After a day of travel, I was able to wake up this morning to a new country that I have never been to, Slovakia. It is going to be a quick trip, but it is nice to wake up this morning to look out the window of the place I am staying and see a completely different view. It also fills me with joy knowing that I can put aside work for a little while, and lose myself in a new town, Bratislava. I have nothing important on my plate except exploration, and I hope you join me these next few days as I look around to see what this town has to offer.
The ancient gods have laid dormant for thousands of years, and have almost fallen away to mythology. This has not stopped cultists, and depraved individuals from finding ways to bring them back. Because of this blind ambition, strange things have been happening around the small New England town of Arkham, and it is your job as an investigator to get to the bottom of the mystery. During your journey, you will be subjected to terrors long regulated to the darkest nightmares while battling ghouls, ghosts, and acolytes. It is a story that can only be told by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, and Fantasy Flight’s living card game, Arkham Horror, The Card Game.
Fantasy Flight has made a few living card games, but this has been one of the more popular ones since its release in 2016. You will need to core set to play the game, and it does come with a campaign of three scenarios, but there are plenty of other scenarios available to play with the most recent one scheduled to drop in May of 2024. Does this marketing tool allow for the game to never get old? Does the Lovecraftian theme shine through? Is it a great game to play with a group of people? Does it tell a great story?
These questions are the same ones that I asked myself before I took the dive into this game, and I am here to tell you what I found out when I took that plunge.
THEME
This game drips with atmosphere. When you play, you feel completely immersed into the world of H.P. Lovecraft. It tells an amazing story full of twists and turns that will have you guessing the whole time, and overcoming the strangest encounter that only the genius of horror could have concocted. It will leave you on the edge of the mythos, not giving you all of the details, but just enough to make you wonder more about what is going on. The stories are pretty linear, especially in the core set, that only allow you one path through. Still, like all great stories, they are ones that you want to revisit to see if you can be more successful the second or third time around. Also, if you find it a little too easy, there are ways to make the experience more difficult, thereby making the story just a little darker. When I play I like to turn the lights down low and add a couple of candles to add a little extra punch to the experience. It absolutely the strength of the game, and it is the reason I keep coming back to it.
Rating – 10
GAMEPLAY
I should have been worried when I opened up the box, and saw two rule books and a campaign book. Based on other Fantasy Flight games that I have played, I should have known that there would be an intricate dance to be played with the rules of this game. Considering it is a card game, I thought that the rules would be intuitive and I would be able to easily pick them up by reading what was on the cards. This was not the case. The first game I played was spent a lot of the time combing through both of the game books to figure out what I was supposed to do. It took away from the experience of the story that I was playing through, and made the game a little frustrating to play.
With that in mind, I am glad I stuck with it. Though the rules can be a little fiddly, once I was able to figure them out, it added even more to the experience of playing this game. There is a little bit of a deck building aspect to the game, and each character that you can chose to go through the story has different attributes to help you either go through it. Some of the cards are really powerful, and each player has weaknesses that add the problems that are encountered throughout the story. Dice are also not used, but there is a bag with a variety of chips in it that can change the difficulty of the game, depending on how much of a horror experience you would like to have. I also love the make-shift game board that is created by cards, and the little book that is created by the story cards. It makes for the perfect Lovecraft experience.
However, like a good Lovecraft story, do not expect things to go well for your characters. This game is hard to win any of the scenarios that come in the core box. There is an easy challenge to the game if you need to win, but even on the regular setting, it is a challenge. This just adds to the atmosphere of the game, and there are rules presented by the game that takes into account that you characters will either die or go insane. Still, it is set up to make for a great gameplay when you eventually get into the flow of the game.
