Cthulhu: Death May Die – Fear of the Unknown

To set up Cthulhu: Death May Die, players first choose one of six scenarios and one of two Great Old Ones from the core box (or expansions). The modular game board is assembled according to the chosen scenario, placing various tokens, monster figures, and investigator miniatures. Each player selects an investigator, taking their dashboard, starting items, and a unique madness card. Monster cards, Mythos cards, Discovery cards, and other game components are shuffled and placed in their designated areas, preparing for the unfolding horror.

The primary objective in Cthulhu: Death May Die is for all investigators to cooperate and prevent a Great Old One from fully manifesting and destroying the world. This is achieved by successfully completing specific scenario objectives to interrupt the summoning ritual. Once the ritual is interrupted, the Great Old One appears on the board, and the investigators must then defeat all of its forms to win the game. Failure to do so results in a collective loss.

A game turn consists of four phases for each investigator: the Action Phase, the Mythos Phase, the Investigate/Combat Phase, and the End of Turn Phase. During the Action Phase, an investigator can perform three actions, which can include moving up to three zones, resting to recover stress or health, exchanging items with other investigators in the same zone, or activating specific scenario effects. In the Mythos Phase, a Mythos card is drawn, triggering events that advance the Great Old One's summoning or introduce new threats. The Investigate/Combat Phase follows, where investigators either investigate their current zone (if safe) to draw Discovery cards or engage in combat with any monsters present. Finally, the End of Turn Phase resolves any lingering effects before the next investigator's turn.

Cthulhu: Death May Die is a fully cooperative game, meaning there is no individual scoring. All players either achieve victory together by successfully defeating the Great Old One, or they all suffer defeat if the game's loss conditions are met. The focus is on teamwork, strategic planning, and collective decision-making to overcome the cosmic horrors.

The game can end in one of two ways: victory or defeat. Players achieve victory if they successfully interrupt the Great Old One's summoning ritual by completing the scenario's objectives, and then subsequently defeat all forms of the Great Old One in combat. Defeat occurs if the summoning ritual is completed before it can be interrupted, or if all investigators are eliminated from the game. If the ritual has been interrupted and the Great Old One is on the board, investigators can continue to fight even if some are eliminated, but if the last investigator falls, it's a loss.