Fantasy Flight Games

FFG Live in February

Published 31 January 2025 | Star Wars: Unlimited

FFG Live in February

Announcing the FFG Livestreams for February 2025

It's FFG Live! Join us this month for more awesome livestreams for our current and upcoming games and expansions. Read on for more information on what livestreams you can look forward to this month!

February 5 at 1 PM CDT

Star Wars™: Unlimited – Organized Play Updates

DISCUSSION

The first batch of Star Wars™: Unlimited Sector and Regional Qualifiers are approaching! Join us for some Organized Play info about these two Competitive-tier events, including what they entail, some prizes you can earn, and more!

Check out the stream here!

February 6 at 1 PM CST

LCG Fireside Chat

DISCUSSION

Who’s hungry for some LCG updates? Join Duke Harrist and Tony Fanchi—our lead designers of Arkham Horror: The Card Game and Marvel Champions: The Card Game respectively—as they chat with Head of Studio Jim Cartwright about our LCG game lines and their exciting future.

Check out the stream here!

February 12 at 1 PM CST

Star Wars: Unlimited – Jump to Lightspeed Premier Gameplay

GAMEPLAY

The fourth set of Star Wars: Unlimited is right around the corner! Join designers Danny Schaefer, MJ Cutts, and John Leo as they play some Premier games with cards from the upcoming set, as well as chat about recent reveals.

Check out the stream here!

February 13 at 1 PM CST

Marvel Champions: The Card Game – Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

GAMEPLAY

With the release of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. expansion fast approaching, we want to show off some of the unique and awesome things this new campaign has to offer. Join game designers Tony Fanchi, Frank Brooks, and Aaron Haltom as they play a scenario from the new expansion and show off some of its coolest features!

Check out the stream here!

February 19 at 1 PM CST

Star Wars: Unlimited – Jump to Lightspeed Draft Play

GAMEPLAY

It’s that time again! With a new set releasing soon, we gotta have our traditional Designer Draft to go along with it. Join the Star Wars: Unlimited design team as they draft some Jump to Lightspeed decks, and be sure to root for your favorite to win!

Check out the stream here!

February 20 at 1 PM CST

Mansions of Madness – Gameplay

GAMEPLAY

Since its launch in 2016, Mansions of Madness Second Edition has captivated players all over the world with its thrills, its chills, its puzzles, and its perils. Join designers Grace Holdinghaus and Philip Henry as they dive into the Mythos of Mansions and remind us all why this game is so great.

Check out the stream here!

February 26 at 1 PM CST

Star Wars: Unlimited – Twin Suns Gameplay

GAMEPLAY

With the arrival of Jump to Lightspeed comes a new slew of cards to shake up the Twin Suns format. Join designers Tyler Parrott, MJ Cutts, and Joe O’Neil as they demonstrate some of the new tricks you can pull off in Twin Suns with cards from the new set!

Check out the stream here!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Spooky Season

Published 4 October 2022 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Spooky Season

Announcing the 2022 Week of Horror Event

Another horde of horrors is on its way…

For the past couple years, investigators all over the world have enjoyed a celebration of the Arkham Horror Files game line in October. This year, the terrifying trend continues with the 2022 Week of Horror event! From October 24^th through October 31^st, we’ll be posting something new and Arkham-themed to our website and/or socials every day.

So, without further ado, let’s take a quick peek at what’s coming for the Week of Horror!

Costume Contest

Starting on October 24^th, we will start accepting submissions for the 2022 Week of Horror Costume Contest! For this contest, fans* of the Arkham Horror Files game line can submit pictures of themselves in their best Arkham duds for a chance to win some free games! Will you be an investigator? A cultist? Or perhaps even an eldritch monstrosity? We can’t wait to find out!

We’ll have one winner in each of the following three categories: individual, group, and pet. Judging will be based on creativity, originality, effort, and authenticity to the Arkham setting, with equal weight for each of those four criteria.

Submissions for the Costume Contest end at 11:59 PM CDT on October 31^st. You can read the official rules here.

*Please note that this contest is for U.S. residents only.

The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion Livestream

Jumping ahead to Wednesday, October 26^th, we will be hosting a special FFG Live stream on our YouTube channel to show off some of the contents of the upcoming The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion. Tune in at 1:00 PM CDT to watch MJ Newman, Duke Harrist, and Josh Massey take on a scenario from the expansion. Will they manage to beat the odds and pull off a win?

Daily Activities

In addition to the exciting things listed above, each other day of the Week of Horror will feature fun little Arkham-themed activities. Let’s take a quick look at each of them one-by-one:

On Tuesday, October 25^th, we’ll have our Trivia Tuesday trivia contest. This one will feature a trivia question about one of our Arkham Horror Files game lines—but which one?

On Thursday, October 27^th, see if you can find your way out of an Arkham-themed maze puzzle. Be careful not to get lost!

On Friday, October 28^th, find out what your Arkham Horror investigator name would be with this simple quiz!

On Saturday, October 29^th, test your perception with a monster of a word search. You think you know the Great Old Ones well? Try finding their names in a sea of letters!

On Sunday, October 30^th, follow up on the previous day’s activity with an Arkham Horror-themed crossword puzzle. Test your knowledge and see if you can get each answer right!

Finally, on Monday, October 31^st, we’ll upload the long-awaited “Play-and-Share” promo version of the Wendy Adams parallel investigator card! This will complete the set of promos for Arkham LCG’s five core set investigators at last.

Arkham Nights

Of course, no October would be complete without Arkham Nights! No matter where you are in the world, you can participate in the festivities at your local game store. Simply ask your store if they are participating—or, if you’re a game store owner yourself, simply get in touch with your Asmodee sales representative to learn how you can get involved in Arkham Nights.

A Week to Remember

As we head into this spooky season, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts. The Arkham Horror Files has some of the most passionate and enthusiastic fans in tabletop gaming, and we are unfathomably grateful for the love and support you all have shown over the years. We have lots more thrills and chills in store for the future, which means one thing is certain: whether you are a longtime community member or just got into the games this year, right now is a fantastic time to be an Arkham fan.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Horrors for Days

Published 8 October 2021 | Arkham Horror Third Edition

Horrors for Days

Announcing the Schedule for Arkham Nights 2021

Be wary, investigators, for something dark approaches…

Last year, we had a week of horrors that formed the Arkham Nights 2020 event. This year, we find ourselves faced with yet another terrifying event, but this time on an even grander scale. Arkham Nights 2021 is right around the corner, and this year it’s larger than ever.

This event will take place from Friday, October 22^nd through Sunday, October 31^st. We will talk about the two weekends in this time period (the 22^nd through 24^th and the 29^th through 31^st) in a moment, but for now, let’s focus on the tantalizing online events that happen between them, during the week we’d like to call the Week of Arkham.

To kick off the Week of Arkham on Monday, October 25^th, we will have a Share the Terror Prize Pack Giveaway. Simply share a photo of you playing any of the games in the Arkham Horror Files universe with the hashtag #ArkhamNights2021 for a chance to win an Arkham Horror Files-themed prize pack. As for what’s in that prize pack, we will reveal that at a later date, so stay tuned!

Next, on Tuesday, October 26^th, join your fellow investigators around the globe to tackle a special Cooperative Trivia Challenge. For this event, we will be livestreaming trivia questions starting at 6:00 PM CDT. All viewers will have just a short moment to answer each question, and every correct answer will contribute to a global score. If the global score gets high enough, you will unlock a number of prizes for all Arkham fans to enjoy!