Rating – 8
ARTWORK
Like all Fantasy Flight games, great care has been taken to create atmosphere through the artwork. There is an overall consistency that comes with the artwork that is presented on the cards. It allows you to immerse yourself into the 1920s and the fictional town of Arkham. Granted, none of these pieces that you find on the various cards and books would be something that I would like to frame and hang on a wall, but I can still see that time and thought went into each painting. It comes from a place of love not just for the game, but for the source material as well.Though I do not appreciate that the beasts, and monsters that are encountered during a session of the game are drawn out, not leaving much to the imagination, it still adds a lot to the game. This would not have been the way that H.P. Lovecraft would have presented these creatures of ancient lore. Instead, he would have hinted at their presence and would have let you come up with the idea that would terrify you the most. As soon as you see the creature, it is no longer frightening. I know that does not work the same for a game as it does for literature, still the creators of this game left just enough mystery in the story to allow the feeling of reading one of his stories to seep through the experience that you get to have with the game.
Rating – 9
INTERACTIVITY
Most of the time, I like to play games because it is a way to connect with people and create a shared experience. That is not why I bought this game. I knew that there was going to be a time when I would be by myself at my home, and I was looking for something that would scratch that board game itch while also still allowing me to play myself. After doing a lot of research, I found out that this was always mentioned as one of the best solo board games out there. I thought that this would be the perfect one to pick up for myself. After playing it a few times by myself, I was starting to understand why people thought this way. It is like nestling up with a good horror story and watching it unfold in front of you while still having some choice in the overall ending of the story.
Still, the game is marketed as a game of one to four players. I was able to pull it out a couple of times to see how it plays with these higher player counts, and the problems with the rules start to surface even though I tried to explain all of the rules before we got started. There is a lot of different rules in this game, and the struggle I had during my first couple of plays was also there when I played with friends. We spent more time combing through the rule book rather than enjoying the story that was playing out in front of us. Still, after we got a hang of the game, the fun I was having while playing solo was able to be achieved with a group. It add a little bit more mystery to the game because I did not know what the other players were going to do when it was their turn, and the surprise of seeing cards being played that I had never seen before. The small decks that each player makes for the perfect environment for cooperative play. We were really able to talk through things to come up with the best course of action, and nobody ever ended up quarterbacking the game.
Still, like most cooperative games, I do think this game plays better solo even though this is one of the better cooperative games that I have come across.
Rating – 8
EXPANSIONS
As of the writing of this article, there are nine campaigns out there to expand this game as well as many stand alone scenarios. Each campaign opens up a new story with dark twists and turns, and new game mechanics designed for each terrifying tale. Some of the campaigns come with new investigators that you can add to the mix with older campaigns to add some twists to stories you might already be familiar with. They can cost just as much as the base set, and it is required to have the base set in order to play these other campaigns. At first, you had to be each scenario separately, but Fantasy Flight has since gathered up the stories that work together and put them in a single box, making it easier to collect a complete campaign.
Even with the ease that Fantasy Flight has made to experience another story in the realm of H.P. Lovecraft, there are two complaints that I believe I need to address at this time. The first being the cost. Each expansion is like going out and repurchasing the game. Though some of the expansions have great re-playability, it is sometimes hard to justify buying another expansion just so I can play the game again.
The other problem I have with the expansions is the packaging. I do believe that Fantasy Flight is in the process of fixing this problem by putting the expansions in smaller boxes, but there are some boxes out there that only a third of the space is used for the expansion. This seems like a little bit of overkill.
Despite these two flaws, the expansions are still a lot of fun to play. They always breathe new life into the game, and make it worth playing again.
Rating – 9
OVERALL
Arkham Horror, the Card Game is a great atmospheric game especially for those who enjoy the stories created by H.P. Lovecraft. It places you right in the middle of his universe, and you get to feel all of the horror and confusion that his tales created. The artwork helps to add to the atmosphere, and each scenario is fun to return to. I prefer playing by myself, but it is still fun with a group of people. Despite the rules being hard to understand the first time around, once you are able to figure them out, it makes for an enjoyable game experience. This is easily one of my favorite games, and I hope they continue to add content to it so I can find new ways to enjoy it.
I know that security can be tight, And you are trying to protect the land. Don’t fret about me putting up a fight, But I think this is getting out of hand. You may not know of this brand called SweeTarts, But that does not mean they are illegal. You can find similar kinds in these parts; It is not something worthy to smuggle. Maybe, I should not have opened the box, For it makes it a little suspicious, But should I look down the sight of your glocks Because the pills mixed in are malicious. I thought that the plan would be worth a shot, And I never thought that I would get caught.
