
Tokyo Horror
- 2–8 players
- 1988

1987
Rules assistance for Arkham Horror
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Arkham Horror is a board game released in 1987 for 1–8 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Richard Launius, Sandy Petersen, Charlie Krank, and Lynn Willis and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Role Playing, and Cooperative Game.
Arkham Horror is a cooperative adventure game themed around H.P Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. The game has players exploring the town of Arkham as they attempt to stop unmentionable horrors from spilling into the world. It's possible for everyone to go insane and lose in this game. Re-implemented in: Arkham Horror (2005)
Arkham Horror supports 1–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Arkham Horror is 180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Arkham Horror for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Arkham Horror has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Arkham Horror belongs to these categories: Horror, Adventure, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Role Playing, and Cooperative Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Arkham Horror are: Richard Launius, Sandy Petersen, Charlie Krank, and Lynn Willis. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Arkham Horror as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.