Ultimate Guide to Arkham Horror Board Games and Expansions

The Arkham Horror series offers a vast array of board games, each delivering unique thrills. With so many options, we’ve split this guide into two parts. Here, we focus on the board game families. For details on the deck-building card games, check out our Arkham Horror: The Card Game Guide.

Arkham Horror is a celebrated franchise of cooperative horror board games. Players team up for missions requiring strategic communication to succeed. Each game offers multiple paths based on chosen roles, expansions, and campaigns, making them ideal for solo play or group sessions lasting over an hour.

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Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

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Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

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Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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Elder Sign

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Elder Sign: The Gates of Arkham Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh Expansion

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Elder Sign: Unseen Forces Expansion

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Elder Sign: Grave Consequences

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Elder Sign: Omens of Ice

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep

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Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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Unfathomable

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Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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Eldritch Horror

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Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Under the Pyramids Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Strange Remnants Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Signs of Carcosa Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin Expansion

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Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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Prefer to dive straight into the games and expansions? Browse the catalog above. For a deeper look at how these titles connect within the Arkham Horror universe, continue reading below.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game

Arkham Horror (3rd Edition)

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MSRP: $65.95 USDPlayers: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Arkham Horror is a cooperative board game where players unite to battle eerie threats. Choose from six investigators to unravel mysteries and defeat monstrous creatures. With multiple campaigns and a significant luck element—dice rolls determine success against objectives and bosses—the game offers high replayability.

Be prepared: this game is challenging. Setup and teaching take time, and sessions can stretch over hours or end quickly if luck falters. If a player falls in a smaller group, you can pick a new investigator, but you’ll restart without prior progress. My first group attempt on the easiest campaign was a spectacular failure, and solo play proved equally tough. Victory, when achieved, is a thrilling group triumph.

Arkham Horror: The Board Game Expansions

Three expansions enhance Arkham Horror: The Board Game, each adding new layers to the core experience.

Arkham Horror: Under the Dark Waves Expansion

Arkham Horror: Under Dark Waves Expansion

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MSRP: $59.99 USDPlayers: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Under the Dark Waves, the largest expansion, explores terrors beneath the sea. It introduces eight new investigators and four gripping scenarios, shifting the adventure from Arkham’s streets to oceanic depths.

Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order Expansion

Arkham Horror: Secrets of The Order Expansion

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MSRP: $44.99 USDPlayers: 1-6 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

This mid-sized expansion adds three new scenarios and three investigators. It opens French Hill, a new neighborhood filled with ghosts and monsters, turning your adventure into a haunting exploration.

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

Arkham Horror: The Dead of Night Expansion

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MSRP: $32.99 USDPlayers: 1-4Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

The Dead of Night, a compact expansion, offers two new scenarios and four investigators at a budget-friendly price, perfect for tackling nocturnal horrors.

Other Arkham Horror Board Games

Several standalone board games exist within the Arkham universe, independent of the core Arkham Horror game. These titles deliver unique adventures with familiar characters, and some include their own expansions.

Elder Sign

Elder Sign

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MSRP: $39.99 USDPlayers: 1-8 Playtime: 1-2 hoursAges: 14+

Elder Sign, an early Arkham Files game, is a dice-driven adventure for one to eight players. Its accessible mechanics make it the most beginner-friendly in the series. Players roll dice based on their investigator’s stats to battle monsters, gather clues, and solve mysteries before time runs out.

Elder Sign Expansions

Elder Sign: The Gates of Arkham Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh Expansion

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Elder Sign: Unseen Forces Expansion

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Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep

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Elder Sign: Grave Consequences

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Elder Sign: Omens of Ice

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Elder Sign boasts six expansions: Unseen Forces, Gates of Arkham, Omens of Ice, Grave Consequences, Omens of the Deep, and Omens of the Pharaoh. Grave Consequences is a standalone deck, playable with or without the core game. The latest expansion launched in 2018, with no new releases confirmed.

