Welcome to the umpteenth review of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. I bet this is not the only review you read about this game, since the game is not really new at this point and it seems to be quite popular. Therefore I see no purpose in repeating the rules (if you need them, there's a Learn to Play here, and a Rules Reference here; ignore the second link unless you really feel like a good headache right now). Also I see no point in providing you with pretty pictures (for those, go here).
What I'd like to write about is my reasons why I feel you should - or shouldn't - go down this particular rabbit hole. Especially if you're kinda new to this "LCG" shenanigans.
The dreaded CCG approach
But let me preface with just one thing, just so you know what my particular mindset is (and you can better estimate right away whether you feel my advice is or isn't for you). I thoroughly, THOROUGHLY, despise the so-called "collective card game" (or CCG) approach. I see it as an ultimate bait-and-switch. On the surface, it appears to be offering you a fun, attractive, enjoyable card-game you just can't wait to play. But what lies underneath the shiny, wonderful surface is a scheme fine-tuned to tap into two of your animalistic instincts: the first one being the insatiable need to "collect them all", to finish the set, to feed your inevitable OCD with promises of a "whole" that will never come... and the second one having due with the fact that CCG is basically legalized gambling for kids. Come on, you don't really open those boosters because you want to improve your strategy or make your decks more effective, you open them to feel that rush of excitement, that surge of adrenaline of maybe - just maybe - getting that elusive "rare" card you want so much.
This is the reason why I always had a "love-hate" relationship with Magic:the Gathering. Mostly "hate". On one hand, it's such an ingeniously designed game. It's basically a duel, a fight between two players where the weapons are an incredibly imaginative set of various creatures, spells and whatnot. It's a game that is easy to learn (or at least understand its point), but difficult to master. It's a game with a ruleset which rewards paying attention, studying and being creative. 386
On the other hand, it's a pay-to-win game where you will never - NEVER - play with truly balanced decks. Yes, I'm aware of tournaments, draft approaches and whatnot, but most of us do not play games in a way that involves going to tournaments; if playing games is your hobby, you want to own your own cards, your own decks, and play with friends in your homes, or schools or whatever. And in such environments, the game is pretty much broken. And insanely expensive - the random nature of acquiring cards means that once you dive deep enough you might very easily start spending ridiculous amounts of money and completely lose your sense of perspective what constitutes paying way too much for what are essential pretty pieces of cardboard.
Enter LCG
Well, it seems I am not the only one who saw CCGs to be slightly nefarious (despite the fact they still exist and thrive, but that's another story). Some companies - FFG, to be precise - decided to try a similar approach, but without the ugly gambling aspect and artificially induced concept of "rarity".
Enter the "Living Card Game", roughly the same approach as CCG but - and here's the kicker - without random boosters. Every card is available. Not right away though, and not cheaply. But you always know the price beforehand, and you can calculate in advance how much money it will take to get what you need.
But is it for me (I mean you)?
This is the $1000 question (literally). Should you, or shouldn't you try out an LCG game? Has the switch from CCG to LCG made those games less of a money-grabbing scheme and more in line to what a "classical" boardgame or cardgame represents - essentially a fun platform for social activity and creative puzzle solving?
Let me give you my pros and cons. You may agree, or you may not. If you are on the fence, this may help you. Or it just might confuse you. I may be subjective but - spoiler warning! - I did in the end go down the rabbit hole. Which does not mean I would recommend you do the same - for Arkham LCG, or for other LCGs. Here, I'll focus on Arkham LCG - some things might be transferable to other LCGs, some not. YMMV. 885