On Thursday, October 28^th, tune in for a special broadcast on Facebook Live with MJ Newman, the lead designer of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. In this broadcast, MJ will take everyone through a whirlwind tour of the Edge of the Earth Campaign Expansion, with a focus on the characters and scenarios that can be found within. For anyone looking forward to Arkham LCG’s Antarctic adventure, you won’t want to miss this tantalizing preview!

Then, on Friday, October 29^th, a new batch of recipes from Arkham, Massachusetts will hit our website, expanding the culinary collection that we began as part of last year’s Arkham Nights festivities. Be sure to check out (and try out) these recipes when we unleash them on the world! (Note: If you haven’t seen the recipes from last year, you can still find them here!)

The Week of Arkham will have much more happening on each day as well! Be sure to check in regularly for a plethora of Arkham Horror Files-themed content scattered across our website and social media accounts, including puzzles, quizzes, memes, and more.

Arkham Nights In-Person

Last year was difficult for a number of reasons, and unfortunately we were unable to host any sort of Arkham Nights event in person. Thankfully, this year is different, and we are excited to announce that Arkham Nights is coming back not only to just Roseville, Minnesota, but in stores around the world as well!

In Roseville, folks can look forward to the Gamezenter hosting its Arkham Nights event from October 22^nd through October 24^th. Those of us from FFG will be there to collaborate with the Gamezenter on their activities and events. If you can make it, join us for things like epic multiplayer games for both the Arkham Horror board game and card game, a pick-and-play game library where you and your friends can play any game from the Arkham Horror Files universe (including the upcoming Unfathomable), and a late-night pub trivia event with some awesome prizes on the line! Be sure to check out the Gamezenter’s website for details and times.

For those of you who don’t live in the Roseville area, do not fret! For the first time ever, other game stores will be able to host their own versions of Arkham Nights as well! In the weeks leading up to the 22^nd, be sure to ask your local game store if they plan to host an Arkham Nights event. Each participating store will host the event in their own way, and they can hold it anytime between October 22^nd and October 31^st. Some stores may even have some official Arkham Nights 2021 swag to give out! Just keep in mind that FFG will not be participating in the events of stores other than the Gamezenter, even though we wish we could.

A Week to Remember

Mark your calendars, Arkham fans. With something happening every day between October 22^nd and October 31^st—whether it’s online or in-person—you won’t want to miss out on this year’s Arkham Nights event. Join us, and brave the horrors of the Week of Arkham—the world depends on it!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The Weekend's Dark Events

Published 7 October 2015 | Eldritch Horror

The Weekend's Dark Events

View the Schedule for Arkham Nights

Arkham Nights is almost upon us! The schedule below (you can click on it to view the image full-size) details the featured events for our weekend of Lovecraftian gaming at the Fantasy Flight Games Center. Of course, there will be open tables for you to play at throughout the weekend and our demo team will be on hand to lead you in investigations of new and arcane mysteries. We have also just received news that Arkham Horror designer Kevin Wilson will be joining in to guide you through the streets of Arkham and beyond!

If you haven't preregistered, don't worry, you can still register at the door, but you will not receive any of the mysterious treasures available to those who preregistered.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The copyrightable portions of Eldritch Horror are © 2013 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Eldritch Horror and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Arkham Horror is a registered trademark of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

Impending Horrors

Published 30 September 2015 | Eldritch Horror

Impending Horrors

Arkham Nights Is Coming Soon

The blood moon has passed, but the dark times that it heralded are just beginning. Arkham Nights, our annual celebration of Lovecraftian gaming, is less than two weeks away and preregistration via our online store ends this Friday, so make sure that you do so before time—for you and for all humanity—runs out.

This year’s Arkham Nights takes place October 9-10 at the Fantasy Flight Games Center near our Roseville, Minnesota headquarters, and features beloved classics as well as new expansions. Games of Arkham Horror, Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, Mansions of Madness, Elder Sign, and Eldritch Horror will be running on both days, with plentiful opportunities for both veteran players and those about to be initiated into the mysteries of the Elder Gods or step through a gate into an Other World for the first time.

Mysteries, Gates, Monsters, and Initiations

Over the course of the weekend you’ll be able to chat with and play games with old friends and new, as well as with FFG designers and developers. The devious, fiendish Samuel Bailey will be running games of the popular new Gates of Arkham expansion he designed for Elder Sign. Designer Nikki Valens, expert in numerous dark and arcane arts, will lead The Cycle of Eternity, a massive sixteen-player version of her game Eldritch Horror, featuring all four of the game’s expansions and challenging investigators in unprecedented ways. Above all, the esteemed and crafty Richard Launius, the designer of Arkham Horror and Elder Sign, will be running a variety of Lovecraft-themed games throughout the weekend. We will also be holding our annual Call of Cthulhu Initiation Tournament, and you will have opportunities to solve the mysteries of the upcoming Eldritch Horror expansion, Under the Pyramids, before its release later this year.

A more detailed schedule of events will be posted to the Facebook event page and shared via social media soon.

Preregister… Before It’s Too Late

A collection of strange and uncanny treasures will be offered to those who preregister via our online store by this Friday, October 2nd. Players will receive a limited edition dice bag featuring the iconic Cthulhu faction symbol from Call of Cthulhu, custom dice for playing Arkham Horror and Eldritch Horror, a poster featuring art from the upcoming Under the Pyramids expansion, and an exclusive Ancient One for Elder Sign: Ubbo-Sathla, the terrible primordial mire that birthed life on our planet from which inconceivable monsters still emerge. Finally, two alternate art cards for Call of Cthulhu will be included, one of which features art by the stunningly talented French artist, Magali Villeneuve.

Preregistration is not required to attend, but only those who have preregistered will be able to obtain these rare artifacts. We will also, however, hold surprise giveaways of exclusive merchandise relating to our Lovecraftian games throughout the weekend.

Two days of dark, ancient mysteries, savage monsters, and terrifying knowledge await you. Preregister now, join the Facebook event, and prepare to confront the horror.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Arkham Nights 2015

Published 14 September 2015 | Eldritch Horror

Arkham Nights 2015

A Weekend of Lovecraftian Gaming on October 9-10

It happens once a year, as the warm golden glow of autumn light fades, the pale moon grows heavy and large and the air takes on a discomforting chill. The veil between worlds grows thin. Heathens and Cultists are rumored to visit ancient ruins to worship the Great Azathoth during this darkling season, ghouls are said to hunt for prey in misty graveyards, and the wicked descendants of the Salem witches are known to soar alongside cawing murders of crows as the cruel neon beams of the Northern Lights flicker across the vault of the sky.

Arkham Nights is coming.

Our annual two-day festival of H.P. Lovecraft and tabletop gaming will take place at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, Minnesota on October 9-10! We invite you to join us in delving into the mysteries of the Ancient Ones, and confronting profound, unspeakable, Lovecraftian horrors.

Two Days of Lovecraftian Gaming

This year’s celebration features both beloved classics and new expansions. Games of Arkham Horror, Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, Mansions of Madness, Elder Sign, and Eldritch Horror will be running on both days, with plentiful opportunities for both veteran players and those less experienced in arcane investigations. You can try out the popular Gates of Arkham expansion for Elder Sign, participate in the Call of Cthulhu Initiation Tournament, and preview the upcoming Eldritch Horror expansion, Under the Pyramids, before its release.

