In the first episode of the Arkham Horror retrospective series, Daniel introduces the journey through the Arkham Horror family of board games. This series will explore various iterations of the game, starting from the first edition. Daniel clarifies that the retrospective will not cover the Living Card Game or Mansions of Madness’ first edition in detail. The episode begins with an interview with Richard Launius, the creator of Arkham Horror’s first edition, offering insights into the game’s origins and development.
Daniel also discusses plans for the series, including a deep dive into Arkham Horror’s second edition, which will cover the base game and all expansions. The retrospective will then explore Elder Sign, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness second edition, and Arkham Horror third edition. Throughout the series, Daniel aims to celebrate each game’s unique offerings and avoid the common “edition wars.”
Alongside the games, the series will delve into the Cthulhu Mythos fiction that inspired these games, ultimately providing a comprehensive reading list. Future episodes will feature thematic discussions, such as favorite locations in Arkham, investigator rankings, and a top 10 Mythos movies list. The series is expected to span a year, with new episodes released twice a month, ensuring a thorough exploration of the Arkham Horror universe.
This episode concludes with the highly anticipated interview with Richard Launius, setting the stage for the rest of the series.
Thought this youtube exultation of @Dungeondive was worthy of a quick report:
I apologize for the long post, I didn’t have time to write a shorter one.
I have been following the Dungeon Dive for years and I can say without a doubt that this is one of the best videos you’ve ever made. In some of your earlier videos you talked about the Dungeon Dive being a kind of digital museum or archive for your favourite aspects of the hobby and I think this video is the ultimate example of achieving that goal.
I also think the idea of creating a curated list of Mythos fiction for board gamers is an incredible idea and would fill a gap that has been present in the hobby for far too long. I own a multitude of Mythos board games and while they all throw out tons of references, very few provide actual reading lists so that players can have some context for the Hounds of Tindalos or the Yellow Sign. If you were to make a “Board Gamer’s Mythos Reading List” I could really see that becoming the Lovecraftian equivalent of “Appendix N” from original D&D.
It was very cool to see the first edition laid out on the table and learn how it plays. As a bit of a collector, I’ve always been subtly tempted to spend way too much money to track down a copy. But after seeing it played I think I’ll stick with the 2nd and 3rd editors. A lot of great ideas were in that 1st edition, but it clearly benefited from a bit more polish.
I understand that the response to this video has been somewhat muted compared to the amount of time and effort that I am sure you poured into it. I would also completely understand if you were to cut short your very ambitious road map and focus on easier to produce content that appeals to a larger audience. But for my part I would encourage you to press on. I think the deep dive you have outlined could become the premier analysis of Cthulhu Mythos board games on the internet and a kind of “required viewing” for those interested in the history of this little corner of the hobby.
Great work as always, looking forward to what comes next!
I would recommend EH over AH simply because it’s still in print and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I think over all it is a “better” game in terms of mechanisms, but it is also one that takes a longer time to set up and organize because you have to create sub-decks for the Great Old Ones.
