The Co-op of Cthulhu

It had been a long night, but a successful one. The group of misfits that had become my party on this adventure had closed gates, portals really, to R’lyeh, the Dreamlands, and Yuggoth. We had faced Deep Ones, Cthonians and cultists…so many cultists. Now, it was almost over. We had sealed five Gates. We only needed to close one more. Just one more portal and the world would be safe for another night.

I couldn’t help. I was beat up and my mind had been stretched to its limit. I rested at Velma’s Diner while the rest of my party went on to other locations. In the end, we chose Jonathan to be our savior. It made sense. He knew more than any of us about the strange events that we had been thrust into that night. Autumn and Erica cleared the path, shooting the otherworldly creatures that had overrun our beloved city. Jonathan had the best chance at success out of everyone. He hadn’t made a misstep all night. With the streets cleared and the well-being of the world in peril, Jonathan jumped through the portal. God knows where he ended up.

I am sure it was only a moment, but it felt like hours. Finally, Jonathan returned with the information that he needed to seal the gate. He sighed with relief and then rolled the dice.

Failure.

With sinking confidence and utter heartbreak, our party was unable to do anything as we watched Cthulhu, the great ancient one, enter our city. We did our best to hold him off; to do the impossible and defeat the ancient and terrible god, but our fate was sealed the moment Jonathan failed his roll. We were doomed to be utterly destroyed or consumed by the madness that Cthulhu inspires.

Luckily, it was all a board game. It was a game called Arkham Horror.

Arkham Horror is a cooperative board game set in the fictional city of Arkham, which was invented by famed, early twentieth-century horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. In the game, players get to walk in the shoes of a Lovecraftian hero as they fight against forces that are more powerful than all of the human race.

In a game of Arkham Horror, players face off against a Mythos Deck to save the city, and the world, from a variety of Ancient Ones. The mythos deck can either penalize or aid players in their quest to save the world. Sometimes fog will appear, making it easier for players to sneak by enemies. Sometimes, though, the planets will align in a strange way, making it impossible for players to use the magical weapons that they need to defend themselves. It is all a matter of luck and the shuffling of the mythos deck.