You will also be able to meet and play with the designers and developers of these games, including Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror and Elder Sign, Sam Bailey, the designer of the Gates of Arkham expansion for Elder Sign, and Nikki Valens, designer and developer for Eldritch Horror. This year, for the first time, Nikki Valens will be leading The Cycle of Eternity, a massive sixteen-player game of Eldritch Horror featuring all four of the game’s expansions and challenging investigators like never before. A complete schedule of events will be posted soon.

Preregister for Invaluable Artifacts

If you preregister by October 2nd, you will be gifted with a collection of invaluable artifacts. It includes custom dice for playing Arkham Horror and Eldritch Horror, a limited edition dice bag featuring the iconic Cthulhu faction symbol from Call of Cthulhu, stunning alternate art cards for Call of Cthulhu, a poster featuring art from the upcoming Under the Pyramids expansion, and an exclusive Ancient One for Elder Sign! There will also be surprise giveaways of exclusive merchandise relating to Eldritch Horror and Elder Sign.

Only those who preregister will have access to these otherworldly treasures, so make sure to do so before October 2nd. Then mark October 9-10 on your calendar and prepare for two days full of challenging games and chilling horror.

Preregister now, and stay tuned for more details. We hope to see you there!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Mansions of Madness: Call of the Wild Expansion

Published 7 November 2014 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Mansions of Madness: Call of the Wild Expansion

Can you survive the untamed and unnatural?

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The copyrightable portions of Mansions of Madness and its expansions are © 2011-2013 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Mansions of Madness, its expansion titles, Arkham Horror and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

Mansions of Madness: Forbidden Alchemy Expansion

Published 7 November 2014 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Mansions of Madness: Forbidden Alchemy Expansion

Learn More About This Expansion for Mansions of Madness

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The Laboratory

Published 19 November 2013 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

The Laboratory

A New Expansion for Mansions of Madness Is Now Available

It has been two months now since your good friend Dr. Crawford Tillinghast berated you angrily, called you a fool, and ejected you from his home and laboratory in a fit of fanatical rage. His outburst came as a surprise to you, since he was not a man prone to anger, especially when the cause was your awed and frightened line of query about a strange machine he envisioned during the course of his metaphysical research. The doctor took your questions as criticism, and lashed out in response.

You have not spoken to the doctor since that day…

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that The Laboratory expansion for Mansions of Madness is now available through our webstore!

Inspired by the characters and themes of From Beyond, one of H.P. Lovecraft’s most terrifying short stories, The Laboratory challenges players to shut down Crawford Tillinghast’s strange machine before the mad genius manages to merge our world with another dimension and all its horrors. Of course, otherworldly terrors feature prominently in The Laboratory, as you’ll have to close portals to other realms during your exploration of Tillinghast’s mansion home. Can you survive the terrors you’ll encounter? Can you find the clues you need to deactivate Tillinghast’s arcane device?

Designed by Samuel Bailey and Richard Launius, the creator of Arkham Horror, The Laboratory is a fantastically free-form adventure, chock-full of the themes and mechanics that make Mansions of Madness a uniquely satisfying entry into the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s eerie mythos.

For more about what makes The Laboratory an exciting addition to your Mansions of Madness experience, we turn to co-designer Samuel Bailey.

Co-Designer Samuel Bailey on The Laboratory

Welcome to The Laboratory, where Dr. Tillinghast and his nefarious machine are not only warping the reality of his mansion home, but also warping some of the basic concepts of Mansions of Madness itself!

I have been a fan of Mansions of Madness and the possibilities that it presents since it was first released. When I was told I would be working on a new scenario with Richard Launius, I was understandably excited and determined to infuse The Laboratory with theme and innovative mechanics. I wanted it to drip with Lovecraftian ichor, and I wanted to explore new levels of freedom within the scenario that I felt would lead to great replayability.

In this scenario, pulled straight out of the pages of From Beyond, investigators must scramble to find vital clues hidden among Exploration cards, while closing the portals to other worlds that the keeper is opening up around the house in his gambit to merge our world with another, darker dimension. However, in The Laboratory, the keeper gains unprecedented freedom to manipulate the mansion and even reality itself.

In most other scenarios, Exploration, Lock, and Obstacle cards must be placed within specified rooms, but in The Laboratory, the keeper randomly distributes half of his Exploration cards and then has free reign to place all remaining cards as he wills. As the keeper, do you want to make it difficult for the investigators to get into a certain part of the house? Place all your Locks and Obstacles over there. Do you want to try to bluff the investigators into wasting time and resources? Place the clues they need right next to the starting space, where they’ll be certain you’ve placed a hidden trap.

The realities that have bound the keeper through so many Mansions of Madness scenarios continue to break down throughout the course of play. The keeper has seven Portal Cards at his disposal, each with a unique effect that he can trigger to slow the investigators or get rid of them forever. The difference between the keeper’s ultimate victory or defeat may be determined by which Portal Card he places at a critical juncture, and where. Do you place the portal to Yuggoth in a room with a vital clue and use it to spawn a multitude of monsters? Or do you place the portal to the Dreamlands as far as possible from the investigators to speed your way to victory?

Each portal placement is an important decision for the keeper, as each portal supports a different strategy and play style.

The investigators also find new freedoms in The Laboratory. They may find the clues that they need hidden in any room, and none of the scenario’s Locks require a specific key. While there is only a single objective, deactivating the deranged Tillinghast’s ghastly machine, the ways you might seek to outwit the keeper are many. Do you rush about the house, exploring each room to find the clues you need to shut down the machine before it tears apart the world? Or do you play it slow and steady, focusing on closing each portal that opens to limit the harm it causes you reality? Which team of investigators works the best? When should you move quickly, and when should you watch out for the many traps your keeper has at his disposal? Where has he hidden the clues that you need to ensure your victory?

The Laboratory is a dynamic and open scenario which offers plenty of play sessions for even the most experienced Mansions of Madness players. After each fast and furious session, you will want to play again to try some new strategy you thought of as the keeper, or play with that optimum group of investigators you are sure will guarantee victory this time around. The possibilities are as infinite as the realities that threaten to merge with our own!

Live the Terror Today

“Do you fancy there are such things as form or matter? I tell you, I have struck depths that your little brain can’t picture! I have seen beyond the bounds of infinity and drawn down daemons from the stars… I have harnessed the shadows that stride from world to world to sow death and madness… Space belongs to me, do you hear?” –Crawford Tillinghast

Pick up your copy of The Laboratory today to step into the pages of H.P. Lovecraft’s classic From Beyond and face terrors beyond mortal comprehension. This terrifying expansion for Mansions of Madness is now available!

The Laboratory is not a stand-alone product. A copy of Mansions of Madness and the Forbidden Alchemy expansion are required to play.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Embrace the Madness

Published 25 October 2013 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Embrace the Madness

An Introduction to Mansions of Madness

Halloween is right around the corner, and just beyond it is Arkham Nights 2013! The days are growing shorter and colder, which means now is the perfect time to experience new levels of horror by playing one of FFG’s games set in the universe of H.P. Lovecraft.

In our last introduction to a game of Lovecraftian horror, we examined the terrifying adventures that await investigators among the exhibits of Miskatonic University Museum in Elder Sign. The threat of the Ancient Ones doesn’t stop outside of the museum, however. This time, we’ll look at the fear waiting for you and your friends inside the Mansions of Madness.

