The Elder Sign Board Game
Elder Sign is a cooperative dice game for one to eight players. Published by Fantasy Flight Games and designed by Kevin Wilson and Richard Launius (the men responsible for Arkham Horror), Elder Sign calls on players to fill the roles of intrepid investigators struggling to defeat the alien menace of the Cthulhu mythos. In order to do so, various adventures will need to be completed and mystical Elder Signs collected. If successful, the group will have the satisfaction of saving the planet. Failure, however, will result in foul, alien things conquering the world and reducing the population to corpses (or worse).
Elder Sign Characters
The
Elder Sign characters will be familiar to anyone who’s played
Arkham Horror or
Mansions of
Madness. That’s because the same artwork is used, as well as
identical character names and descriptions. This might be disappointing to
players looking for greater variety in their Fantasy Flight Games products,
but others may enjoy the continuity. Some of the more popular investigators
in Elder Sign include Harvey Walters (professor), Sister Mary (nun),
Jenny Barnes (heiress), Amanda Sharpe (student) and Dexter Drake (stage
magician).
Each character has a different starting value at stamina and sanity. These values are of great importance during play, as various mishaps and attacks can result in the numbers being lowered. If the sanity or stamina of an investigator is ever reduced to zero, then the character is eliminated from the game.
Elder Sign Game Rules: How to Play Elder Sign
According to the rules of Elder Sign, players begin by selecting their characters and equipment. An Ancient One is then drawn at random, and six adventure cards are dealt as initial obstacles for the group. Players take turns in clockwise order, and they can perform one action per turn. Options include taking on an adventure or heading back to the museum lobby to heal and get help.
After each turn ends, the included game clock is turned forward three hours. When the clock strikes midnight, a Mythos card is drawn and something bad will happen. This will continue for the next twelve hours until another Mythos card is pulled from the deck.
Adventure cards list a series of tasks that must be performed correctly in order to clear the card from the table. Some tasks must be completed in order, while others can be done however the player chooses. The included dice are rolled to resolve tasks, and multiple tasks on an adventure card add to the degree of difficulty. Thanks to the included spell and equipment cards, players can also get re-rolls and bonuses.
\When an adventure has been completed, the player will receive the rewards listed on the card. The most valuable are the Elder Signs (you must obtain a number of these to win the game), but rewards such as clue tokens, equipment, and the ability to re-roll dice also come in handy.
Failure to complete an adventure can result in all manner of misfortunes. The Doom Track may increase, which brings the Ancient One a step closer to invading the planet and ending the game. Other penalties may include the loss of health or sanity, which can eventually result in the untimely demise of your investigator
Elder Sign Expansions
Currently, there are no expansions for Elder Sign. Arkham Horror and Mansions of Madness, meanwhile, have a number of expansions on the market. If you want to play a game that features the Cthulhu mythos but offers a number of supplements, you may want to give these a try. Another option is the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game, which has plenty of adventures set in time periods ranging from the 1920s to modern day.
Elder Sign: Omens
Fantasy Flight Games decided to get involved with the world of mobile gaming by releasing Elder Sign: Omens. It brings all the excitement of the Elder Signs game to your phone or mobile device, and it’s available for the following: iPod, iPhone, Android, iPad and MAC OS X.
Numerous gameplay tutorials are provided, although users initially had some difficulty getting them to play properly. This problem has since been corrected with patches.
The original release only offered Azathoth as the Ancient One, but plans are in place to add Cthulhu and fellow Old Ones. You can choose up to four of the sixteen available investigators, although a true multi-player experience will require you to physically pass the game around to your friends. It works best as a solo game, with rich graphics and unique sounds adding flavor to an already rich setting.
Elder Sign Review
If you’re a fan of Arkham Horror or Mansions of Madness, Elder Sign is a horror game that you won’t want to miss. It uses much of the art and characters from other Fantasy Flight products, but the mechanics have been changed enough to present an original gaming experience. And thanks to the mobile version titled Elder Sign: Omens, gamers on the go can now enjoy a quick battle against the creatures of the Cthulhu mythos.