It was only yesterday I touched down To a room full of family and hugs. I could discourage the traveling frown By leaning into where my heartstring tugs. But responsibility tells its tale, Reminding me that this has to be brief. I am given enough time to exhale To enjoy this short moment of relief. I have to go and get my bag repacked Because there is a flight calling my name. My job could threaten me by being sacked; I’ll continue to play its silly game. I hope you are happy that I have been, But this trip has been there and back again.
Do not ask for why tears drip from the pines; It is an icy expression of joy. Between the broken storm clouds, the sun shines An afternoon beam upon a girl and boy, Melting the snow gathered upon the boughs. A crowded street of umbrella applause, From the winter, the sun did arouse, Giving the crying tress their special cause. We gathered together to bear witness Of written whispered vows being exchanged. The umbrellas and tree leaned in to bless The monumental moment being staged. Silence surveyed in anticipation To hear, “I do” said in repetition.
First of all, I would like to thank Bilbo Baggins for the title of this post. I had not been thinking much about his story over the last weekend, but these words rang in my head many times during this voyage. Most of the time, I would not recommend making such a quick trip where you fly half way across the world, spend a couple of days in your destination, and then hop back on a flight to make it back home. Add on top of this some inclement weather and it makes for one crazy trip.
But why would I even attempt to make such a trip. There could be no reason why I would mess up my mind by subjecting myself to the trials of jet lag while risking lost luggage, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, and the headache of spending just a short amount of time at a location. Yes, it had to be something worth the voyage to put all of this on the line. But it came down to the next generation of my family starting the marriage tradition which I am sure will continue on for the next decade or so. It was a moment to witness a great event while reconnecting with my family during a joyous celebration. I waffled a few times if I should go or not, but in the end, I am glad that I had made that choice.
There were many times along the way where I felt exhausted. I did lose my luggage along the way, and got rerouted through Las Vegas, adding another leg to an already long day of travel. There were many times where I needed to change plans and buy clothes so I did not look like a slob at the reception, but it just added to the adventure of this weekend. I probably spent more time on planes, and in cars than I did on the ground, hanging out with people. But the time that I did get to spend with those people was worth it.
After all of it is said and done, I am glad to make it back to the place that I call home. I was not gone long enough to really miss the people that I love, but I am still glad to be able to see them again. It was the time that I spent with the rest of my family that allowed that other hole to be filled. The quickness of the trip and the amount of stories that I accumulated along the way made me feel like I was on an epic adventure like Bilbo. So I guess that it was that connections that made me always have the title of his book in his mind as I took this trip. It was really a great experience, and I would do it all over again because even though the payout was just a small part of the adventure, it was one of the greatest I have experienced in recent years.
It seems to start earlier every year. Two young people in love find that it is time to take that love to the next level by getting married. This used to be reserved for the summer months with most of the weddings taking place in June. But with the limited space, and resources for this event, ceremonies have creeped on either side of the summer months. It is also no longer regulated to Saturdays, and Sundays. People can be found getting married on Fridays now to the background of a snowy scene. It is the whole reason that I traveled half-way around the world at the start of Spring Break, so I could go and see my niece get married.
In my younger days, I ran a mobile dj company, and spent a lot of my weekends, during the summer months, driving around to various spots in Colorado to play music at various weddings. It got to the point where I knew all of the dance hits by heart, and I had seen everything that could possibly happen at a wedding. It became a cliche to me, and like a lot of people who turn what they love into their profession, I began to get a little jaded about the industry. It amazed me at the amount of money people spent for these ceremonies, and I wondered if they were going overboard a little bit. At the same time, I was witnessing it from the perspective of someone who worked the events and not got to sit back and enjoy them.