Enter a World of Mystery

Mansions of Madness is a board game of terror, clues, and mystery for two to five players. In every game, all but one of the players take on the roles of the noble investigators, sent to uncover the mystery behind some weird and otherworldly occurrences. The final player will become the keeper of the building, controlling all monsters and seeking to foil the investigators at every turn.

During the setup of each game, the keeper makes several decisions about the story, which influence which clues the investigators may find, as well as the objective that both sides strive to achieve. Although the keeper has full knowledge of what his objective is, the investigators do not. They must search the building relentlessly, uncovering clues and facing down whatever horrors may stand in their way, to uncover the truth and defeat the dastardly plans of the keeper.

Investigate Hidden Secrets

When you and your fellow investigators first enter the building, you have a single clue to start you on your search. In order to discover your objective, you will need to travel to the end of the trail of clues, while staying on your toes, ready to defeat monsters and other agents of evil.

Every turn, you may move twice and perform one action. An action could be to move again, explore a room, or battle a gruesome monster. As you begin to explore the mansion, new objects and obstacles will quickly confront you. The keeper begins every game by placing cards in rooms around the building for you to discover. Some of these cards may be important items, or even vital clues, whereas others may prove to be disastrous obstacles or barriers.

Whenever you elect to explore a room, the cards in the room are revealed, one at a time. Sometimes, locks may prevent you from entering, and you must find the appropriate key or password to bypass the lock. Once within, a host of challenges may face you before you can get to the clues and items in the room. You may be forced to solve a devious puzzle, whether you’re rewiring circuits to restore light to a room, or piecing together arcane runes to unlock an ancient chest.

Once you have successfully navigated the hazards that await, you may finish exploring the room and reap the hard-earned rewards of your labor. Once all the clues have been found, the objective card is revealed, and the investigators discover what they must do to win the game as well as learning the details of keeper’s objective. Finding the clues hidden in rooms around the mansion might be easy if you were alone, but in Mansions of Madness, there’s always someone watching.

Keeping Watch

The keeper in a game of Mansions of Madness opposes the heroic investigators, seeking to fulfill his objective by bringing monsters, insanity, betrayal, and death into the game. On every turn, the keeper receives a number of threat tokens equal to the number of investigators playing the game. He may then use this threat to summon monsters, utilize tricks and traps, and transform the mansion into a place of haunting terror for the investigators.

The monsters at the keeper command are the most visible servants of his will. Ranging from zombies, witches, and maniacs, to horrific cthonians, shoggoths, and Hounds of Tindalos, these creatures will pursue the investigators at every turn. The mere presence of such monstrosities can drive an investigator towards madness, and every time a monster enters a room, all the investigators within must successfully pass a horror test, or slip closer to insanity.

Monsters can also attack physically, forcing the investigators to defend themselves with any means at their disposal, whether by fighting back, hiding, or barricading the doors and hoping for the best. Even when monsters are defeated, the keeper’s plans are always advancing, and the investigators will have to do their utmost to stop evil from awakening.

The keeper has a host of other actions at his disposal as well. Each story specifies a number of Keeper Action cards that determine how the keeper will be able to hinder the investigators on his turn. In addition to monsters, the keeper draws Mythos and Trauma cards, which he can play to punish the investigators for every step they take. Mythos cards represent unexpected occurrences that can hinder the investigators, whereas Trauma cards add insult to injury by inflicting a lasting condition on an investigator when they take damage or horror. Your investigator may break a leg, or be consumed with a deadly panic.

After the keeper has finished his turn, he places a time token on the event card deck. When the number of time tokens equals the number shown on the uppermost card, a new event is revealed, accelerating the story to its dramatic conclusion!

Bring New Horrors to the Mansion

To bring your adventures in haunted mansions to new levels of paranormal fear, Mansions of Madness features a wide variety of expansions that invite you to bring your investigators on new adventures against the darkness. You will face the madness of unknowable science in Forbidden Alchemy as you struggle against new monsters, new alchemy puzzles, and other obstacles. Call of the Wild invites you to journey outside the mansion, but unfortunately, you’ll be no safer outside. A host of new stories put your strength and intelligence to the test as you work to defeat the machinations of the keeper. Finally, a host of Print on Demand story expansions each include a completely new story for Mansions of Madness, offering you the chance to journey to new locales and test your will against unnatural evils.

Play an Arkham Game this October

You can celebrate Halloween this month with games set in H.P. Lovecraft’s eerie universe. Whether you challenge evil in Arkham and the Miskatonic University Museum or travel to exotic regions in Elder Sign: Omens and Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, you’ll never know what challenges you might face along the way. Keep checking back for highlights of other games set in the Cthulhu mythos, and remember to pre-register for Arkham Nights 2013!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Call of the Wild Is Now Available

Published 1 February 2013 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Call of the Wild Is Now Available

Explore the Newest Expansion for Mansions of Madness

You can see that I am having a hard time getting to the point, probably because I really dread getting to the point; but the upshot of the matter is that I have certain evidence that monstrous things do indeed live in the woods on the high hills which nobody visits. I have not seen any of the things floating in the rivers, as reported, but I have seen things like them under circumstances I dread to repeat. I have seen footprints, and of late have seen them nearer my own home [...] than I dare tell you now. And I have overheard voices in the woods at certain points that I will not even begin to describe on paper. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in Darkness

Call of the Wild, the newest expansion for Mansions of Madness, is now available at your local retailer and on our webstore! Venture outdoors with five new scenarios and eleven double-sided board tiles featuring the untamed wilderness surrounding Arkham. Lovecraft often preyed on man’s fear of the unknown, and Call of the Wild plunges investigators into the heart of an uncharted wilderness, shaking the foundations of Mansions of Madness by taking the game outdoors and introducing a host of new gameplay mechanics. A more secretive keeper must solve puzzles and seek out clues, a focus on outdoor maps encourages non-linear exploration, and Allies assist in combat and driving the macabre narrative.

Explore the Treacherous Terrain

Careful exploration of this new terrain is the only way for the investigators to navigate the new, non-linear scenarios that Call of the Wild introduces. The eleven new board tiles in Call of the Wild introduce untamed copses and treacherous swamplands that will challenge the investigators as they explore. Gathering the right clues and rumors is not an easy task in the frightening and fetid forest. Pits and brackish pools can damage heroes as they travel the terrain, and rivers can block off an avenue of retreat when being chased by some dark denizen of the forest. Players must take care to use the terrain to their advantage, lest the untamed woods wreak havoc on the hapless investigators!

Scenarios in Call of the Wild focus on a non-linear method of story progression, placing a greater emphasis on exploration of your surroundings. Players no longer hunt down a set of clues in a specific order, but are instead given a brief Investigator Strategy by the keeper at the outset of each game that hints at how they should begin their exploratory investigations. The strategies are the only guide the investigators have as they strive to stop the keeper, who has his own designs for the forests outside of Arkham.

The Keeper’s New Tricks and Challenges

Taking the keeper outside of the walls of the mansion has made him no less of a formidable opponent. The keeper has an added level of secrecy he can leverage, and he has even more options when it comes to his strategy for foiling the investigators. The keeper can now construct his own custom hand of Keeper Action cards, allowing him to create a uniquely terrifying and difficult experience for his opponents. What’s more, the keeper’s hand is held in secret in the Call of the Wild scenarios; his opponents won’t know what tricks await them until the first time a Keeper Action card is played.

