Fantasy Flight GamesArkham Horror 3rd Edition , Mystery /Strategy Game | Cooperative Board Game for Adults and Family| Ages 14+ | 1-6 Players | Average Playtime 2-3 Hours | Made by Fantasy Flight Games

This is a bit of an odd review. I purchased this as a gift for my brother who is currently serving time in the slammer I guess you could say. He was able to get it approved and its the one of the ways I can give him holiday gifts. He said that it was a bit complicated at first to learn and all the other guys almost ran out of patience to learn it but once they did they were hooked and play it all the time. Now it is one of their favorite ways of entertainment and I'm really glad it brought them all some joy in there. (for those wondering I promise they are not having fun all the time and spend a lot of time doing therapy and group sessions on top of book work and ofcourse chores and what not. A little joy for them is a good thing.)

I have read a lot of reviews about this game, so let me discuss some of the main concerns people have and why I don’t think it is as bad as some people make it seem.Let’s start by discussing the length of the game. If you are only playing 1-2 player or 2 handed solo, the game is about 2 hours not counting set up or take down. I think a 2 hour game is not that bad. However, once you play 4 to 6 player you are heading towards a long 3 to 4 hour session. However, you can easily shorten the game by tweaking the amount of clues or doom that are required to advance to the next step. Also, you can swap out a doom token for a blank token to make the game a little easier, which will shorten the game. This is called Story Mode which was officially introduced in a later expansion. Making these 2 modifications is great for a 4 player casual game night. I still don’t recommend more than 4 players unless you have to.Second, some people argue the game is not as replayable due to the story driven scenarios. I play Mansions of Madness and Arkham Horror the card game many times. It is no different. Sure, the first playthrough may be more exciting since you do not know what to expect story wise, but each play through is unique and plays out differently with so many variables that change from game to game. It is like saying all board games without a story (example: Pandemic) are not replayable. Makes no sense.Lastly, some reviews complain that there is a lot of upkeep in between actions. After the player action phase is the monster phase. You just move the monsters, deal damage/horror, activate ability. Takes about 10 to 20 seconds. You then do the encounter phase which I think is fun especially for a game night where other people read the encounter so no one can see the outcome if they choose A or B. I don’t really think of this phase as upkeep. The last phase is to draw tokens which will place doom on locations, spawn monsters, spawn clues.These are the 3 most negative things I see people say about the game. If they don’t seem that bad to you, then I think you should get the game!

If you love Lovecraftian style fantasy like Cthulu and other elder gods, as well as table top D&D, this game is for you! There are several scenarios to choose from, a myriad of protagonists to choose as your hero/heroine, different monsters to combat, and variety of items, weapons, and spells to bolster your team! Each scenario has a different landscape setup and offers hours upon hours of fun. Get your friends, or maybe even just yourself, and take on otherworldly creatures to save reality!

My husband and I love this game! It's immersive, complex, and unfolds differently each time we play. I love that it's collaborative (players are on the same team), but still a challenge to win. We always feel like we're snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. It's a longer game (took us 3-4 hours with 5 players, some who'd played before, others who hadn't) but the time will fly by for the right group of people! If you enjoy D&D or Betrayal, you'll like this game. If you're a novice board game player, it may be slow going at first (unless you're playing with someone more experienced). The rules are complex, each character has different abilities, and there are many game pieces and mechanics to remember. You also need a player to act as a GM (game master) and run the game in addition to acting as a player. This is definitely one of those "you need to play it to get the hang of it" kind of games. But once you do, it's wicked fun!

I buy games that can be played solo, so my review is based entirely on that version of the game. Excellent, addictive game. Even though it is scenario-based, there is much replayability value, as each scenario can be won (and lost) is a variety of ways. Also, there are many different characters that can be played in combination, which keeps the game fresh.

As difficult as any other fantasy flight game to learn. Pretty intuitive once you pick up the majority of the rules. 4 scenarios. I could see replaying each scenario 2 or 3 times before they get old. Easy to manage 2 characters if you want to play solo. Overall it is a fun game but not worth the $60 they are charging now. I would say worth playing if you can get it for under $50.

Our family loves intricate and interesting mystery and horror themed games, so when we saw this one we jumped at it!Our first playthrough took a few hours as we had to keep referring to the rules and asking questions about each movement and interaction of the game. But now, this has turned into a fun game that can span family game night for about 2 to 3 hours on the weekends! Keeps us on our toes, and is a fin mix of multiple 'maps' in the game!

The initial setup took a long time but with the help of some YouTube videos we had a better understanding sooner than later. There are different difficulties, scenarios, monsters, situations and characters so each gameplay is a different experience. Just make sure you have a lot of space when you play because there are a LOT of pieces to this game but it's worth it!