In some ways, the opening scenario is the best point of any campaign. The mystery of what is happening, the excitement of what is to come, and the simple joy of getting into another campaign combine to give them a little extra zest. They are also a challenge. Players have the weakest decks they will have all campaign and no knowledge of the new mechanisms. First impressions, as they say, mean everything. In previous posts, Speculiction has ranked the Arkham Horror releases and bosses. As such, I thought it would be fun to rank all the opening scenarios, as well.
From worst to first, here they are. Enjoy!
12. The Drowned City ”One Last Job” - This is the most incongruous opening scenario in the game. Players are placed into a gang war that has no bearing on the narrative to come. And if that doesn't feel forced enough, then the fact both gangs are run by women and filled with women holding tommy guns, does. (Alternate universe?) The campaign returns to the location later, none of the gangster stuff does, save a tacked on boss and his need for artifacts. This feels weird, too. Mafia dons should be bootlegging whiskey or laundering money or extorting from innocent citizens. Chasing numinous objects feels more in the wheelhouse of eccentric professors, antique dealers, playboy millionaires, nerdy teens, loner psychologists, obsessed grad students, terminally ill morticians, etc., etc.
11. Core Box #1 “The Gathering” – “The Gathering” is a pleasant, enjoyable way to introduce people to the game, i.e. to learn how to move and investigate and get scared by the ghoul. I have played it several times and it is what you want as a player's first toe in Arkhams' waters, including a forked ending. I still remember my virgin run. But the scenario's primary function is educational, to introduce not only the mini-campaign of the core box, but also the game as a whole. It's short, it's easy, and for that it finds itself here on the list. Good but qualified.
10. The Dream-Eaters “Waking Nightmare” - The yin to this scenario's yang is the other opening scenario of The Dream Eaters: “Beyond the Gates of Sleep”. Where that scenario transitions players from waking to sleeping, “Waking Nightmare” is as advertized. It's an (almost) straight drop into madness. It introduces Infestation and spiders <wink-wink>, but I just can't stop the feeling ”The Unspeakable Oath” does this scenario better.
9. The Scarlet Keys “Riddles and Rain” - While I think The Scarlet Keys campaign overuses the Concealed mechanism, here in the opening scenario, ”Riddles and Rain”, it feels fresh and interesting. Most importantly, it's fun chasing down the Red-Gloved Man and exploring the locations. I'm not certain, however, the scenario provides the narrative impetus it could have for the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? mood the developers were aiming at. Overall a solid scenario worth playing multiple times, but still not as strong as those which come after.
8. The Edge of the Earth “Ice and Death: Part I” – The Edge of the Earth is one of my highest ranked campaigns for the manner it captures existential horror. And while I think some campaigns' opening scenarios are better, ”Ice and Death” holds its own. It's too fixed to be played multiple-multiple times, but the exploration feels like exploration, in some ways more than The Forgotten Age. Supplies feel like supplies—getting ready for an expedition. The new Frost mechanism informs players of the dangers going forward. The introduction of NPCs as allies announces this will be a more ”social” campaign. And the big enemy closes out the scenario in style. Not the best, but very solid.
7. The Dream-Eaters “Beyond the Gates of Sleep” - This scenario is in the middle of the list as it is relatively straightforward. It introduces players to the Swarm mechanic, does some Arkham things, and tells a little story. Thematically it shines, however. The manner in which the game transitions players into sleep manifests itself excellently in gameplay—the appearance of the encounter deck, the downward staircase, etc. It fulfulls its role perfectly even if it does not have the excitement and drama of several other scenarios on this list. After all, if every campaign began in the middle of a firefight, the game would get old, fast.
6. The Dunwich Legacy “ Extracurricular Activity” – A quick glance at the setup for this scenario may not induce interest. It's Arkham. There's a university. It's a dark night. Standard, moody stuff. But this scenario offers players three ways to “get out”, one of which does an excellent job evoking monster flicks of old—lab experiements gone wrong. Storywise, I think this scenario does a better job than its counter-part “The House Always Wins” of introducing The Dunwich Legacy. But it takes a while to build up and the campus is not that sexy.
5. The Dunwich Legacy “The House Always Wins” – Despite the ten or so opening scenarios which have come since The Dunwich Legacy was released, this one still stands tall. Arkham Horror has since done the nightclub setting a couple more times, and “The House Always Wins” has not faded. It evokes the desired feeling (the gambling sidebars are a nice touch), has a fun layout for players to uncover, and sets the overarching campaign story in full motion. Not sure how well it represents the campaign as a whole, but it remains stand-alone fun. For players whom I have a little hope in, I use “The House Always Wins” instead of “The Gathering” for first toe in the water.
4. The Circle Undone “The Witching Hour” - For as cool as I am on The Circle Undone as a campaign, its opening scenario is one of the best. The biggest advantage is the lack of black/white success or failure. Players succeed by degrees, which is a great way to give momentum into the campaign. Another plus is that it's deceiving—as a ghost story should be. Players are lulled into a sense of comfort, then things go eerie. But this is only on virgin playthrough. Thereafter, players know what's up and can prepare. But it still offers the graded challenge. Some may consider ”The Witching Hour” the true opening scenario, but I can't. It's too short and tantalizing. Proper decks, proper investigators, proper length, proper stage-setting—this is the real deal.
3. The Forgotten Age “The Untamed Wilds” – This is likely the most difficult scenario on the list. It fully generates the Indiana-Jones mood, a mood that sustains itself throughout the campaign. It likewise introduces the Explore mechanism (love it or hate it), Poison, and Vengeance. It lays the groundwork for the conflict of two NPCs that occurs throughout your jungle trek. And Yig. Oh ,Yig. You'll get to know him later. As a whole, it clearly informs players Prepare to get your ass kicked this campaign, and then kicks ass. If I were to imagine what setting off into the supernatural jungles of Central America would be like, this would be it.
2. The Innsmouth Conspiracy “The Pit of Despair” – I struggled to remember a couple of the openers on this list, and had to do a little research. Not this one. No backstory, no reason, no clue(s). You are just stuck in a hole flooding with water. Get out if you can. Imminent stuff. The urgency, the claustrophobia, the mystery—all those elements combine to make this one of the most impacting opening scenarios in Arkham Horror.
1. Path to Carcosa “Curtain Call” - This is a deceptively difficult scenario and one that does an excellent job getting players ready for the campaign, and eventually the boss. The scenario toys with the doom clock, letting players know the game's first principles are in play this campaign. It also generates a fundamental mystery, both in terms of story as well as personally—for players and the characters they are controlling. This ties wonderfully into the existential nature of the campaign, and is one of several reasons Path to Carcosa is the best campaign FFG has created to date.
For those wondering where The Feast of Hemlock Vale is, it does not have an opening scenario. There is a prelude that all players must go through, but it's not a proper scenario, or even something as simple or short as ”The Gathering”. Upon completing the prelude, players have the choice of starting with one of the six main scenarios. It doesn't feel in the spirit of the list to put those six on it.
And there it is. And it's a live page. As future campaigns are released, I will add them to the list as my chaos bag—ahem, as my robotically objective opinion determines.
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