The keeper and his minions are not merely resting on their laurels as the investigators comb the woods. In some scenarios, the keeper must seek out and collect various grotesque items of arcane power. Sometimes these items will simply be scattered about the wilderness, but in other scenarios, the investigators can work to hide the horrific components from the keeper. Once the keeper gathers them, these items can be used in a special ritual puzzle that the keeper must complete as part of his nefarious plan.

Friends in the Forest

Not everything in the wilderness is out to get the investigators. New Ally characters are specific to the stories in Call of the Wild, and each one has his own deck of special cards. Allies work as neither investigators nor monsters, but can participate in combat, have conversations with investigators, or give special tasks to be completed for rewards. The Allies can be key in providing investigators with Rumors, bringing them ever closer to whatever malign truth the players are working to uncover. Players should be wary of how much horror their compatriots are exposed to, however, as the keeper can use the Allies against the investigators if the Allies’ sanity should fail.

Each scenario of Call of the Wild twists players’ expectations as they wander the woods in search of a way to stop the nefarious keeper. Gain assistance from Allies, guess at the keeper’s cards, foil or complete rituals, and explore the great outdoors. With all of these new challenges to confront, the keeper and investigators alike will have their hands full as they contend with new terrain and terrors on the outskirts of Arkham. Pick up your copy of Call of the Wild from your local retailer today and challenge the unknown and unnatural horrors that lurk in the outdoors!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Learn the Basics of Survival

Published 15 January 2013 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Learn the Basics of Survival

The Rules for Mansions of Madness: Call of the Wild are Now Available

And as I ran along the shore, crushing sleeping flowers with heedless feet and maddened ever by the fear of unknown things[...], I saw that the garden had no end under that moon; for where by day the walls were, there stretched now only new vistas of trees and paths, flowers and shrubs, stone idols and pagodas, and bendings of the yellow-litten stream past grassy banks and under grotesque bridges of marble. –H.P. Lovecraft, What the Moon Brings

Call of the Wild, an expansion for Mansions of Madness, is coming in just a few more weeks. Ready yourself for the terrifying wilderness by downloading the rules, now available on our support page! Prepare for the keeper’s plans or plot the destruction of the investigators by getting familiar with the new mechanics debuting in these eldritch explorations. In Call of the Wild, the investigators venture out of the mansion and into the forests and swamps surrounding Arkham. The brave investigators must contend with hazardous terrain, battle a keeper with more surprises, and work with new Ally characters in order to survive.

The rules will give players a better idea of the pitfalls and waterways that are scattered throughout the area, and they can gain some insight in how to use these features to their advantage. Whether you take the role of an investigator and appeal to the Allies for aid, or you play as the keeper and work to keep them quiet, the rules will give you a full understanding of how to make the most of these new characters.

Brace Yourself to Explore the Unknown

There are unfathomable and unnatural terrors lurking in the untamed wilds. Possessing a good grip on the essentials of survival in the outdoors may be all that stands between you and the yawning abyss of insanity. Prepare accordingly. Download the rules (pdf, 3.2 MB) for Call of the Wild from the Mansions of Madness support page today!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Allies in Your Investigations

Published 8 January 2013 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Allies in Your Investigations

A Preview of Call of the Wild, the Mansion of Madness Expansion

They had to do with some preposterous legend of the bog, and a grim guardian spirit that dwelt in the strange olden ruin on the far islet I had seen in the sunset. There were tales of dancing lights in the dark of the moon, and of chill winds when the night was warm; of wraiths in white hovering over the waters, and of an imagined city of stone deep down below the swampy surface. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Moon-Bog

The new scenarios in Call of the Wild, an upcoming expansion to Mansions of Madness, take investigators into the terrifying and untamed outdoors. The new locale encourages exploration of the treacherous terrain, and pits players against a more dangerous and secretive keeper. Though this wilderness harbors any number of horrifying threats, the investigators don’t have to face their fears alone. New to Call of the Wild, Ally characters will help the investigators in combating the arcane forces at work in the darkness.

New Faces in the Forest

The investigators are not the only people that have noticed the strange sights and sounds coming out of the forest, and these other intrepid souls make up the Ally characters. Allies are not helpless victims wandering the woods, thankfully. These characters can perform a variety of actions to help the investigators in their struggle to defeat the keeper. Investigators interact with Allies in an Ally Phase immediately after the Investigator Trading Step. During the Ally Phase, the investigator closest to the Ally can choose to have the Ally perform an attack on a monster, or, if they are in the same room, the investigator can talk to the Ally.

The other troubled souls in these dark and frightening forests are not just out for a stroll. They all know something about the mysterious circumstances that the investigators are trying to unravel, and talking to these Allies can yield important information about the strange goings on in the wilderness. Each Ally has his own deck of cards, and these cards come in three types. They may contain Rumors about the scenario, the card may declare an Event for the investigator to resolve, or the Ally may ask the investigator to complete a Task in exchange for a valuable reward. Talking to Allies and making use of what they tell you is a vital tool in your fight against the keeper.

Though some Allies may have mysterious motives, they have no love for cultists and creatures, and they can attack the monsters they encounter. Investigators can entrust their Allies with weapons to aid them in striking down the denizens of the dark woods. Allies, like investigators, attack by drawing cards from the Combat deck and resolving skill checks, Ally checks don’t involve dice rolls. Instead, they pass or fail tests based on their Expertise. If an Ally has Expertise in the skill being tested, he automatically passes. Without Expertise, the Ally fails the test.

The Allies are not as hardy as the intrepid investigators, and they always fail Horror and Evade tests. This makes their descent into madness all the more likely, and once the Allies have gone insane, they become dangerous to those around them. Investigators can still interact with insane Allies, but the keeper can also control one as a humanoid monster, using him to lash out against the investigators. Investigators may want to work to intercept monsters before they can erode the sanity of their Allies, turning a friend to a foe.

Allies can be a great boon to the investigators, but can they be trusted?

A Cry For Help

In “A Cry For Help,” the first scenario included in Call of the Wild, a local deputy has gone missing while investigating three murders committed with an evidently occult purpose. The investigators fear that the lawman has been claimed as the fourth victim. If a fifth victim is taken, a powerful ritual will be completed, and a terrible fate will befall thousands of people.

Three suspects can be found in the area, and one of them is surely the killer. Each of these suspects is an Ally, and the investigator players must work to determine who the murderer is and stop him before he kills again, completing his foul ritual.

The investigators will need to interview each suspect in order to deduce who is telling the truth, and who is lying to complete their schemes and mask their horrific crimes.

Ammi Pierce is an old man. Most people in the area consider him a doddering fool, but a little conversation reveals a keen intellect that has simply been heavily battered by harrowing experiences. Is Ammi truly as addled as he seems, or does he know more than he lets on?

Corrina Jones seems like a perfectly normal woman, but she admits having been steeped in the arcane from an early age. She seems willing to help in the investigation, but her wealth of occult experience and otherworldly knowledge seems suspiciously convenient.

Eric Colt is a force to be reckoned with. Rough by nature and quick to anger, this man has been a part of plenty of mischief in the past. Everyone who meets Colt wouldn’t want to cross him, and he has a reputation for chasing after danger for a good time. Has Colt taken his wild thrill-seeking too far?

Each of these three Allies has seen a bit too much to remain completely mentally stable, and the keeper can use this to his advantage in “A Cry For Help.” In this scenario, the keeper can play a Delusion card on top of an Ally deck. The investigators must draw and resolve this card rather than the top card of the Ally deck. A Delusion card may lead an Ally to lash out at an investigator in a paranoid frenzy, or maybe the Ally will need to be shocked back to his senses by taking horror. Delusions get in the way of the investigation, and the keeper can use these cards try to keep the Allies from being helpful.

