Vacationing in Arkham, MA

February 1st, 2008

During the holiday season, I received quite a few wonderful games—computer games I’d been longing to try, some roleplaying game books, and several board games. I’ve been enjoying all of them between rehearsals and daddy-daughter time, but Arkham Horror has take my breath away.

I did not know such games could exist!

It is the first board game I’ve ever played with roleplaying elements that actually feels a little bit like a real roleplaying game. Oh, you can only choose from a few characters, and their statistics are relatively simple. But the characters are vivid (in part thanks to being stereotypes).

And the game itself is a marvelous GM. Since the game is purely cooperative, all the threat and challenge must come from the mechanics.

And these mechanics tell a story. The plot is simple enough, but with a bunch of different primary enemies to choose from and a big enough cast, the possible variations are staggering. With players who are willing to act a bit silly, a bit of in-character interaction can even emerge.

And then there’s the random element. It’s done exquisitely. The things that ought to be random are; other choices are left entirely to the player. For instance, unlike that gadfly Talisman (from which, no doubt, Arkham Horror acquired some of its genes, you can move in any direction the geography allows. Do you want to go shopping? No need to roll 1d6 and jiggle back and forth, back and forth around the one location where shopping is possible. Rather, dodging crazed cultists and swopping airborne monsters, you move to the shop of your choice.

I’ve played the game solo a few times. It supports anywhere from one to eight players. It scales fairly well, as the number of players determines the difficulty of certain challenges. A solo game is harder than one with several players, but that’s not all bad.

Because in this game, it’s just as fun to lose as to win. This is a Lovecraftian game after all (yes, it is contaminated with the impurities to pure Lovecraftian horror that August Derleth introduced, but while that may water down the bleak Lovecraft cosmology, it makes for a more colorful game). In the end, one should expect to lose about as often as one wins.

Losses are a downer. RPG players are used to “winning,” and my RPG friends who’ve played the game with me seem a bit resentful when the tide turns against them. (Maybe that means I’m too gentle a GM?)

Still, when the big evil monster shows up and starts the final fight (if things get to that stage), it’s immensely satisfying to beat the enemy down even as one or two players are “devoured.”

In truth, I think we’ve won a bit too often. After a successful game (and they’re usually close calls), I review the rules and often find some tidbit that would have resulted in our early demise. The rules really are a bit complicated. I’ve found it helpful to keep the official FAQ on hand, and to use most of the house rules the designer originally proposed.

I’m eager to try the game with the expansions. I received The King In Yellow expansion during the holidays, but as we’ve been enjoying the core game, we haven’t quite seen the need to add it to play yet. Still, I think the next time we play, we’ll be shuffling in the new cards to see just what surprises they hold.

Who would have thought a visit to the cursed town of Arkham, MA, could be so pleasant?

Entry Filed under: Board Games, Roleplaying