
- BGG rank
- BGG #751
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown
- 1–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2024

Rules assistance for Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies is an expansion for Cthulhu: Death May Die released in 2024 for 1–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Rob Daviau and Marco Portugal and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game.
Animal Allies is a Kickstarter Exclusive expansion for Cthulhu: Death May Die. This expansion brings a set of new Relic cards to the game, except, this time, they are animal allies that will join investigators on the board, following them around! The Animal Allies box comes with: 10 Animal Ally figures 5 Relic cards Rules leaflet Animal Allies are a special type of Relic that can be added to the pool of available Unknown Relics. Just like other Relics, each Animal Ally comes in 2 different forms: an initial form and an upgraded form. Unlike other Relics, however, each animal ally is also represented by 2 figures that move around the board (1 for the starting side and 1 for the upgraded side) and interact with enemies. During setup, the starting ally figures are placed on the starting space along with their investigators. From then on, allies move on the board, either following investigators or on their own, attacking enemies, luring monsters away from their tutors, taking wounds instead of investigators, allowing them to reroll, and protecting them against enemies. Allies do not count as figures for game purposes (for example, effects like Psychotic Outbreaks that state “Move to the nearest space with at least 1 figure”. Allies are ignored for this effect), instead, they count as tokens and have their own set of rules for moving. Whenever an investigator leaves a space where there’s an ally, loyal as they are, that ally may follow them (even if the investigator is not the controller of the Relic). In addition, investigators in control of an ally may move their pet companions up to 3 spaces as a free action. This is particularly important, as the placement of each ally is crucial to achieve maximum benefit out of their effects. The connection between animals and their tutors is undeniable, and so, just like with the other Relics, as the investigator’s insanity rises, their ally’s behavior reacts accordingly. Upon reaching the 3rd insanity milestone, the card is flipped, reflecting their tutor’s insanity and a new, upgraded, behavior from their allies. Their figures on the board are also replaced with their upgraded counterpart to represent their state. Conversely, if the investigator is killed, their ally is removed from the board, as they run away in despair. —description from the publisher
Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies supports 1–5 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 Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies is 90 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 Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies for ages 14 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.
Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Horror. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, 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 Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies are: Rob Daviau and Marco Portugal. 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 Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown: Animal Allies as an expansion for Cthulhu: Death May Die. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Cthulhu: Death May Die to use it. Check that your edition of Cthulhu: Death May Die is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.