Can you figure out who the culprit is before the murderer can complete his spate of ritualistic killings? “A Cry For Help” is just one of the exciting, non-linear scenarios using the new Ally characters. The Allies lend a new dimension to the mysteries at work in the forests and marshes of this upcoming expansion for Mansions of Madness. Check back for the full rules for Call of the Wild next week!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Rituals and Secret Power in Call of the Wild

Published 26 December 2012 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Rituals and Secret Power in Call of the Wild

The Keeper's New Tricks in the Upcoming Expansion for Mansions of Madness

The day was pleasant, but even in the brightest sunlight a kind of quiet dread and portent seemed to hover about the strangely domed hills and the deep, shadowy ravines of the stricken region. Now and then on some mountain top a gaunt circle of stones could be glimpsed against the sky. [...] The trail up and down Sentinel Hill seemed to Armitage of almost cataclysmic significance, and he looked long at the sinister altar-like stone on the summit. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror

The ghastly and ghoulish presences that haunt the hills outside the mansion bring their powers to the aid of the keeper in Call of the Wild, the upcoming expansion for Mansions of Madness! In our last preview, we looked at some of the perils and pitfalls that will plague investigators in the terrifying terrain of the forests and swamps outside the mansion. Today we look at how the role of the keeper has changed in Call of the Wild.

A Bigger Bag of Tricks

Veteran players of Mansions of Madness will have undoubtedly become familiar with some of the keeper’s tricks. Each scenario has a set of Keeper Action Cards that the uses, and, in the base game of Mansions of Madness, these cards are laid out in front of the keeper’s play area. All players can see what kinds of malevolent mayhem the keeper is able to level at the investigators, and, if the keeper is up against seasoned investigators, the keeper’s opponents may have a strategy in mind for evading even his most potent powers.

Taking his schemes out of the mansion has allowed the keeper to make some changes from his typical tactics. In Call of the Wild, the keeper is able to make his moves with a greater degree of sinister secrecy. All Keeper Action Cards are kept secret until they are played. The investigators must press on toward their goal, never knowing what fresh horror may be unleashed upon them by the vicious keeper. In addition to playing a hidden hand, the keeper is also given an array of Keeper Action Cards to choose from for each scenario. A list of Keeper Action Card options are presented to the keeper, and he can choose one of the pre-designed hands of cards, or carefully craft his own hand to best suit his own sinister style. A hidden hand of cards and multiple options for Keeper Action Cards means that even the most seasoned investigator won’t be able to anticipate every combination, and the keeper will always have more tricks up his sleeve as he brings his plans to fruition.

Hidden Action cards aren’t the only new weapon at the keeper’s disposal. The keeper has sought out ghastly new power, and can now inflict a “curse” on the investigators. Each time an investigator is cursed the keeper gives that player a curse token, and the keeper can choose to discard that token to force that player to reroll any skill check. A cursed investigator may narrowly escape injury only to have their good fortune retested by the keeper calling a curse into play.

With curses and the advantage of surprise on his side, the keeper is an even bigger threat to the sanity and safety of the investigators and all that they hold dear.

Arcane Rites and Rituals

The keeper may have more surprises on hand for the investigators, but the great outdoors contains challenges for the keeper too. Similar to the puzzles that investigator players often face, in some scenarios, the keeper must complete a unique ritual puzzle in order to call forth the power he seeks. Access to such maddeningly powerful forces does not come easily to mere mortals, and the keeper must work hard in order tap into those eldritch energies.

The keeper uses a specific Keeper Action Card to attempt the ritual puzzle, and the pieces of the puzzle are made up of a series of ghastly and immensely powerful Ritual Items. The keeper must collect certain ritual items in order to solve his puzzle and correctly complete his ritual if he has any hope of bringing his mad plans to fruition. The ritual has a greater chance of success if the keeper has more people participating in the ghoulish rites, and he gains puzzle actions depending on how many humanoid creatures he has at the ritual site. The more unholy voices calling out to the beyond, the better, as far as the keeper is concerned!

In the scenarios that feature the ritual, the investigators can work to keep the Ritual Items out of the keeper’s hands in order to slow down his horrific plans. Investigators can try to foil the keeper’s plans by burying the Ritual Items in some scenarios, or simply by killing monsters so that the keeper can’t gather the pieces of his grotesque rite and won’t have as many creatures at the ritual site.

The keeper has always been a formidable foe, and the additions to his arcane arsenal in Call of the Wild have only made him more of a force to be reckoned with. There is, however, still a small sliver of hope for the investigators and the rest of this world. In our next preview, we’ll look more closely at the characters that will help in your struggle against the keeper and his creatures in Call of the Wild!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Surviving the Outdoors in Call of the Wild

Published 19 December 2012 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Surviving the Outdoors in Call of the Wild

A Preview of the Upcoming Mansions of Madness Expansion

In October, Fantasy Flight Games announced Call of the Wild, an upcoming expansion for Mansions of Madness. The game’s investigations into arcane mysteries and eldritch horrors take to the fetid forests and oozing swamps of the great outdoors. You and your friends will need to carefully guide your investigators through terrain littered with pitfalls, deep pools, and rushing rivers.

Taking the madness out of the mansion creates a whole new kind of horror for investigators who choose to brave the wilderness. There is nothing more terrifying than the unknown, and the dark and dangerous outdoors are filled with creatures and obstacles that the investigators can barely begin to imagine. The process of exploring the forests and swamps lends itself to a more open-ended and non-linear process of investigation and narrative.

A Strategy for Survival

In the base game of Mansions of Madness, each clue helps the investigators find their way to the next, leading them along a perilous path to the keeper’s dastardly plans. In The Call of the Wild, each clue does not necessarily lead to the next hint. Rather, each clue gives the investigators and players another glimpse at the larger picture, and you must use careful deduction to lead you in the right direction and foil the keeper.

Typically, when beginning a scenario, the players all read a brief bit of narrative that gives the investigators the first bits of information that they require to begin seeking out clues. Since Call of the Wild encourages a more open-ended approach to your experience of the great outdoors, investigator players and the keeper are both given Strategy hints. The Strategies give both the keeper and the investigator players a way to approach their side of the game, but it doesn’t provide the same explicit direction as the narrative snippets. Players must keep this Strategy in mind as they work to foil their opponent and explore the vast wilderness.

The Perils of the Forest

The untamed wilderness is no place for the faint of heart, and exploration isn’t as simple as just strolling about the woods. The treacherous pits and swift rivers are among the tamest of the terrors that you must face in the forests and fields, but they are by no means easy to navigate.

The earth itself may open to swallow your investigators if they do not take care while exploring. Pits can dot the map as a result of Event cards or a Keeper Action, and they can stop an investigator in their tracks or deal damage to hapless explorers. After an investigator or monster encounters one of these sinkholes, the player may be able to discard the pit token or he may be forced to replace it. Depending on what the token indicates, a pit may become a persistent problem for investigators while they explore.

Rivers and pools of water swirling or stagnant represent impassible borders that investigators cannot cross on foot. These bodies of water require an investigator to use a boat, bridge, or spell to aid their passage. Bridges tend to be the long way around, but it may be your only chance to escape or make a mad dash in the right direction. Boats can only be used by a character that has managed to find the boat house keys, and the boat can be used to move across an impassable border. Investigators who steep themselves in the arcane can learn the “Levitate” spell, and then they can simply float over the previously impassable borders. Like any spell, the process of levitation is not an exact science, so resort to spellcraft at your own peril.