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition)

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MSRP: $109.95 USDPlayers: 1-5Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition) is an app-guided dungeon crawler set in the same universe as Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign. Playable with one to five players, the app streamlines setup, narrative, and gameplay. Pausing is easy, though you’ll need to photograph the board to resume physical piece placement later.

Mansions of Madness Expansions

Two cooperative, app-guided expansions enhance Mansions of Madness.

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

Mansions of Madness: Path of The Serpent Expansion

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MSRP: $69.99 USDPlayers: 1-5 Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Path of The Serpent plunges players into a jungle filled with serpents and Lovecraftian terrors. It requires the base game and uses the app for guidance.

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

Mansions of Madness: Beyond the Threshold Expansion

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MSRP: $39.19 USDPlayers: 1-5Playtime: 2-3 hoursAges: 14+

Beyond the Threshold, a more affordable expansion, introduces two investigators, two scenarios, and a new insanity mechanic, making it an accessible addition.

Unfathomable

Unfathomable

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MSRP: $64.99 USDPlayers: 3-6Playtime: 2-4 hoursAges: 14+

Unfathomable casts players on a monster-filled ship, best for five or six players. Its social deduction element, where a hidden traitor lurks, evokes Battlestar Galactica in a Lovecraftian setting. Sessions, lasting hours, blend survival and betrayal, making it a polarizing yet immersive experience.

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

Unfathomable: From the Abyss Expansion

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This expansion adds prelude cards for varied setups, three new horrors (Shoggoth, Drowned Spirit, Grasping Tendril), plus new skills, items, and boons.

Eldritch Horror

Eldritch Horror

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MSRP: $59.95 USDPlayers: 1-4Playtime: 1-3 hoursAges: 14+

Eldritch Horror offers a global adventure, contrasting Arkham Horror’s city focus. Players cooperate worldwide, with simpler rules and faster setups, making it more approachable for newcomers. Released in 2013, it emphasizes strategy and puzzle-solving.

Eldritch Horror Expansions

Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Under the Pyramids Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Masks of Nyarlathotep Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: The Dreamlands Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Forsaken Lore Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Strange Remnants Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Signs of Carcosa Expansion

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Eldritch Horror: Cities in Ruin Expansion

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Eldritch Horror features eight expansions: Forsaken Lore, Mountains of Madness, Strange Remnants, Under the Pyramids, Signs of Carcosa, The Dreamlands, Cities in Ruin, and Masks of Nyarlathotep, each enriching the global adventure.

Other Ways to Play

Beyond traditional board games, the Arkham universe offers online play and a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG).

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game

Launched in 2024, the Arkham Horror TTRPG includes a starter set and core rulebook. Start with the accessible set before diving into the rulebook for deeper adventures.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying Game - Hungering Abyss Starter Set

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MSRP: $34.99 USDPlayers: 2-4 Playtime: 1-3 hoursAges: 14+

The Hungering Abyss Starter Set is beginner-friendly, offering a sample campaign that doesn’t require an experienced Game Master.

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

Arkham Horror: The Roleplaying - Game Core Rulebook

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MSRP: $49.99 USDPlayers: 2-6 Playtime: 1-3 hoursAges: 14+

After mastering the starter set, the Core Rulebook unlocks new TTRPG adventures in the Arkham Horror universe.

Video Game Versions

Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace, a 2021 single-player digital game on Steam and Switch ($19.99), mirrors Mansions of Madness. Mixed reviews, including IGN’s 5/10 for weak storytelling, note its solo-only limitation.

Elder Sign: Omens, a 2011 digital version on Steam and mobile ($5.99), enjoys positive feedback for its affordability and engaging dice-rolling mechanics.

The Bottom Line

For Lovecraftian horror fans, Arkham Horror delivers thrilling experiences, playable solo or with friends. Each game offers distinct adventures, but their complexity and luck-driven mechanics can challenge newcomers. Setup and learning curves are steep, though card games are simpler than board games.