Let's start with the campaigns:
Path to Carcosa – The reason this is number one is simple: I struggle to read pulpy horror, and when I read horror at all, it's always the psychological/existential variety that makes me nod in appreciation. “Path to Carcosa” is psychological/existential horror, in a game, with agency. Add to this the fact the mechanisms wonderfully fit the story, as well as the existence of two of the best individual scenarios the game offers to date (“The Unspeakable Oath” and “The Pallid Mask”), and you've got a recipe for the best.
The Dream-Eaters – The Dreamlands is a delightful and dreadful place to explore in this integration of two four-part campaigns. It does a great job exploring dreams and nightmares through the lens of fiction and the act of writing . This meta-aspect of the campaign underrated in most commentary, the designers do a superb job structuring two interlinked story arcs that have meaning to one another plot-wise, and beyond the game. The fact there are two good final bosses/scenarios are the cherries on top.
The Forgotten Age – From the internet's perspective, this is the love/hate campaign of Arkham Horror. I love it. Where some people find the difficulty too dynamic, I find it wonderfully thematic. Do you expect to explore a Lovecraftian jungle thinking you've come prepared for everything? Think again; shit happens in the wild. The Explore mechanism, again, nicely thematic. You can't always expect to find what you want in the jungle, but you can certainly expect some pitfalls, figurative and literal, along the way. And the “twist” scenario, awesome. The story is pulpy, yes, but it's easier to forgive for its recognizable Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider motif than some of the other pulp Lovecraft dished out.
- The Edge of the Earth – An ally-focused campaign, "Edge of the Earth" allows players to bond with their helpers as they journey through the frozen Antarctic. With the Freeze mechanic and emphasis on the power of nature, this campaign is an expedition of Weird though an ice cold wasteland. FFG changed up the final boss formula, making for a fresh, new climactic experience. If any campaign has a chance of rising on this list with re-play, it's this one.
Feast of Hemlock Vale - This campaign returns to the roots of Arkham Horror but offers something evolutionary. NPCs come to life like no campaign to date as a group of investigators try to sort out the origins of some odd happenings on a lonely island in Maine. Family feuds mixing with the pagan supernatural and beyond, the campaign's semi-open world format gives players choices and options that do no repeat on additional playthroughs.
The Innsmouth Conspiracy – A murky, claustrophobic campaign, "The Innsmouth Conspiracy" throws players into the deep end (pun intended) then lets them figure out, one watery scenario after another, the backstory, all while trying to keep from drowning. For the first time the chaos bag has some new friends (and foes) that work wonderfully within the game's first principles. Tidal shifts, underwater labyrinths, car chases, and awakening krakens—it's got a lot going for it.
The Drowned City - Despite being the tength campaign, "The Drowned City" is something both evolved and retro. The plot possesses the pulp simplicity of "The Dunwich Legacy", telling how a group of small town investigators find themselves faced with a massive green something that is trying to godzilla stomp Arkham. But the individual scenarios leading to this showdown demonstrate the rich lessons of nearly a decade's worth of Arkham Horror. Each is refined, structured, and thematic, and drives players toward the inevitable faceoff with Cthulhu himself (itself? zirself? a%j&l#?).
The Dunwich Legacy – The first full-length Arkham Horror campaign, it still holds strong. While linear in nature, there is variety between scenarios—from casino capers to train adventures, village sacrifices to the horror of the cosmos, it offers a little bit of everything with wonderfully supportive mechanisms. It still has the best final boss/scenario released to date, amking it a must-play even for players coming to the game recently.
The Circle Undone – I imagine this campaign ranks higher for players who like haunted house stories, witch's covens, Masonic conspiracies, and the like. I fully appreciate the new mechanisms, the intro mini-story, the subtle commentary on gender, as well as the healthy quantity of story. It's only that this sub-genre of horror is not my wheelhouse.
The Scarlet Keys - "The Scarlet Keys" is rocking - at least on first playthrough. Given the open world (literally) and the fact most scenarios have a minimum of two setups depending where players are in their runthrough, it feels big and expansive. The potential of FFG's new, big box business model (at least at the time) is fully realized here. Story and theme drip with 'noir detective' and the Illuminati meets Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? vibe is redolent throughout this globetrotting adventure. But the blind playthrough is not as strong as subsequent playthroughs. The main mechanism is based on RNG, which gets old, particularly in the final boss, and there is a lot or reading which really stretches table time.
And that is the campaigns to date. On to the stand-alone expansions:
- Guardians of the Abyss - Of all the stand-alone scenarios, this is the one which immediately pops into mind each time I ask myself which is the best. The Egyptian setting begs for a full-length campaign, but this two-part mini-campaign still packs a huge amount—the bazaars of Cairo, the sphinx, and an ever darkening abyss. The scenario rewards are also richly thematic. If I could only own one, this would be it.