These impassable borders are obstacles for most monsters, too, and they can be used to your advantage. An investigator with a ranged weapon can take shots from a safe distance at a creature on the opposite side of a river. However safe you may feel, though, it pays to always have an escape route planned. If an investigator finds himself with his back to the water, he may be trapped as monsters approach, and flying monsters can ignore the impassable borders entirely and land in your space unimpeded!

Each new scenario in Call of the Wild encourages the investigator players to explore its treacherous and terrifying terrain as they seek out some way of defeating the keeper.

Can You Pierce the Mind’s Veil?

In “The Mind’s Veil,” one of the new scenarios in Call of the Wild, deduction, exploration, and careful attention to detail are your only hope of surviving the eldritch powers that have entrapped you and your fellow investigators. You have woken up on a hilltop, surrounded by a thick fog and attended by a dark and mysterious stranger. You have no memory of how you came to be here or why you have a backpack full of strange artifacts, but you know you must find a way through the mist at all costs.

The fog that obscures both the forest and your memory is represented by setup of the tiles. The setup for the scenario is fast and easy, with only a few tiles making up the initial area surrounding the hilltop. Around the edge of the board are cards called Trail Cards, which the keeper lays out at random on each edge of the board. When an investigator decides to brave the unknown edge of the forest, the Trail Card is flipped over, revealing the next tile to be placed. This new tile replaces the Trail Card, and the investigators can move into the new area to further explore.

Investigators should take care when wandering into the mists, however, as the keeper will have a chance to spawn horrible creatures into the newly revealed space each time a Trail Card is resolved.

The investigators need to explore the map in order to reveal new areas and learn helpful clues about the mystery of their circumstances. Only by surviving the horrendous denizens of the woods and through careful deduction using the clues they uncover can the investigators discover how to escape their imprisonment in the woods.

Each of the new, open-ended scenarios in the Call of the Wild expansion for Mansions of Madness features new ways for the investigators and the keeper to explore the horrors of Lovecraft’s weird fiction. In our next preview, we’ll look at how the keeper’s role has changed now that he’s outside the walls of the mansion!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Announcing Call of the Wild

Published 5 October 2012 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Announcing Call of the Wild

An Upcoming Expansion for Mansions of Madness

Briefly summarized, it hinted at a hidden race of monstrous beings which lurked somewhere among the remoter hills - in the deep woods of the highest peaks, and the dark valleys where streams trickle from unknown sources. These beings were seldom glimpsed, but evidences of their presence were reported by those who had ventured farther than usual up the slopes of certain mountains or into certain deep, steep-sided gorges that even the wolves shunned. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in Darkness

Fantasy Flight Games is excited to announce Call of the Wild, an upcoming expansion for the Mansions of Madness board game! Venture into the unknown with five new scenarios and eleven double-sided board tiles.

Investigators are plunged into the mysterious backwoods, shaking the foundations of what players have come to expect. What’s more, the keeper must solve puzzles and seek out clues, a focus on outdoor maps encourages non-linear exploration, and Allies assist in combat and driving the macabre narrative.

The Keeper’s New Tricks and Challenges

The keeper has plans for the backwoods, and none of them mean good news for the investigators. Taking the keeper to the great outdoors has made him no less of a formidable opponent. He commands a whole host of horrible new monsters, and the investigators will have plenty of creatures to contend with as they comb the great outdoors for clues. The keeper can also now construct his own custom hand of Keeper Action cards, allowing him to create a uniquely terrifying and difficult experience for his opponents. What’s more, the keeper’s hand is held in secret in the Call of the Wild scenarios; his opponents won’t know what tricks await them until the first time a Keeper Action card is played. Adding an extra element of surprise to the keeper’s arsenal is sure to create even more suspense!

Though these changes have given the keeper more choices in how he seeks to foil the investigators, he will also be met with new challenges. In some scenarios, the keeper must seek out and collect various grotesque items of arcane power. Sometimes these items will simply be scattered about the wilderness, but in other scenarios, the investigators can work to hide the horrific components from the keeper. Once the keeper gathers them, these items can be used in a special ritual puzzle that the keeper must complete as part of his nefarious plan.

Explore the Treacherous Terrain

Of course, the keeper won’t be the only one contending with the challenges of the uncharted wilderness. Call of the Wild incorporates a whole new set of eleven board tiles, and exploring this terrain is key to the investigator’s success as well. The new scenarios in Call of the Wild focus on non-linear story progression. Players no longer hunt down a set of clues in a specific order, but are instead given a brief Investigator Strategy by the keeper at the outset of each game. The Investigator Strategy gives players a brief overview of how they might go about gathering information as they work their way through the woods.

Gathering the right clues and rumors is not an easy task in the frightening and fetid forest. Pits and brackish pools can damage heroes as they travel the terrain, and rivers can block off an avenue of retreat when being chased by some dark denizen of the forest. Players must take care to use the terrain to their advantage, lest the untamed woods wreak havoc on the hapless investigators!

Friends in the Forest

Not everything in the wilderness is out to get the investigators. New Ally characters are specific to the stories in Call of the Wild, and each one has his own deck of special cards. Allies work as neither investigators nor monsters, but can participate in combat, have conversations with investigators or give special tasks to complete for rewards. The Allies can be key in providing investigators with Rumors, bringing them ever closer to whatever malign truth the players are working to uncover.

Players shouldn’t believe everything they hear, however. In one scenario, titled “A Cry for Help,” players must work together to figure out which of the Allies is actually an evil cultist in disguise! The investigators will have to speak to each of these strange individuals in turn, uncover clues, and, finally, decide which of the Allies must be killed in order to save the world. Players must choose carefully, however. Should the investigators kill the wrong Ally, the keeper wins, and his dastardly plans come to a horrific fruition.

Look forward to marshaling your Allies, guessing at the keeper’s cards, foiling or completing rituals, and exploring the great outdoors. With all of these new challenges to contend with, the keeper and investigators alike will have their hands full as they contend with the terrain and terror of Call of the Wild. Visit our Call of the Wild website to learn more, and look for this expansion to be released early in 2013!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The Yellow Sign

Published 27 September 2012 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

The Yellow Sign

A New Print on Demand Expansion for Mansions of Madness is Now Available

“...after stumbling queerly upon the hellish and forbidden book of horrors the two learn, among other hideous things which no sane mortal should know, that this talisman is indeed the nameless Yellow Sign handed down from the accursed cult of Hastur." –H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature

Julian Glen, a talented up-and-coming playwright, has penned a work that he claims will be his masterpiece. There’s only one problem...it’s turning its audience into mindless fanatics! As some of the few audience members to retain your sanity, you and the other investigators must now work together to find Glen and uncover his true plot.

Fantasy Flight Games is please to announce The Yellow Sign, a Print on Demand story expansion for Mansions of Madness! Based on a design by a collaboration of fans at FFG’s Arkham Nights 2011, The Yellow Sign thrusts players into a house filled with deranged actors. Can you survive until your next curtain call? Head to our webstore to place your order!

What is Print on Demand?

Print on Demand is an exciting process that allows Fantasy Flight Games to produce professionally finished cards on a made-to-order basis, which opens up new opportunities for expanding existing games.

