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Reign of Cthulhu
Z-Man Games · 2016
2–440 min14+ yrs2.2/5 complexity7.4 BGG#565 BGG21,8 KCo-op
⚡ short answer
How do you play Reign of Cthulhu?
The primary objective in Reign of Cthulhu is for two to four players to cooperatively prevent the awakening of Cthulhu and other Old Ones by sealing four gates located across the board. Players must also defeat cultists and Shoggoths that appear, manage their sanity, and avoid running out of game components like cultists or player cards. Successfully sealing all four gates results in a collective win for the players, while any of the failure conditions lead to a loss.
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FromRON 269· 3 shops
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the rules in 60 seconds▶ auto · 1/6
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01
Setup
Players set up the game board with initial cultists and Shoggoths, drawing starting cards from the player and summoning decks.
The rules, step by step
Setup
To set up Reign of Cthulhu, players place initial cultists and Shoggoths on the game board, which depicts Arkham and nearby towns, each assigned a specific color. Players draw a number of cards from the player deck, depending on the player count, and prepare the summoning deck. Gates and bus stations are also set up on the board, providing movement options and objectives. Each player starts with a certain amount of sanity, which can be lost throughout the game due to various events.
Objective
The primary objective in Reign of Cthulhu is for two to four players to cooperatively prevent the awakening of Cthulhu and other Old Ones by sealing four gates located across the board. Players must also defeat cultists and Shoggoths that appear, manage their sanity, and avoid running out of game components like cultists or player cards. Successfully sealing all four gates results in a collective win for the players, while any of the failure conditions lead to a loss.
On your turn
During their turn, each player has four actions. These actions can be used for movement, such as walking to an adjacent location or discarding a card to take a bus between bus stops. Players can also move through gates, but this requires rolling a sanity die, which may result in a loss of sanity. Other actions include defeating cultists (one action) or Shoggoths (three actions) in their current location, and trading relic or clue cards with other investigators in the same location.
Scoring
Reign of Cthulhu is a cooperative game, meaning all players win or lose together. There is no individual scoring. The players achieve victory by successfully sealing all four gates on the board. Conversely, the players lose if Cthulhu, the last Old One, is awakened, if they run out of cultist or Shoggoth figures to place on the board, if the player deck is exhausted, or if all players go insane. The game's challenge lies in balancing these various threats and objectives.
Game end
The game can end in several ways. Players lose if Cthulhu, the final Old One, is awakened, if they need to add more cultists or Shoggoths to the board but there are none left in the supply, if a player needs to draw two player cards but the player deck is empty, or if all players go insane. However, if the players successfully work together to close all four gates before any of these loss conditions are met, they collectively win the game.
Tips
Players should prioritize sealing gates, as this is the main win condition, but must also manage the growing threat of cultists and Shoggoths. Strategic use of relic cards and careful consideration of sanity rolls when moving through gates are vital. Communication and coordination among players are key to success, especially when deciding where to focus actions and how to share clue cards to efficiently seal gates and mitigate emerging crises.
game anatomy
Complexity2.2 / 5
BGG rating7.4 / 10
Vibe
Co-op
Language dependence
Moderate text — a crib sheet helps
Play time
40 min
Players
2–4
Recommended age
14+ yrs
BGG rank
#565
from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
The primary objective in Reign of Cthulhu is for two to four players to cooperatively prevent the awakening of Cthulhu and other Old Ones by sealing four gates located across the board. Players must also defeat cultists and Shoggoths that appear, manage their sanity, and avoid running out of game components like cultists or player cards. Successfully sealing all four gates results in a collective win for the players, while any of the failure conditions lead to a loss.
Q2How do you set up the game?
To set up Reign of Cthulhu, players place initial cultists and Shoggoths on the game board, which depicts Arkham and nearby towns, each assigned a specific color. Players draw a number of cards from the player deck, depending on the player count, and prepare the summoning deck. Gates and bus stations are also set up on the board, providing movement options and objectives. Each player starts with a certain amount of sanity, which can be lost throughout the game due to various events.
Q3How does a turn work?
During their turn, each player has four actions. These actions can be used for movement, such as walking to an adjacent location or discarding a card to take a bus between bus stops. Players can also move through gates, but this requires rolling a sanity die, which may result in a loss of sanity. Other actions include defeating cultists (one action) or Shoggoths (three actions) in their current location, and trading relic or clue cards with other investigators in the same location.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Reign of Cthulhu is a cooperative game, meaning all players win or lose together. There is no individual scoring. The players achieve victory by successfully sealing all four gates on the board. Conversely, the players lose if Cthulhu, the last Old One, is awakened, if they run out of cultist or Shoggoth figures to place on the board, if the player deck is exhausted, or if all players go insane. The game's challenge lies in balancing these various threats and objectives.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game can end in several ways. Players lose if Cthulhu, the final Old One, is awakened, if they need to add more cultists or Shoggoths to the board but there are none left in the supply, if a player needs to draw two player cards but the player deck is empty, or if all players go insane. However, if the players successfully work together to close all four gates before any of these loss conditions are met, they collectively win the game.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
Players should prioritize sealing gates, as this is the main win condition, but must also manage the growing threat of cultists and Shoggoths. Strategic use of relic cards and careful consideration of sanity rolls when moving through gates are vital. Communication and coordination among players are key to success, especially when deciding where to focus actions and how to share clue cards to efficiently seal gates and mitigate emerging crises.
Q7How much does Reign of Cthulhu cost?
Reign of Cthulhu costs between 269 and 319 RON across Romanian stores.
Q8Where can I buy Reign of Cthulhu cheapest?
The lowest price for Reign of Cthulhu right now is 269 RON at Dragon Games. The Prices tab lists every store currently tracking it.
Q9How do you play Reign of Cthulhu?
Reign of Cthulhu is a horror game, for 2–4 players, taking ~40 minutes, featuring action points. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Reign of Cthulhu — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q10How many players does Reign of Cthulhu support?
Reign of Cthulhu is played by 2–4 players.
4 shops
All prices
4 shops · sorted by priceupdated today
Dragon GamesCHEAPESTEnglish edition
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu (Limba Engleza)
free over RON 199
● in stock
RON 269
Regatul JocurilorEnglish editioneasyboxCultural voucher
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu (English Edition)
free over RON 149
● in stock
RON 319
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Price history
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Price trend over the last 90 days: minimum 183 lei, maximum 288 lei, now 230 lei.
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