Fantasy Flight GamesArkham Horror: The Forgotten Age Deluxe

TLDR: Very little effort has been made to introduce the game to casual gamers and the first play session is a brick wall that many gamers will not enjoy climbing.This game looks fun and it’s clear it’s the most accessible LCG on the market but after trying to play 1 session some things are very clear:*the gsm of the cards is very low compared to say hogwarts battle or pandemic and protectors will be required for everything since this is the core set, genuine card and token protectors can double the true cost of this product.*there is no dice bag included but it is required, this seems a bit mean.*the rules are very complex, there is a QuickStart guide which is the length of a typical games rules. There is then a 30 page rule book that is simply an alphabetised glossary. The game is pretty much unplayable until you have read and memorised this cover to cover as all the exceptions completely change the gameplay and you will meet exceptions every turn.I would say this is no more complicated than say Hogwarts Battle but HB introduces the rules with such well thought out grace over 10 sessions and Arkham makes no effort to ease into the complexity. Ultimately it is up to the main player to explain the game in it’s entirity to a new player and I could not get my wife to play this game, who happily plays HB and Pandemic. It took me 2 weeks of reading the rules instead of playing to memorise them all.

Bought this about a week ago and my wife and I have played it almost every night. The story is great and the challenge is right up there.We couldn't successfully complete the campaign in our first few plays but it was fun chatting after losing about what we could've done better. Once we tried a different 2 investigators and dumped the suggested original 2 we started to make progress. On our second attempt we absolutely smashed the 1st scenario, scrapped through the 2nd and are playing the 3rd and final one tonight.There's lots of cards that I think will keep replayability high, not to mention the options that the expansions bring to the table.The components are the usual FFG great quality although I would've liked some more resource tokens but that's just nit picking.We REALLY love this game, so much so that the postie delivered the 1st upgrade "The Dunwich Legacy" to us this very morning! I've never bought a game expansion so soon after buying a core set so that should tell you something.If you like The Lord of the Rings LCG or something similar like Warhammer Adventure Card game and enjoy a bit of tension and horror then this game could be right up you street.A keeper!

Lets get the negative out of the way firstThe cons:It has a very steep learning curve, I recommend watching some YouTube videos there are a load of them(the Arkham Chronicle ones are very clear and entertaining to boot) but once you get your head around them you'll be okay.It's brutal... prepare to fail. I have no idea how anyone could survive on hard or expert! But it is very tough.Okay now lets get positive. You maybe wondering why I've given the game 5 stars with cons. It's because once you learn the rules it's not a problem and if I went through the story in one sitting it wouldn't be any fun at all, but for you if you get frustrated with games you can't pick up right away or that are tough on you maybe this isn't the game for you.The Pros:The story is very well done. The artwork on the cards is excellent. The gameplay is loads of fun with unpredictable events and challenges. Don't worry about replay value. Okay once you have played through the first time you will know the story but trying it with different characters and difficulties + deck building and fan made scenarios on boardgamegeek will keep you busy

Once mastered, and it takes some considerable effort to get to grips with the rules, this is a fascinating game, for either one or two people, and no doubt for more with an expanded set. The author of the instructions has taken painstaking efforts to be comprehensive , but I think in a number of ways the material could be simpler and more concrete. It really is a challenge for a total beginner to RPGs. I would have found it helpful if the various units that make up the game, had been clearly identified first. For some time I wrestled with the problem of separating the importance and roles of the two main packs of cards. Act and agent cards are initially bewildering. However, with persistance and probably a little help from a more experienced friend, you will find yourself on the threshold of a fascinating adventure. At first you are treated gently, but darker and weightier challenges await as the campaign progresses. Well worth exploring.

Too many rules and many of those rules are ambiguous. I found myself referring to the rule book, every turn. I prefer games where you spend time playing the game. In this your afternoon is spent watching someone trying to find the relevant paragraph in a tomb of rules and then debating the applicability. Perhaps a good game for buddying corporate lawyers.