This process (not to be confused with Print and Play), results in smaller print runs of professionally manufactured products, allowing publishers to provide fans with content that would otherwise not be commercially viable. If you’re a retailer interested in carrying our Print on Demand products, visit our Print on Demand website to learn more.

From Fanatical Minds

The concept for The Yellow Sign was established at Arkham Nights 2011, when Gregory Malbraaten and Cristina Seely won an opportunity to collaborate with developer Brady Sadler on a design. To offer insights into this process, Brady Sadler agreed to share a few words:

Developing The Yellow Sign was a unique experience. It's not every day that developers like myself get to sit down with fans and collaborate on a project like this. Some designers might bite their nails at such a proposition, but fortunately I was teamed up with two very creative and enthusiastic attendees of Fantasy Flight's annual Arkham Nights. Gregory Malbraaten and Cristina Seely were a joy to work with, and they both heavily influenced the story that became The Yellow Sign.

The first step in the design process was to decide what kind of situation we wanted to throw the investigators into, and what sort of devious plans the keeper would strive to carry out. Being a huge fan of Hastur, Gregory immediately hatched an idea for the setting: a local playhouse full of mind-controlled cultists driven insane by a maddening play. However, Cristina countered with the idea of a traveling playwright taking up residence in Arkham, devoted to unleash his own version of the legendary "King in Yellow" play.

Ultimately, we combined both these ideas, having the investigators waking up in a chaotic playhouse, where the audience had been driven to violence by witnessing the terror on stage. The story picks up back at the playwright’s house, where the investigators must unravel the mystery of such a powerful theatrical performance. However, rehearsals are well underway at the playwright's house, and the investigators will have to assume the role of deranged characters from the play if they hope to survive until the final act…

Experience the horror of The Yellow Sign for yourself. Learn more on our description page, then head to our webstore to place your order!

Note: Due to variations in the printing process, cards from Print on Demand expansions will be subtly different in appearance and texture from base game cards. For this reason, some of the cards in this expansion are reprinted from the base game to retain a consistent appearance when shuffled.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

House of Fears

Published 4 May 2012 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

House of Fears

A new Print on Demand expansion for Mansions of Madness is now available

I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Outsider

An influential film director is holding a screening of his latest production in the abandoned estate Whale Manor, and you’ve been asked to attend! There’s just one catch: Whale Manor is haunted by the spirits of dead actors, all of whom are cursed to relive the drama of their films again and again.

House of Fears, a Print on Demand story expansion for Mansions of Madness, is now available on our webstore! This cinematic adventure by acclaimed novelist Tracy Hickman thrusts players into a living 1920’s movie. But can they escape the horror before the film’s tragic ending?

What is Print on Demand?

A Word from the Designer

Designer Tracy Hickman took time to share his insights into House of Fears:

House of Fears was a dark chocolate delight for me. Movies were a huge obsession during the ‘20s and ’30. Horror films like ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’, ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’, ‘Nosferatu’, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Dracula’ and ‘Frankenstein’ all were powerful in establishing the genre in the public mind and their resonance continues today. ‘Mansions of Madness’ offered the perfect opportunity to relive both those golden days of Hollywood and the horror films that chilled us forever. ‘Whale Manor’ where our horror takes place is named after James Whale, the director of the original ‘Frankenstein’ film and I’ve taken gleeful delight in sprinkling other homage moments throughout the play of the scenario. I’ve even managed to use the components of the game in a new and innovative way so that the reels of the film within the story impact the play in a meaningful and frightful way. Yog-Sothoth has gone Hollywood... and I hope you can stick around for the end of this nightmare movie ... if there’s an end to the movie...

This exciting story expansion is available for order now, so visit our Mansions of Madness POD description page to learn more, then head to our webstore to order yours!

Note: Due to variations in the printing process, cards from Print on Demand expansions will be subtly different in appearance and texture from base game cards. For this reason, 16 of the 48 cards in this expansion are reprinted from the base game to retain a consistent appearance when shuffled, and 32 are unique to House of Fears.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

An updated FAQ for Forbidden Alchemy

Published 6 January 2012 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

An updated FAQ for Forbidden Alchemy

Version 1.1 is now available on the Mansions of Madness support page

Last week, we released the Errata and FAQ for Forbidden Alchemy, the expansion for Mansions of Madness. Today, we present an update to that document.

Based on customer feedback, the new Errata addresses Objective Card 1C in the scenario Lost in Time and Space. Version 1.1 is now available on our support page, or by following the link below.

Forbidden Alchemy Errata and FAQ v 1.1 (pdf, 1.6 MB)

An additional replacement card

Since this new document references an error on an additional card (Lost in Time and Space: Objective 1C), we will include that card in the previously announced list of replacement components. For the complete list of affected components, as well as instructions for receiving replacements, please visit our original article.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Further Details on Forbidden Alchemy

Published 30 December 2011 | Mansions of Madness First Edition

Further Details on Forbidden Alchemy

An FAQ and instructions for receiving replacement components

Last week, it came to light that our initial shipment of Forbidden Alchemy, the recently released Mansions of Madness expansion, contained some errors affecting playability.

We have now concluded an audit of this product and have prepared a full list of any found issues, along with accompanying errata, in the Forbidden Alchemy FAQ v1.1 (pdf, 1.6 MB). FFG will offer free replacement parts to any customers affected by these errors.

How do I know if my copy is affected?

Only the initial shipment of Forbidden Alchemy was affected by the errors listed in the above FAQ. FFG has frozen further shipments of Forbidden Alchemy until we are able to correct the erroneous components. Once corrected, we will resume sales of the game.

To determine whether your copy of Forbidden Alchemy already includes the corrected components, simply check the cover of your included Keeper Guide and Rules of Play/Investigator Guide booklets. If the tag “Revised Printing” appears on their covers, you have a corrected copy and no further action on your part is needed. If such a tag is missing, you have a copy of the initial Forbidden Alchemy shipment. In this case, please read on.

Requesting your replacement Forbidden Alchemy components

FFG will ship free replacement parts (via standard mail) to customers affected by the errors in the initial shipment of Forbidden Alchemy (English Edition). In addition, as an apology for their trouble, such customers will also receive a free copy of FFG’s new Arkham Horror novel Dance of the Damned with their replacement parts (while supplies last).

If you require these replacement components, please contact our customer service department by emailing customerservice@fantasyflightgames.com. In the subject line, type “Forbidden Alchemy Replacement Components” and include your name and mailing address in the body of the email.

We will begin shipping corrected components, along with your copy of Dance of the Damned, as soon as we receive them (please allow 8-10 weeks for production and processing).

Affected customers will receive the following replacement components:

“Wrong Turn” Mythos card
“Bone Saw” Starting Item card
“Sword Cane” Starting Item card
“Studies on Hysteria” Starting Item card
“Memory Hole” Side Effect card
“Return of the Reanimator: Objective 1B” Objective card
“Fire and Vengeance: Return of the Reanimator III” Event card
“It’s Him!: Return of the Reanimator IV” Event card
“Yellow Matter: Objective 1C” Objective card
"Lost in Time and Space: Objective 1C" Objective card (added Jan. 6)
Rules of Play/Investigator Guide book (Revised Printing)
Keeper Guide book (Revised Printing)

For more information on Forbidden Alchemy, including answers to common questions, please visit our support page to download the Forbidden Alchemy FAQ.

We at FFG would again like to apologize for these errors and any inconvenience they may have caused. To those customers negatively affected, we’re committed to regaining your faith and trust.

Discuss this article
in our forums!