- The Midwinter Gala - There are a lot of things to like about this often overlooked scenario. Replayability that is narrative-based, achievements-based, and class-based. Well-staged agendas and acts that give atmosphere a palpable pace. A simple but effective location layout that keep size in check but give substance. An effective story - chasing a jewel as evil creeps into a mansion gala. And an optional multi-player format. There is a lot to love.
Fortune & Folly - Ocean's Eleven in Arkham Horror form, "Fortune & Folly" asks players to perform a bank heist. Separated into two acts, players need to case the joint to collect information before trying to pull off the heist. And what are they stealing? Something numinous and something mysterious, naturally - no stinkin' money here. This theme feels mashed in, but the scenario itself is proper rich <wink>. There is just the right amount of mechanisms to give players options, while keeping them on their toes with potential enemies. Replayability is good due to the number of options given players for casing and heisting.
Carnevale of Horrors – Venice is not the typical scene of otherworldy horror, but this scenario manages to squeeze a spot of Lovecraft fun from parade-goers, mask-wearers, and canals. It feels fully fleshed out. The developers had a solid parade idea and they implemented it well. It's atypical resolution should also be noted. Where most scenarios steadily ramp into a grand finale, this chooses a different course - which I won't spoil here - that feels simple but cathartic.
Midnight at the Excelsior Hotel – The most 1920s' detective story released to date, players truly feel like investigators in this whodunnit of Agatha Christie meets H.P. Lovecraft. Some people point to the ten possible endings (i.e. replay value) as its most positive aspect, but I would argue the endings are more the result of mechanical necessity than organic story. (They are dictated by random card shuffles, that is, rather than a variety of endings tying off story threads). The real value of the scenario is, I feel, its noir mood—interrogating hotel guests, the arrival of the police, the midnight rain, the Agatha Christie-esque mystery. All are combined to great effect.
The Curse of the Rougarou – The first act is a too fast and going true solo is extremely difficult, but beyond that, this spot of werewolf hunting offers an excellent Cajun bayou vibe. Shapeshifting and following tracks is hound dog fun, and one of the possible endings is thematically superb. The chase through the swamps is on!
Barkham Horror - One of the most notoriously difficult scenarios for players to get their hands on, is it worth spilling the cash? The answer to that question will likely depend on how much cat & dog humor you appreciate. FFG really digs into a parallel, anthropomorphised (B)arkham scenario - Skids O'Droole, old shoe assets, eye monocles, and Duke and Ashcan Pete switch places (natch). Locations and cards often have effects that spin furry. Enemies and investigating, however, are straight forward - a tough straight-forward. Treachery cards hand out damage and horror by the fistful and the boss is a "rat king" that takes sustained effort.
The Night of the Zealot – Many of you are probably wondering why “Night of the Zealot” is here and not in the campaign list above. Simple: length. It contains three scenarios, which is five less than any of the full-length campaigns, and only one or two more than the stand-alones here. Moreover, it truncates the Arkham Horror campaign experience. Only one of its three scenarios, “Midnight Masks”, is comparable to anything in the other campaigns. (The first scenario “The Gathering” is purely a teaching game, as is the last “The Devourer Below”, i.e. teaching you how to get your ass kicked many, many times in a row.) As such, it's unfair to compare it to the full campaigns. It feels more at home among the stand-alones.
Film Fatale - Technically, this is one scenario. In reality "Film Fatale" is three mini-scenarios framed by the pulp days of Hollywood. There are three different film sets: one science fiction, one horror, and one dinosaurs, and players investigate and hunt their way through them, trying to get to the bottom of the strange occurrences on each. The success of the scenario on your table will likely be a matter of quality vs. quantity.
Labyrinths of Lunacy - This scenario can be summed up in one phrase: the film Saw in Arkham form. Stuck in various death traps, players must figure their way out of situations with more than just clues and guns. While there are three phases to the scenario which makes for a longer than usual experience, it's difficult to play again once each trick is known. This one is likely best played epic multi-player.
War of the Outer Gods – This scenario, like “Labyrinths of Lunacy”, is best with epic multi-player. In other words, it's tough to compare apples to apples with the scenarios higher on this list. The idea is interesting, however. Rather than player vs game, it's player vs game vs game. Enemies attack each other (when played correctly), meaning players need to find ways to make the factions war among one another if the objectives are to be completed. Interesting, but still an orange in an apple world—at least the way we typically play.
I have not played “The Blob that Ate Everything” or "Machinations through Time". I own them, and will be doing my best over the next few months to make the time.
And a final note regarding the stand-alones. Clearly my bias is toward 2-4 players. This is relevant given some of the stand-alone scenarios have been designed for larger groups, and thus not entirely fairly judged here given I have never tried epic multi-player. Please bear that in mind if you are playing with large groups.
And that's it. One person's overview to Arkham Horror: The Card Game. As mentioned, this will be a live page, updated as new campaigns and stand-alones are released.
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