It has only been recently that I have gotten to change my perspective on weddings. In the industry, there was talk that on average a person would attend one wedding a year. As a dj, we talked about how we would get sick of certain songs because we knew we were going to have to play them, sometimes, two or three times every weekend. Just because I was sick of hearing “The Electric Boogie” did not mean that the people at the wedding had heard it recently. In fact, it might be the only time they hear it all year long. It was my job to smile and pretend that I was enjoying the choreographed dance that was happening on the dance floor.
Now being one of those people that get to see a wedding once a year, these moments take on a different tone. The bride looked stunning as she made her way down the aisle. I didn’t need to run around the building making sure that everything was in place, and things were happening in a timely manner. Now, I could enjoy my meal, and laugh with the people, enjoy a dance to a song I had not heard in a long while, and make the memories that weddings are supposed to be. It has been a little bit of a challenge to hop halfway across the world to go to this event, but I am glad that I did. It has been great seeing my family again, and participating in this joyous moment.
I don’t even mind that it happened earlier than usual. The snow that caused so many headaches for people to make it to the event, turned into a beautiful backdrop for the wedding. It helped to create memories that people will talk about for years to come, and something the happy couple can tell their kids when they ask about the day they got married. I don’t know when I will get to experience an event like this again, but they are something that I will look forward to just I had like this time.
So congratulations to the happy couple, and thank you for allowing me to see an event from a different perspective. It was truly a great wedding.
International travel is a challenge to begin with, but if you add a blizzard to the final destination that causes all airports to be delayed over the world, it adds another layer to the experience. My recent trip to Denver was one of these experiences. It just meant an added leg to the journey, and the joys of trying to hunt down a lost bag.
I know that it may not look like it at times during the journey, but I am glad that I was able to eventually make it to my final destination, and only four hours behind the original time. For that, I am impressed by the airlines’ ability to work together, and come up with quick solutions to make this happen for so many people. In the end, it is still a slog, and when I finally made it to my hotel last night, I was a barely functioning human being who needed a shower and soft bed.
There were many times on this voyage where I did not think it was going to happen, and I kept thinking of alternative solutions of how to get where I was going within the time that I needed to make it happen. Navigating airports to find the people that you need is not always easy. My first understanding that things were not going the way I was hoping they would came when I landed in Frankfurt. A text appeared on my phone saying that I had been rebooked on a different flight, and I needed to talk to people at the Lufthansa counter to get my new tickets. For those who have been in the Frankfurt airport, you will know that this sprawling building is hard to navigate to begin with, but to find a certain small counter tucked away in one of its corners is even more difficult. I found a couple that were not being manned at the time I arrived, but eventually I found the one I needed.
They were able to get me on a couple new flights that diverted my more direct route, and get me to snowy Colorado. It was not what I wanted to do, but I was glad that I was able to make it. I had to keep telling myself during the whole journey that this was an adventure and I just needed to go along for the ride. If I let things get to me then it would have been a miserable experience, but because of my attitude, it turned out to be a mild inconvenience. In reality, I have been lucky with all of the travels that I have had, and it has only been this trip that has had problems with it. This was bound to happen at some time, and I should not be surprised that it happened during a blizzard. So I will not let this discourage me from traveling again.
So until next time, adventure is out there, and will come in some of the most unexpected places, so get out there and enjoy it.
I’ve worked my life for this opening day, So I can show off my abilities In cooking. Now I will ask if you may Come and enjoy my Thai delicacies. It’s not the typical fare you’d find here Among the old brick buildings and beer halls. It’s a departure from the normal cheer; I’m glad you’ve heard its tantalizing calls. I have added a little German flare For that is the place that I call my home. The combination is not all that rare; Instead, it creates a comforting poem. You will always be my first customer Of this lifelong wish of an endeavor.
Though the road may be a little bumpy And the wheels on the cart don’t have much give, I’ll try to make the ride not so jumpy. The turning is also not responsive, So we’re going to have to take it slow, Giving us enjoyment of scenery That we usually ignore as we go Because we believe trips should be busy. Though we won’t be able to see as much, What we will see we will really take in. It gives vacation a different touch When the small moments are what we’re makin’. Don’t fret about the trip in a wheelchair For we got to see what was really there.
John Collings 