Arkham Horror: The Last Hour

"Arkham Horror: The Last Hour" is a fast cooperative board game where investigators must hold back the onslaught of monsters and search for clues necessary to reverse the ritual. The amount of time is limited; you must complete the task in just one hour (8 rounds), or you will face defeat. The game has nothing to do with the other game "Arkham Horror" apart from the setting – the action takes place in the world of H.P. Lovecraft, where ancient and forgotten horrors lurk behind the veil of reality, and detectives balance on the brink of madness.

 

The game challenges players to face several Ancients, among which, of course, is Cthulhu. Players choose one of six investigators, each of whom has their own strengths. One of the features of the game is the apparent rush – in one hour, you need to do a lot, which limits players' means of communication. It is not allowed to discuss in advance who will play which card! For this purpose, special priority cards are used to indicate to the team how important your action choice is for survival. Thus, players will have to rely on logic, intuition, and a sense of camaraderie!

Additionally, the game supports a single-player mode.

 

How to play?

Each player chooses one of the unique investigators and takes their action deck. One of the Ancients is selected for the game. The game takes place on the campus map of Miskatonic University, which is divided into fifteen locations where the investigators will move. The main objective of the game is to hold back the onslaught of monsters while exploring locations to determine which ritual symbols you need to reverse the ritual. This is done by excluding possible options.

In the first phase of each of the eight rounds, players can move, fight monsters, and explore new locations. The second phase is the Ancient phase, during which monsters appear, and negative effects are triggered.

Each played card has two effects, one of which is safe, while the other allows monsters to take control of a location and gives investigators more insight into the ritual. Which effect will be played depends on the players' priority cards, which are played simultaneously with the first card. This is the only means of communication for players.

Once the players decide they have explored enough, they can attempt to cancel the ritual. To do this, they must be sure that players hold enough cards with the necessary symbol. A mistake could cost humanity its very existence!

Who won?

All players win and lose together. To win, it's necessary to play enough cards with the correct symbol. Investigators lose in three cases: if they make a mistake while canceling the ritual, if one of the investigators loses health, or if one of the locations is fully taken over by monsters.

Note! This is a standalone game in the world of the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft. The base games "Arkham Horror" and "Eldritch Horror" are not required.