Arkham Horror: The Card Game (Revised Core Set)

Setting up Arkham Horror: The Card Game involves selecting an investigator, gathering their respective starter deck and investigator card, and choosing a campaign scenario. The lead investigator is assigned, and chaos tokens are placed into the chaos bag based on chosen difficulty. Players receive starting resources and draw five cards, keeping or replacing them once. Locations, enemy cards, and scenario decks are arranged according to the campaign guide before gameplay begins.

Players take on the roles of investigators working cooperatively to solve occult mysteries in the city of Arkham. The primary goal is to investigate strange occurrences, gather clues, defeat monstrous entities, and advance through the scenario's acts and agendas to uncover the truth behind terrifying supernatural events.

A game round is divided into four main phases: the Investigation phase where players spend three actions to move, draw cards, gain resources, play cards, investigate, or fight; the Enemy phase where enemies ready and attack; the Upkeep phase where players ready cards, draw a card, and gain a resource; and the Mythos phase where doom advances and encounter cards are drawn.

Scoring and success are measured narratively by completing campaign objectives, resolving scenario conclusions, and surviving the horrors of Arkham without being defeated by damage or terror.

The game ends when players complete the final scenario's resolution, successfully concluding the campaign, or when all investigators are defeated, bringing a tragic end to the investigation.