Arkham Horror: The Card Game has a brand new Core Set coming soon. Let’s dive inside to see what’s new with the game!
When it comes to LCGs Arkham Horror: The Card Game is my favorite of the lot. And there’s some really great ones out there. However, I jumped into this game with both feet when it first released and I never stopped. So when FFG said they were releasing the a new Core Set I was intrigued. Some would even say excited. So when they sent me a review copy I might have screamed a little. For joy! I wasn’t scared. You’re scared…yeah. No fear here. Nope. None at all.
Even before I busted this one open I could see some of the differences already. First up, the weight of this was hefty. Secondly, unlike the previous core set, this one is designed for 1-4 players. You don’t need a second set if you want to play with the max player count. And yes, this is still the same game. But there are some nice quality of life improvements as well as card updates.
Before We Dive In
Really quick, before we get into this too far, I want to be upfront. I’m not going to spoil anything major like the campaign or even a bunch of the cards. However, I do have a section below that compares an Investigator to their previous version.
Also I think this new set needs some context in terms of the rest of the game. If you’re not familiar at all with Arkham Horror: TCG then this might not mean much. But this box set essentially picks up after the events of The Drowned City Campaign. And in that campaign, well, Cthulhu comes to Arkham. That’s the short version. On top of that the Campaign had some major impacts on the timeline of Arkham Horror. It’s kind of a “fixed” point now and the storyline has moved past that point with this new Core Set.
I’m trying to be vague about it for the sake of folks who might want to go back and play that Campaign. Or any of the other previous ones for that matter. Because you can. That’s one of the coolest/best parts about this box and all the previous sets. This set is basically a “Chapter Two” for the game and not a new edition.
If you’ve got all of the old sets (like me) or never played before you’re in a good spot. This Core Set is a great box to jump (back) into the game with. So let’s see what it’s packing!
Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Unboxed
Starting off we’ve got a new Rulebook as well as a bunch of updated tokens. Going into the rules, this book is updated from the previous version quite a bit. Fundamentally the game is the same. But I like the format and layout of this one. It’s much more dense than the previous box but that’s not a bad thing. There’s also a lot more info in here for the contents IN this box. Things like whole sections that explain each of the character archetypes with the example decks for them explained.
For veterans of Arkham Horror this should all feel familiar. For new players, these are fantastic “how to play X class” sections. They breakdown the core of those classes and how they help to further the Investigators goals. There’s also the example decks which are all typed out so you can easily rebuild them and play. More on that below.
Rules-wise, again, this is all the same game from before. The Round Sequence is the same with the same four phases (Mythos, Investigation, Enemy, and Upkeep). And the Investigators have the same mechanics as before (you have three actions on your turn, each action you can do is listed and explained). Enemies also have the same core rules from before (which typically means moving towards an Investigator or attacking based on positioning and scenario rules).
You’re Invesigators are still trying to advance the Agenda Deck before the Act Deck completes (or the enemies get you). And yes, the Encounter Decks are still out to get you as well.
For our veteran players out there in the book there’s a whole section going over what’s changed. The biggest things are above. The Current/Legacy Formats. We’ve got updated Skill Tests Indicators (which is really just shorthand language rule clean-up). And also guidance on using modified or reprinted cards. Basically, if you’re using the old versions of a card ,ONLY use the old versions. If you’re using the NEW reprinted versions, ONLY use the reprinted version of that card. If you’ve got different versions of the same card, only use one version and don’t confuse yourself. It’s pretty simple.
Oh and some of the card layouts have been updated but really it’s not that big of a deal. But what IS a big deal are all the new tokens!
Okay, I may have oversold that. But the point is there ARE new tokens. First up we’ve got Connector Tokens! These are great change and I’m glad to see FFG include them as part of the tokens. I know a lot of folks used third party connectors because I’m one of those people. There’s also new player token markers (the colored flashlights) and also a lead investigator token, too.
Oh, and you can use either the mini investigator cards or the player investigator tokens to track your location. Which ever one you prefer. I also like that they carried over the idea of the 3’s and 5’s stacks for the clue/resource tokens. In-all, I really like these updates for the tokens in this set.
There’s also a new Chaos Bag in this box! I know LOTS of folks would bust out the old purple Crown Royal bags or 3rd party bags as well. But now there’s a cloth on in the box. So that’s a nice touch.
