Arkham Horror Is Now A Tabletop RPG, And The Starter Set Is Surprisingly Cheap

Arkham Horror has already excelled in the world of board and card games thanks to its Lovecraftian landscape, wonderfully balanced cooperative campaigns, a wide array of challenges to tackle strategically, and compelling storylines filled with memorable characters. Arkham Horror has now turned its haunted gaze to the world of tabletop RPGs, as Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game is now available on store shelves. One notable aspect of this release: It's much cheaper than many other tabletop RPG core sets.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

$35

The Hungering Abyss Starter Set is all you need to begin crafting your own adventures. It's built for up to five players and one game master, and it'll teach both TTRPG newcomers and veterans how to play the game and master its "Dynamic Pool System," which drives much of the action and is at the center of its approach to replayability. Included in the box you'll find a campaign, five character portfolios, 24 dice, a variety of tokens, three double-sided maps, and all the other accessories you need to complete your quest.

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Like most TTRPGs, each campaign in Arkham Horror requires a considerable time investment. But if you already play the Arkham Horror board game, which generally takes two to three hours to complete, you're probably used to lengthy sessions. The difference here is you almost certainly won't finish a run in one marathon session. The game is broken up into 10 scenes that take around an hour each. It's designed for 10 sessions, but current Arkham Horror players will probably have no issue playing a few scenes in one sitting.

Most of the story will be unraveled as you play and is dictated by the game master and your team's choices, but it starts with a mysterious force entering the city of Arkham. You and your team must figure out what it wants and put a stop to it before it destroys the entire world. No pressure.

If you've played the stellar Arkham Horror board or card games, this sounds like a cool way to spend time in this world from a new angle. It's far too early to say if the tabletop RPG will reach similar heights as the other games in the series--and the best tabletop games evolve over time with differentiated expansions and campaigns to keep things fresh--the Dynamic Pool System sounds like it could keep Hungering Abyss engaging for numerous campaigns.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the franchise or TTRPGs, which makes it an affordable and approachable introduction to the TTRPG genre for horror fans.

If you're interested in adding more Arkham Horror content to your game night, you've got no shortage of options. The Arkham Horror: Board Game is on sale for $64 (was $80), making this a good time to add it to your collection. The Arkham Horror: Card Game is also on sale for 20% off, and it's an even better option in terms of overall content, as you'll find tons of expansion packs that shake up the game's core formula.

Here's a look at some of your expansion options for the board game, card game, and Eldritch Horror, a strategy board game that will appeal to fans of Arkham Horror and is also inspired by Lovecraft. Speaking of Lovecraft, fans should check out the gorgeous new editions of the manga adapted from some of Lovecraft's most popular work.

Arkham Horror: Board Game

• Arkham Horror: Board Game -- $64 ($80)
• The Dead of Night Expansion -- $28 ($33)
• Under Dark Waves Expansion -- $43 ($60)
• Secrets of the Order Expansion -- $33 ($39)

Arkham Horror: Card Game

• Arkham Horror: Card Game (Revised Core Set) -- $48 ($60)
• Arkham Horror: Card Game -- $20
• The Dunwich Legacy Campaign Expansion -- $61 ($70)
• The Dunwich Legacy Investigator Expansion -- $33 ($45)
• The Path to Carcosa Campaign Expansion -- $48 ($70)
• The Path to Carcosa Investigator Expansion -- $38
• The Feast of Hemlock Vale Campaign Expansion -- $55 ($70)
• The Feast of Hemlock Vale Investigator Expansion -- $41 ($45)
• The Forgotten Age Campaign Expansion -- $65 ($70)
• The Forgotten Age Investigator Expansion -- $42
• The Circle Undone Campaign Expansion -- $47 ($70)
• The Circle Undone Investigator Expansion -- $45
• The Dream-Eaters Investigator Expansion -- $40 ($45)
• The Dream-Eaters Campaign Expansion -- $70
• The Scarlet Keys Investigator Expansion -- $50
• The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion -- $50

Eldritch Horror

• Eldritch Horror: Board Game -- $56
• Forsaken Lore Expansion -- $21 ($28)
• Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion -- $40 ($55)
• Mountains of Madness Expansion -- $38 ($50)
• The Dreamlands Expansion -- $45 ($55)
• Cities in Ruin Expansion -- $26 ($28)
• Under the Pyramids Expansion -- $50 ($55)
• Strange Remnants (Expansion -- $34
• Signs of Carcosa Expansion -- $27