- BGG rating
- 7.6
Elder Sign: Unseen Forces
- 1–8 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #806
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Elder Sign
2011
Rules assistance for Elder Sign
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Elder Sign
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Elder Sign is a board game released in 2011 for 1–8 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Kevin Wilson and Richard Launius and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Die Icon Resolution.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Elder Sign: Gates of Arkham
- 1–8 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2015
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Elder Sign: Grave Consequences
- 1–8 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Elder Sign: Omens of Ice
- 1–8 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Elder Sign: Omens of the Deep
- 1–8 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Elder Sign: Omens of the Pharaoh
- 1–8 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2018
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #494
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Arkham Horror
- 1–8 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2005
- BGG rank
- BGG #356
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Arkham Horror (Third Edition)
- 1–6 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,915
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Batman: The Animated Series Adventures – Shadow of the Bat
- 1–5 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,381
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Spire's End: Hildegard
- 1–2 players
- 30–180 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,519
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Dungeons & Dragons: Tomb of Annihilation Board Game
- 1–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,073
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Run Fight or Die: Reloaded
- 1–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #80
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Mansions of Madness: Second Edition
- 1–5 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,453
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Dungeons & Dragons: Waterdeep – Dungeon of the Mad Mage Board Game
- 1–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #234
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Descent: Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition)
- 1–5 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,766
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Wonder Book
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #37
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Too Many Bones
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #167
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Too Many Bones: Undertow
- 1–2 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2018
About the game
Game description from the publisher: It is 1926, and the museum's extensive collection of exotic curios and occult artifacts poses a threat to the barriers between our world and the elder evils lurking between dimensions. Gates to the beyond begin to leak open, and terrifying creatures of increasing strength steal through them. Animals, the mad, and those of more susceptible minds are driven to desperation by the supernatural forces the portals unleash. Only a handful of investigators race against time to locate the eldritch symbols necessary to seal the portals forever. Only they can stop the Ancient One beyond from finding its way to Earth and reducing humanity to cinders. Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of Arkham Horror. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient One. Armed with tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game. To locate Elder Signs, investigators must successfully endure Adventures within the museum and its environs. A countdown mechanism makes an Ancient One appear if the investigators are not quick enough. The investigators must then battle the Ancient One. A clever and thematic dice mechanism pits their exploration against monsters and the sheer difficulty of staying sane and healthy, all within the standard game duration of one to two hours.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- Arclight Games
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Wargames Club Publishing
- Galápagos Jogos
- Hobby World
- ADC Blackfire Entertainment
- Fantasy Flight Games
- Heidelberger Spieleverlag
- Galakta
- Geekach LLC
- Stratelibri
Questions and answers
Elder Sign 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 Elder Sign 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 Elder Sign for ages 13 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.
Elder Sign has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Elder Sign belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Die Icon Resolution. 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 Elder Sign are: Kevin Wilson and Richard Launius. 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 Elder Sign 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.