. This re-working of the game Kingsburg works great. The addition of both a Sanity Track and a Magic Track to keep account of deepens the playing level of Kingsport from the original Kingsburg. This may not be the game to spring on new players but experienced gamers or fans of the original Kingsburg should really enjoy this game of Lovecraftian worker placement and battles with investigators.
• Elder Sign
Published By: Fantasy Flight Games Number of Players: 1 - 8 Suggest Player's Age: 13+ Game Length: 90 - 120 minutes
From the Publisher: Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of Arkham Horror. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient Ones. Armed with cards for tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game.
Quick Thoughts: Elder Sign combines Co-operative Play Mode, Dice Management, Dice Rolling, Dice Management, Modular Board, and Variable Player Powers to create a brilliant, streamlined version of Arkham Horror. Because of the style of dice management and re-rolling to increase your successes Elder Sign has been called the Yahtzee of Mythos games and that is quite an accurate description of this game. The cards played help make this a story-driven version of Yahtzee which definitely takes that game system to the next level. This game is addictive even though each sitting could take 2 or 3 hours to finish. Then again, it is so deadly I've had games end in blood and insanity in about or just under 30 minutes. Elder Sign can be a cruel mistress.
• Innsmouth Escape
Published By: Twilight Creations Number of Players: 2 -5 Suggest Player's Age: 12+ Game Length: 30 - 45 minutes
From the Publisher: In the Innsmouth Escape game, one of the players takes on the role of the escaped student. He is the Human player, and he is trying to rescue his friends and escape Innsmouth. By playing movement cards, he moves his pawn around the board to visit various locations, fights any Deep Ones there, then searches those locations for his friends and equipment to help in their escape. The other players play groups of Deep Ones. They are trying to prevent the Human player from escaping. The Deep One players take turns moving their pawns around the board trying to trap the Human. Certain locations on the board also allow them to draw cards, spawn additional Deep Ones, or even summon a terrible Shoggoth.
Quick Thoughts: Innsmouth Escape reverses the 1 vs all concept by making the one player the protagonist trying to escape from all the other players. With game mechanics ranging from Area Movement, Dice Rolling, Point-to-Point Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment this game creates something almost unique to Mythos games. This game is a little meatier than a filler game and is fun in the sense that the one player is trying to escape from all the other players in a very cat-and-mouse way. The utilization of euro-style gaming mechanics mixed with the more Amertrash type of miniatures combat game balances out fairly well. Innsmouth Escape could be a fun Halloween gaming experience for your less than fanatical gaming buddies.
• Munchkin Cthulhu
Published By: Steve Jackson Games Number of Players: 3 - 6 Suggest Player's Age: 10+ Game Length: 90 minutes
From the Publisher: Munchkin Cthulhu is a stand-alone game that lampoons Lovecraft's Mythos and the horror gaming that surrounds it. Brought to you by Steve Jackson and John Kovalic, this set features four Classes – including the Cultist – and a lot of classic monsters from outside reality. And they all have Stuff you can take from their twitching bodies. You can play Munchkin Cthulhu by itself, or combine it with any number of other Munchkin games for mind-bending silliness.
Quick Thoughts: Any of the Munchkin games would make a great gateway game for your non-gamer buddies, just pick the right theme for the right person such as Munchkin Zombies for your Walking Dead friends, Munchkin Marvel for your Marvel friends or, in this case, Munchkin Cthulhu for your Lovecraftian friends. This is a very easy game to teach anyone as it only really uses three game mechanics; Dice Rolling, Trading, and Variable Player Powers. At its core this is a "Take That" style game which players always seem to have fun playing. People love to give their closest friends the shaft and this game delivers. Obviously, this variant of Munchkin is themed for fans of Lovecraftian inspired games. I must warn you, even though this is a fast-paced game, when someone starts closing in on the winning level it becomes a frenzy to keep that player from winning. Yes, this may be very fun but it also causes the game to drag on longer than anticipated.
• The Stars Are Right
Published By: Steve Jackson Games Number of Players: 2 - 4 Suggest Player's Age: 12+ Game Length: 60 minutes
From the Publisher: The Stars Are Right is a card game for two to four players, ages 12 and up, with a playing time of less than one hour. The cards are hilariously illustrated by Goomi (Munchkin Cthulhu 3 – The Unspeakable Vault). Summon the Great Old Ones, who will shower you with power beyond your dreams. Or perhaps they'll eat you. Or both. In the game you'll start small, bringing ghasts and ghouls back to our reality. Invoke minor creatures to flip over a tile or push a row, creating the correct patterns to summon more and more powerful ones. Eventually, you'll build a horde of Servitors who can chain flips, pushes, and switches together; rearranging the entire grid to your whims. Change the skies, summon a Great Old One, and win!
