The King in Yellow

Madness reigns in The King in Yellow expansion for the Arkham Horror board game. Released in June of 2007, this supplement was the third expansion to hit the market, following Curse of the Dark Pharaoh and Dunwich Horror. While the latter came with a new board to play alongside the original, The King in Yellow is a card-only expansion. There is, however, a major development in the evolution of the game thanks to the Herald card, a devious addition that can result in the doom track increasing alongside the terror track (as well as a number of other nasty surprises).

This page looks at the origins of The King in Yellow, as well as the components contained within the Arkham Horror expansion set. Rule variants are covered, as well as to two styles of play. If you’ve been sitting the fence on whether or not to increase your Arkham Horror collection, this review might help make up your mind.

The King in Yellow - Premise and Origin

The King in Yellow Expansion ReviewThis expansion is set in Arkham and begins with noted director Hildred Castaigne bringing his version of the play The King in Yellow to America for the first time. Set in a fictional kingdom, the play is said to deal with issues of profound loss, and the second act introduces bizarre philosophies that cause madness within the audience. Not coincidentally, the play’s recent run in Paris was followed by a wave of violence and chaos throughout Europe. When the citizens of Arkham begin to exhibit the same symptoms, it’s up to our intrepid investigators to put an end to this latest menace.

While it is associated with the Cthulhu Mythos, The King in Yellow was originally created by Robert W. Chambers in 1895. H.P. Lovecraft later incorporated elements such as the Yellow Sign in his short story “The Whisperer in Darkness.” The relationship between the works was further established in the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, where the tattered King in Yellow is revealed to be an avatar of the entity Hastur.

The King in Yellow Game Components

The King in Yellow expansion set includes the following components:

If you’re a veteran Arkham Horror player, you’ll be familiar with the way that most of the cards work. There are, however, some new additions that you should be aware of:

Magical Effect Cards - When certain spells are cast, these cards represent a lasting magical effect created by the spell.

Act Cards - These cards represent three acts of game-play, with the final card being a packed performance of The King in Yellow and the end of Arkham. One of these cards is resolved each time a certain mythos card is drawn, although players have the option to remove these cards from the deck and proceed without them. When the final act is played, the game is immediately over and the players lose.

Herald Sheet - This sheet can be used with any Ancient One, and it simulates a malignant being who’s paving the way for the elder horror. In this expansion, the King in Yellow acts as the herald.

Riot Monster Markers - These creatures are not added to the monster cup. Instead, they appear under special circumstances and do not count against the monster limit.

Blight Cards - Each time a yellow sign token is played on the terror track, a blight card is introduced into play. These cards represent citizens of Arkham who’ve gone mad after seeing a performance of The King in Yellow. Each of these cards causes permanent complications for the group.

Playing Styles for Arkham Horror

Two play styles exist for this version of Arkham Horror. One is the permanent performance style, while the second is the touring performance style. The latter simulates that The King in Yellow will be performed in Arkham for a while before moving on to another city. Cards from both the basic and expansion decks are shuffled separately, and all expansion cards are placed on the top of each deck. This style is more challenging and suggested for experienced players.

The permanent performance style indicates that the play has become a routine part of Arkham life. Shuffle the expansion cards into the base Arkham cards, ensuring that players will have new encounters alongside more familiar ones. If you’re new to the game, this is the suggested method of play.

Using the Herald Variant

The King in Yellow is not the Ancient One who players must ultimately battle. Instead he acts as the herald of a foul being from beyond the stars, preparing the way for their eventual conquest of Earth. If you choose to play with the Herald variant, expect a greater degree of difficulty during game-play.

When setting up the game, the Herald sheet will be placed next to the Ancient One that was randomly selected, with 10 Yellow Sign tokens placed in the upper left corner. The Blight cards will be shuffled and placed next to the Investigator deck, while the riot monster markers are also placed nearby.

As the terror level rises during play, players will have to choose between placing a Yellow Sign token on the doom track or the Terror track. Placing it on the terror track requires that a blight card be drawn and placed next to the Herald sheet. Blight cards cannot be eliminated once they are in play, and their effects can range from raising the terror level to causing chaos in the streets (in the form of riot monster markers).

The King in Yellow Review

The King in Yellow expansion for Arkham Horror pushes heroic investigators to the boundaries of human endurance (both mental and physical). If they succeed, the streets of Arkham will once again be rendered safe (at least until the next crisis), while failure will result in rampant madness and the mind-shattering rise of the Old Ones. Victory isn’t guaranteed, but the attempt should provide hours of fun.

The suggested retail price of $27.99 is reasonable, but you can get a copy of this for $19.99 at Amazon (at the time of this writing, at least.) For $20, it's an excellent value.