
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,698
- BGG rating
- 8.1
The Bad Karmas and The Curse of the Zodiac
- 1–5 players
- 40–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2024

2025
Rules assistance for The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu is a board game released in 2025 for 1–5 players, 40–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Davide Garofalo and Riccardo Landi and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
The Bad Karmas and The Curse of Cthulhu is the new installment in The Bad Karmas series. Once again the fate of humanity is at stake but this time the fight is against Cthulhu and many other Great Old Ones! In this fourth, standalone volume our beloved heroes find themselves in the 1920s, a world where obscure cults and cosmic horrors are spreading, and ancient, otherworldly powers are awakening. This time, The Bad Karmas have to keep their sanity and avoid falling into madness. As the madness rises, heroes can unlock special “last resort” actions that could help during the fight, but by reaching their madness limit they will suffer major setbacks for the remainder of the battle. The Bad Karmas and The Curse of Cthulhu is a cooperative tactical boss-battle board game, made even more immersive thanks to integration with the Teburu system, which automatically handles rules, effects, and story developments. This allows players to focus on tactics, cooperation, and narrative choices without slowing down the flow of the game. Work together to defeat the Great Old Ones who evolve and respond in real-time to player actions, and live a one-of-a-kind, immersive gaming experience. Volume 4 box includes: - 3 unique Great Old Ones (Cthulhu, Hastur, Ithaqua) - 4 new Golden Age Heroes (the Gangster, the Explorer, the Detective, the Mystic) - 2 double-sided board maps - environmental elements standees —description from the publisher
The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu 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 The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu is 40–90 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 The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu 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.
The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. 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 The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu are: Davide Garofalo and Riccardo Landi. 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 The Bad Karmas and the Curse of Cthulhu 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.