- BGG rating
- 7.8
Rules assistance for Cthulhu: The Harbinger
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 30–150 min
- 14+
Rules assistant for Cthulhu: The Harbinger
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cthulhu: The Harbinger is an expansion for Cthulhu Wars released in 2020 for 2–6 players, 30–150 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
About the game
The Cthulhu: the Harbinger sculpt was a 3D sculpt made for Planet Apocalypse board game. They produced extra copies of the model for backers of a separate Kickstarter campaign. Most are green; 15 backers got to pick any Pantone color except red, and 1 backer got the original red one. Also comes with play cards for its use in Cthulhu Wars, Glorantha: The Gods War, Hyperspace, Planet Apocalypse, Startropolis, and Eternal Adversary.
Questions and answers
Cthulhu: The Harbinger supports 2–6 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: The Harbinger is 30–150 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: The Harbinger 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: The Harbinger belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Economic. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 catalogue lists Cthulhu: The Harbinger as an expansion for Cthulhu Wars. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Cthulhu Wars to use it. Check that your edition of Cthulhu Wars is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.