Review: Arkham Horror RPG

Review: Arkham Horror RPG

What better way to start our new blog than by reviewing a new game? The Arkham Horror RPG Starter Set has arrived; continue reading for some first impressions! (No spoilers!)

The Arkham Horror RPG Starter Set by EDGE Studio builds upon the rich and expanding lore of the “Arkham Horror Files” by Fantasy Flight, which itself is inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, along with some licenses from Chaosium. (The connection to Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu RPG will be explored in more detail in a later blog post).

Set in the fictional city of Arkham, Massachusetts, during the 1920s, this Starter Set serves as an introduction to the full RPG, which will be released as Arkham Horror: Core Rules later this fall.

Having preordered the starter set, I received it before its official launch today (August 2) and its first demo at GenCon 2024. As you can see from these unboxing pictures, you get a lot for its retail price of USD 34.99 (links below to the full package and information from the publisher).

arkham_rpg_image_1
arkham_rpg_image_2

The Starter Set differs from the forthcoming Core Rulebook in that it is tailored to newcomers to the genre, featuring pre-made characters, maps, clues, puzzles, tokens, and more. This is not a rulebook; it’s a one-time-use scenario with included rules on how to play the game.

As a one-time scenario, you cannot replay this starter set with the same group, as they will already know the clues and puzzles. However, as an introduction to role-playing games, I haven't seen a better execution than this, and I am confident most players will be eager for more.

For fans of Fantasy Flight’s other titles, such as Arkham Horror: The Board Game, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, and Elder Sign, the Arkham Horror RPG Starter Set is instantly recognizable. The names, monsters, items, and places are familiar from other games in the franchise.

This starter set also makes it easy for newcomers to step into the role of Game Master. Written in an easy-to-learn and play-as-you-go style, the rules are integrated into the scenario as needed, making it simple for new Game Masters to understand how a tabletop RPG works. The use of pre-made characters, tokens, maps, and cards also facilitates the transition from board game to tabletop role-playing game. In fact, this starter set is more of a blend between a board game and a tabletop RPG than either alone.

As an experienced Game Master, I read through the whole set at the first opportunity, then invited some of my board game friends over to play. I intentionally selected two non-tabletop players and one experienced player to get different perspectives. Spoiler alert: They all loved it.

arkham_rpg_image_3

For my board game friends new to role-playing games, the Starter Set was a fascinating experience. They quickly understood most of the mechanics, a side effect of playing lots of board games, but the role-playing aspect was new to them. It was a liberating experience! (“What, I can do that?!”).

I believe this crossover between the two genres, as represented by this starter set, is an excellent way to introduce more people to the hobby. It is also a great way for EDGE Studio to prepare players for the forthcoming Arkham Horror RPG Core Rulebook.

A few words on the system: The Arkham Horror RPG Starter Set introduces the Dynamic Pool System, which is a very easy, intuitive, yet rich system using only D6s. Each character has a pool of dice, a Dynamic Pool, from which they spend dice to perform actions. Damage and other threats may reduce the total number of dice, and you might have to replace a normal die with a Horror Die, but essentially it works like this:

Each character has ten skills, rated between 2+ (best) and 6+ (worst). When attempting an action with a reasonable chance of failure (like making an attack, reading an ancient tome, disengaging, etc.), you roll as many dice as you like. If at least one die meets or exceeds the relevant skill value for the task, you succeed. It’s easy and elegant.

arkham_rpg_image_4

Advantages and disadvantages also play a role, as do the aforementioned Horror Dice. You do not want to spend all your dice too quickly, although you get your full pool of dice back between turns. Should you run out of dice, you need to strain yourself, an action that restores your dice but also leaves you injured. Injuries will gradually wear you down, eventually killing you. The effects of physical damage and Horror Damage creating traumas are hidden behind the included Game Master's screen.

I won’t go into detail about how our game went to avoid spoilers, but I will say that the game is divided into several scenes, and my players have just finished Scene 2. They are already hooked. They have role-played, fought, solved physical puzzles, and compared clues, and they are ready for more!

In summary, the Arkham Horror RPG Starter Set is an excellent entry point into tabletop role-playing games. Its guided progress, both in story and rule set, makes it a breeze for new players and Game Masters alike. This “teaser” is bound to create hype and expectations for the full Core Rulebook later this fall. I am ready for another preorder!

- Jarle Haktorson

Arkham Horror RPG - Starter Set - Hungering Abyss - Edge Studio (edge-studio.net)