Overview

Arkham Horror (2nd Edition) is a cooperative adventure game set in H.P. Lovecraft’s Arkham, 1926. Players are investigators working together to prevent Ancient Ones from awakening and destroying the world. Investigators explore locations, collect clues, seal gates to other dimensions, fight monsters, and build resources. If the Ancient One awakens, players must fight it in a final battle. The game combines dice-based skill tests with exploration and resource management.

Components

• 1 game board (map of Arkham)
• 16 investigator sheets with plastic stands
• 8 Ancient One sheets
• Hundreds of cards: Mythos, Gate, Location encounter, Other World encounter, Common Item, Unique Item, Spell, Skill, Ally
• Monster tokens, Gate tokens, Clue tokens, Doom tokens
• Stamina and Sanity tokens
• Money tokens
• Elder Sign tokens
• Dice (multiple d6)
• Terror track marker, First Player marker

Setup

1. Place the board. Select an Ancient One and place its sheet nearby.
2. Each player chooses an investigator, taking their sheet, starting items, and fixed/random possessions.
3. Set investigator skill sliders to starting positions.
4. Place initial clue tokens and gate tokens as indicated by setup cards.
5. Draw the initial Mythos card and resolve it.
6. Place monsters on the board as directed.

Turn Structure

Each round has 5 phases:

1. Upkeep Phase: Refresh exhausted cards, adjust skill sliders, perform upkeep effects.
2. Movement Phase: Each investigator moves (or stays). Movement points are determined by speed skill.
3. Arkham Encounters Phase: Investigators in Arkham locations draw and resolve encounter cards. Investigators at gates enter Other Worlds.
4. Other World Encounters Phase: Investigators in Other Worlds draw and resolve Other World encounters.
5. Mythos Phase: Draw a Mythos card – opens new gates, spawns monsters, moves monsters, places clue tokens, and may trigger special events.

Actions

During Movement:

• Move up to your speed value in connected spaces.
• If you enter a space with a monster, you must fight or evade it.

At Locations:

• Have an encounter (draw location card and resolve).
• Use special location abilities (e.g., shop for items, heal, gain skills).

Skill Tests:

• Roll dice equal to the relevant skill value plus modifiers.
• Each 5 or 6 is a success.
• Compare successes to the test difficulty.

Combat:

• Horror check first (test will to avoid sanity loss).
• Then fight: test combat skill vs monster’s combat rating. Successes deal damage; failures let the monster damage you.
• Alternative: Evade (test sneak vs monster’s awareness).

Sealing Gates:

• After returning from an Other World through a gate, you may attempt to close or seal it.
• Closing: make a lore or fight check.
• Sealing: spend 5 clue tokens to permanently seal the gate location (place Elder Sign).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Win Conditions:

• Seal 6 gates (Elder Signs on the board), OR
• Close all open gates when no gates remain, OR
• Defeat the Ancient One in final combat (if it awakens).

Lose Conditions:

• All investigators are eliminated (driven insane or killed).
• The Ancient One awakens and defeats all investigators in final combat.
• The terror track reaches 10 and the town is overrun.

Ancient One Awakens When:

• The doom track is full.
• Too many gates are open simultaneously.
• Too many monsters are on the board (monster limit exceeded).

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Skill Sliders: Investigators have paired skills on sliders (speed/sneak, fight/will, lore/luck). Adjusting one up moves the other down.
• Sanity and Stamina: Reaching 0 in either defeats the investigator (insane or unconscious). They lose items and wake up at the hospital or asylum.
• Monster Surge: When a gate opens at a location that already has a gate, a monster surge occurs (extra monsters appear).
• Terror Track: Increases when monsters overflow. At various thresholds, allies leave and the general store closes.
• Blessed/Cursed: Blessed investigators count 4-6 as successes; cursed count only 6.
• Clue Tokens: Spent to add dice to skill tests (1 clue = 1 extra die).
• Trophies: Monster and gate trophies can be spent at certain locations for rewards.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
1. Upkeep	Refresh, adjust sliders
2. Movement	Move up to speed value
3. Arkham Encounters	Location cards or enter gates
4. Other World	Other World encounter cards
5. Mythos	Gate + monster + event

Skill Test	Roll
Dice pool	Skill value + modifiers
Success	5 or 6 on each die
Clue tokens	+1 die each

Victory	Condition
Seal victory	6 Elder Signs
Gate victory	Close all gates, none remain
Combat victory	Defeat awakened Ancient One