Quick Thoughts: This medium-light style card game makes good use of the board tiles. The way you manipulate them to your advantage (and your opponents disadvantage) works great! The game uses the mechanics of Hand Management, Modular Board, Pattern Building, Pattern Recognition, and Tile Placement. The Stars Are Right is a good blend of fun and frustrating and should make for a great, quick Halloween game.
• Chez Cthulhu
Published By: Steve Jackson Games Number of Players: 2 - 5 Suggest Player's Age: 12+ Game Length: 45 - 60 minutes
From the Publisher: Chez Cthulhu brings the horror of Lovecraft's Mythos right into your apartment . . . as if the leftovers from the Pizza with Absolutely Everything weren't bad enough. Work your job – will you be a Morgue Janitor, a Sanitarium Guard, or a Gravedigger? Buy things to give you Slack, like a comforting Straitjacket . . . or some Friendly Tentacles to make your day a little brighter. Invite people over to your room . . . and sacrifice them! And Nookie . . . don't forget the Nookie. Preferably without the Ectoplasmic Slime. Chez Cthulhu combines the classic Chez Geek system with everyone's favorite Elder God and stirs in a new Madness mechanic, in a new stand-alone game.
Quick Thoughts: A great beer & pretzels game enjoyed by Mythos fans and non-Lovecraft fans alike. This game is all about the funny from the art to the characters to the jobs and guests. The core mechanic is simply Set Collection which makes it very easy to learn or teach. The game plays as a Take That game which appeals to most people on some level. Much like the original game which spawned this, Chez Geek, we find a hysterical use of gaining Slack to win the game but the big difference with Chez Cthulhu is the addition of Madness. On one hand, Madness works against your slack. However, gain too much Madness and you go Stark Raving Mad and it will work with your slack. This additional of Madness is hysterical! This could be the small game to bring to the next party.
• CTHULHU!!! Hastur La Vista, Baby!
Published By : Twilight Creations
Number of Players: 2 - 5 Suggest Player's Age: 15+ Game Length: 60 - 90 minutes
From the Publisher: Cthulhu!!! Hastur La Vista, Baby! thrusts you into a desperate fight against elder forces from beyond space and time. You play the stalwart private detectives and quick-thinking girl Fridays who’ve stumbled onto the Cult’s plans, and it’s your job to find and sanctify enough ritual sites to prevent the avatar’s arrival. For good or ill, you’re already a bit unstable from years of mythos busting, and not above using the Cult’s relics yourself. You can resist the objects’ siren call long enough to save the world... can’t you?
Quick Thoughts: Twilight Creations has taken their popular Zombies!!! game and re-themed it with a Lovecraftian skin. This is not a bad thing at all. The use of such game mechanics as Hand Management, A Modular Board, Roll and Move, and Tile Placement does seem to work well enough for a Mythos-inspired game. The big difference between the two games is that instead of trying to escape from the zombies by getting to a helipad your trying to shut down 3 of the 5 ritual sites before the cultists and the Byakhee active them. Unlike Zombies!!! (but similar to every Mythos game) you need to protect your sanity as much as your physical health which adds another level to Cthulhu!!! that Zombies!!! doesn't have. Cthulhu!!! Hastur La Vista, Baby may not be perfect for casual or non-gamer it won't take a hardcore gamer to understand or enjoy this game.
• Cthulhu Gloom
Published By: Atlas Games
Number of Players: 2 - 5 Suggest Player's Age: 13+ Game Length: 60 - 90 minutes
From the Publisher: In Cthulhu Gloom, you control a group of Lovecraftian protagonists and guide them down a path of horror and madness to an untimely death, while keeping your opponents happy, healthy, and annoyingly alive. While your characters Gibber With Ghouls and Learn Loathsome Lore to earn negative points, you'll encourage your opponents to be Analyzed by Alienists and to Just Forget About the Fungus to pile on positive points. When one group finally falls prey to the interdimensional doom that awaits us all, the player whose characters have suffered the most wins.
