Fantasy Flight Elder Sign Board Game

Although I've always been a big gaming fan I only recently started getting into the hobby seriously, after taking some time to read several reviews I decided to make Elder Sign one of the first additions to my collection - and I'm so glad I did. Initially I was interested in Arkham Horror because I really love the theme of the game but its so huge and detailed I wanted something a bit lighter that still had the feel and atmosphere that Arkham brings, which is where Elder Sign steps in. This is set in the same Lovecraft universe as Arkham but takes that rich theme and condenses it into a 60 to 90 minute gaming experience instead of the colossal 240+ minute marathon that Arkham delivers. So obviously this makes Elder Sign a much less intimidating game for somebody who is just getting started in gaming but wants a taste of that dark horror/sci-fi vibe, also at a much lower cost. Just in case you don't already know in Elder Sign you and the other players work together as a group of 1920's pulp investigators making your way around an old museum and completing adventures in the many different areas of the building in a collective effort to stop one of the ancient evil gods from entering our world and basically destroying everything. Overall for me this game ticks so many boxes, firstly it sets up quickly and the various cards and components are all beautifully made with great artwork. Secondly its easy to learn and teach which makes it perfect to pick up and play in a fairly short space of time. Thirdly it plays at a good speed and doesn't ever feel boring, thanks to the fast paced dice rolling nature of the game it gets really exciting at times. And finally the whole thing is dripping with that great Lovecraftian theme, everything from the monsters and investigators right down to the items you collect - it's very satisfying going into a creepy old museum armed with The Necronomicon and a tommy gun. So if you're interested in Arkham or Eldritch Horror but like me you want something more accessible then have a look at Elder Sign. Also even if you have no interest in these other games but want a fun cooperative game that plays quickly and has a solid theme then definitely pick this up.

This has quickly become a favourite in the house thanks to its easy to learn rules and quick set up. The basic premise is that you are a group of adventurers and experts in the occult rushing around Miskatonic University trying to gather enough Elder Signs to seal the dark lord Cthulhu or one of the other Old Ones before they wake from their ancient slumber and cause a nuisance. For Lovecraft fans everything will be instantly familiar. For those new to the world, each card and token comes with a brief but atmospheric bit of text that I like to read out in an old and creaky sounding voice. During initial setup you will lay down six adventure cards. These are rooms and events around the University that you must complete to earn rewards. The rewards will most commonly be magical or mundane items to help you clear further adventures but your main goal is to pick up Elder Signs from these cards which you will need a certain amount of to seal the current Old One you are facing off against. Fail these adventures and you will suffer the penalties which will most often reduce the players health or sanity, the two factors that keep each investigator alive. However they may also add Doom to a counter. Accumulate too much Doom and the Old One will wake up and you will be pushed into one last ditch effort to defeat the Old One as they wrack your body and mind with their ancient evil. To resolve these adventures you will have to roll six dice. Each adventure card has a number of results you must roll. Meet the requirements with a roll and solve that portion of the card. Fail and you must discard a dice and try again. When you run out of dice you fail the adventure and suffer the penalties. There are items and mechanics within the game that can help you make this easier or harder. Like items that let you use extra dice or monsters that will lock a die until you defeat them. It adds a nice layer of strategy to what could have been a frustrating reliance on the luck of the roll. The game is not perfect of course. It can be a bit too easy sometimes as the game really stacks the odds in your favour. Especially if you are choosing your own investigator at the start of the game, since certain combinations make you almost unstoppable. After a couple of games though it should be easy enough to tweak the experience slightly to add an extra challenge if you think it needs it.

If you’re a fan of the cosmic horror genre looking for a fun, quick-to-set-up, moderate-length game with excellent replayability & extra options in the form of two decent, mechanics enriching expansions then this should hit the spot, center target. The game play is what I like to describe as “complex farkle” - for those familiar with that classic dice rolling game - in the sense that your main action to complete quests or challenges, defeat enemies, etc. involves rolling specialized dice in an attempt to acquire the right symbols (etched on the dice faces) in the right combinations & amounts, with game mechanics that allow you to store or “bank” certain rolls & re-roll misses. This all happens against the back drop of earthly locations with attached quests goals - represented by cards arrayed in a grid- and where monsters may spawn to increase the challenge at that locale. Additionally, cosmic locations - so called “other worlds” - are also flory introduced & present their own challenges & rewards. All of this is, of course, leading up to either the summoning of an elder god or the heroes prevention of the summoning ritual … or their deaths. The base game has a satisfying roster of ancient ones to choose among, and additional options for increasing the difficulty of challenging them in replay. The two expansions (which I also purchased) add to this roster, as well as introducing new mechanics, new locations, monsters, etc. This is a game that’s perfect for one of those game nights where you want a decent challenge, but also want to maybe have some “hang time” & maybe casually play things out while eating, laughing, & talking. In other words, it’s not going to be the kind of all nighter or beat-over-three-days type of session, but a good tone will be had & you’ll be able to enjoy another game if you’d like or plan other activities without feeling like you missed out on any one kind of thing that evening, if you get my drift. Highly recommended :-)

If you are a Lovecraft freak and love to get all Eldritch with your chosen clan of fellow freaks, then you already know that this has a place on your game shelf!! Arkham Horror-Eldritch Horror- Mansions of Madness-and Elder Sign, there’s really not much more I need to say, love Lovecraft and board games,!?, get yourself a copy and start following the Elder Signs, you won’t stay sane so you will not regret it…

Had a great time playing this with a like-minded sister of mine. The faces of the dice are well thought out and the general rules don't over-push the Lovecraftian theme, but has the artwork and mood down pat! We frequently found ourselves discussing what our next room of attack would be, weighing the odds as to whether our characters may just have the ability to clear the room. Now that my sister is back home with here family, I'll be playing it single player for awhile...

Being an avid fan of Arkham Horror, I got this game to see how it compared. I love the setting and this game didn't disappoint. For anyone who has played Arkham Horror, Elder Sign is a much "lighter" version of that game. For those that haven't, Elder Sign is a great introduction to the setting! TLDR Version: Coopertive Game No Board Cards and Dice, dice pools with match and discard mechanics to achieve success. Items and abilities allow you to modify this pool by granting more, re-rolling, or gaining "special" dice with higher probabilities. Great Art, High Quality pieces, tokens, and cards. Fun, Quick, supports up to 8 players. Simple rules, small learning curve. For fans of Arkham Horror: It's Arkham Horror "light" confined to a museum. Details: The game is board-less, making it good for gaming areas that are smaller, compared to Arkham Horror which takes the entirety of a moderately sized dining table. The game pieces are high quality, as expected from Fantasy Flight Games, and the cards are durable. I especially like the Adventure cards that are Tarot card sized instead of playing card sized, much better. The art is fantastic and the feel is very similar to Arkham Horror. The game plays like a story unfolding as a group of investigators work together to stop an ancient evil from awakening within the confines of a museum. A variety of Ancient Ones and Investigators with different abilities lends a lot of replay value. The central mechanic is the dice pool where you roll dice to achieve certain outcomes to succeed at "adventures" and gain rewards. Most coveted is the Elder Sign which will help the players win the game. Each Ancient One can be sealed away by obtaining a certain number, if the Doom Track reaches full before that time then he awakens and the group is offered one last attempt to fight him back in a "nearly hopeless" battle. (Manual's words) The writing and content is great, looking forward to the Expansion rumoured to come out in May 2013!

Nice dice chucking game. Can be quite easy. The expansion will make it harder.