Also, yes, that’s the new Campaign Guide. You’ll get no spoilers from me. But I will say this one is closer to the format of the new Campaign boxes vs the old versions (and that’s really good thing). While I might have flipped through this one I have not played it fully yet. So again, no spoilers. But as a long time fan of Arkham Horror, I’m liking this one so far!
“So what about the CARDS in this LCG game?” Great question. Let’s get to those.
This new box does away with the plastic box inserts and now it’s a press-molded paper/cardboard material. This stuff is probably a lot better for the environment if I had to guess. I also like the shapes of the spaces where you’d place cards. It might not seem like much but it’s way easier to get at the cards in this box thanks to those seemingly random arches in the bottom of the image.
As for the cards themselves, well, take a look:
In total, there are 224 Player Cards and another 133 Scenario Cards. There’s five pre-built Investigator Decks each featuring a new/updated Investigator. There’s also dividers for your different Scenario Cards (for better storage later). And there’s a set of mini Investigator cards for use while playing. You do get the three story/campaign missions to play as well so it’s a nice intro/mini campaign right in the box.
And yes, I left the white paper bands on them on purpose. I know many of these cards got spoiled already but for the stuff that HASN’T been spoiled, I don’t want to ruin it for others.
Okay, for this next part, I do want to mention this is about as spoilery as I’m going to get. It’s time to compare an Investigator to their previous version.
Daniela Reyes Investigator Comparison
I figured Daniela Reyes would be a good character to show off. She’s featured on the front cover art and she’s an existing character that we can compare with her previous version.
The new stuff is on the left and the old cards are on the right. Yes, I do have sleeves on a few of her old cards.
The cards here are inside her little packet of cards above except for the mini card. She’s got new art, updated statline, a new Investigator Card (Daniela’s Wrench) and new Investigator Weakness card. In fact, there’s actually two of them in her starter deck. And if you look close, it’s not technically a unique weakness for Daniela specifically. That said, In Harm’s Way is specifically called out as a starter card for her deck.
Again, just for comparison sake, here is here old set of Investigator specific cards. Note the different art, stats, and cards that are included. Furthermore, check out the deck building differences, too:
Side-by-side you can see that while there are similarities, she’s basically a completely new Investigator. I don’t think that’s a bad thing either! The previous version was really a very different and slightly more complicated Investigator. This new version looks like a more traditional Guardian with a simplified set of deckbuilding options. Which makes sense. She’s the archetypical Guardian in the new core set. And again, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Overall, I’m super excited about this box. I’m looking forward to playing this campaign with friends. I feel like I’ll need to play through this version with just the new cards at least one time to see it action. That said, I’m also really excited to bust out some old favorites and give them a go. Shoot, now that I think about it, I’m also wanting to take these new/updated Investigators out for a spin on the OLD campaigns. That could be a little weird with the head-canon and time line, but hey, it’s still a game. You’re allowed to have fun with it!
Arkham Horror: The Card Game Coming Soon!
The new core set has a release date of March 20, 2026. It’s up for pre-order now from Asmodee. Also, it’s worth mentioning that there’s a TON of fancy components coming for Arkham Horror: The Card Game from Gamegenic. If you really wanted to go all out, they make some awesome stuff. I’m eyeing one of those Arkham Horror Game Night Chests myself. It’s not exactly cheap but it’s quality. And it’s perfect for playing Arkham Horror.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game Core Set $69.99
The world has changed. The page has turned. And now, a new chapter awaits.
Introducing the newest core set for Arkham Horror: The Card Game! Serving simultaneously as both a continuation and a fresh starting point, this new core set heralds the beginning of Chapter Two for the game. Taking place several months after the city of Arkham suffered a devastating calamity, this box provides a new introductory campaign, five mechanically-new investigators, and a fresh card pool to expand your collection—or start a new one!
Whether you’re an Arkham Horror veteran or a newcomer looking to get into the game, you won’t want to miss out on this new core set. This core set will replace the Revised Core Set from 2021 and become the new evergreen core experience for the game going forward. That said, all player content in this box is fully compatible with all previously-released Arkham Horror: The Card Game products—it is still the same game, after all!
The Madness Continues!
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Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.
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