Cthulhu Gloom is printed on transparent plastic cards. Multiple Modifier cards can be played on top of the same Character card; since the cards are transparent, elements from previously played Modifier cards either show through or are obscured by those played above them. You can immediately and easily see the point value of every character, no matter how many Modifiers they have piled on.
Quick Thoughts: My wife is not a gamer. Over the years she has enjoyed playing several games and the original Gloom game is one of them. Cthulhu Gloom may be the funniest Lovecraftian based card game I have ever played. The mix of Card Hand Management, Storytelling, and Take That mesh together beautifully. Not only are the cards hysterical but when you play this game with the right group, a group who enjoy ad-libbing stories this game explodes. It may sound funny to simply read aloud the card's text, such as "Pestered by Penguins" but when the card-player adds a quick, whimsical reason by story as to why you are now "Pestered by Penguins" this game becomes even funnier.
• Cthulhu Fluxx
Published By: Looney Labs
Number of Players: 2 - 6 Suggest Player's Age: 10+ Game Length: 15 - 30 minutes
From the Publisher: Follow the wild-eyed Poet, the obsessed Artist, and the expeditions of the Professor, as they investigate Eldritch Secrets no mortal was meant to discover. Someone has stolen the Necronomicon from the library at Miskatonic University, and a Farm in the hills is undergoing a horrifying Metamorphosis. Meanwhile, unspeakable abominations stir in Penguin-riddled Tombs beneath the ice. Are you Inevitably Doomed to a lifetime of Nightmares in the Sanitarium, or are you, in fact, a Secret Cultist, worshiping the Minions of Darkness? Gaze upon the ever- changing face of Madness with Cthulhu Fluxx!
Quick Thoughts: Looney Labs has made many different skins for their highly popular Fluxx game using the simple mechanics of Hand Management and Set Collection. As with all Fluxx games it starts simple draw one card, and play one card system. Different cards play change those rules while others alter the winning conditions; thus the game is always in a state of flux. The clever use of Ungoal cards creates a sense of panic missing from most other Fluxx games increasing both the fun factor and game strategy. Cthulhu Fluxx is an entertaining game that keeps the dark atmosphere of Lovecraft's Mythos while making it fun and accessible that most will enjoy.
HONORABLE MENTION
• Fate of the Elder Gods
Published By: Greater than Games Number of Players: 1 - 4 Suggest Player's Age: 13+ Game Length: 60 - 90 minutes
This new offering from Greater than Games is their first one to delve into the cold, dark waters of H.P. Lovecraft's Mythos universe. The game had a phenomenal run on Kickstarter unlocking all their many stretch goals. When we here at Two-Gun Pixie saw this we knew we had to be a part of the group backing this project. Keep a look out for this game to be released commercially in 2017. We think that you'll be hearing a lot about this one.
From the Publisher: In Fate of the Elder Gods, players take on the ever-maddening role of cults trying to summon ancient evil and herald the fall of mankind! Each cult is in competition to be first to summon their god, but they all must also repel intrepid investigators working to seal off the gate to beyond with Elder signs. Gather arcane artifacts, cast powerful spells, embrace the Dark Gift of your Elder God, and be first to hasten doom...before it's too late.
During the game, players use a variable hand of spell cards to do one of two things to aid their cult in their mission: Use the spell's Astral Symbol to navigate the areas around Arkham on the unique Fate Clock board, or use the symbols in a location's Astral Column to ready a spell. Readied spells can be cast at any time, but while in a cult's Spell Reserve their primary Astral Symbol can aid in readying future spells, creating an engine for pumping out more potential power.
As cults travel to the six locations on the Fate Clock, they activate specific powerful abilities, such as gaining useful artifacts at The Museum or enabling their Elder God's Dark Gift at The Ceremony. As cults send more and more cultists to a location, they may gain control there, adding even more powerful abilities. However, cults must be careful how they navigate Arkham as a location with lots of activity will attract pesky investigators. Tempt fate too many times and the investigators may raid your cult's lodge, placing Elder Signs, and generally getting in the way of summoning your Elder God. Gain too many Elder Signs and it's game over!
If any cult can manage to raise their Summon Track to 9 before the investigators save humanity, their Elder God awakens and they win! Of course, "win" is a relative term as it will certainly herald the end of the world — but that's a small price to pay for eternal servitude to the Ancient Ones
Game Mechanics: Area Control, Area Movement, Dice Rolling, Hand Management, Variable Player Powers, Worker Placement
