Arkham Horror Core Box Differences

Back in 2016 Fantasy Flight Games released the now cult classic Arkham Horror: The Card Game. Since its release, it has had a vast amount of content produced in the form of campaigns, new investigators and scenarios. To play all this wonderful content, you needed a copy of the core box. The game has evolved a lot throughout its life span and Fantasy Flight decided to revise the core box. Today, we are going to talk about everything that has changed in this new box. The game is unchanged and there is already an amazing review of the game available on the Zatu blog, so be sure to check that out. There are a lot of changes to get through so let’s begin. So which to go for, the original Arkham Horror Core Box, or the Revised Edition?

Where To Put Your Money

The elephant in the room is of course the price point. The revised box is more expensive than the original but for good reason. The new core set isn’t just new art and a bigger box, it does have those but there's so much more to it than that. The older box only provided enough cards and tokens to play the game with two players. If you wanted to play with four players, you had to buy a second core box. Those days are gone, the revised core set comes with everything you need to play the game with four players. If you aim to play this game with four, buying the updated version is a substantial saving.

With the pricing aspect out of the way, it will be easier to go through all the changes in a quick-fire list format:-

• Updated Rulebooks:- The rulebooks have been updated and revised to make the game more accessible. The first game set-up section received a makeover and starting your first game is now a breeze.
• Tokens:- There are now over 80 more tokens for you to use, including multi-count tokens for resources and clues.
• Updated Art Work- New and improved artwork for all the investigators and many of the cards in the box.
• The Chaos Bag:- The new box comes with a high-quality pull-cord bag for drawing chaos tokens. Previously you had to devise your own solution for the chaos token mechanic. With this thematic addition, you no longer have to worry about that. The design on the bag is eldritch-themed and glows in the dark too.
• Scenarios are now pre-built:- In the revised set, scenario card decks come pre-built. To me, this demonstrates how this box was designed with the beginner player in mind.
• Box Insert- The revised core set now comes with a custom plastic insert. This insert is amazing for the budding collector of Arkham Horror. This insert is a great platform to start your collection but if you intend to collect everything, you will need a bespoke storage solution. The insert has separate sections, so no more tokens making a mess in the box during transit.

My Recommendation

The original box of Arkham Horror: The Card Game remains a great product. If you are on a budget and hungry to dive into the Arkham Files universe, you will not regret picking it up. It is still the same great game and a great starting point for any would-be Cthulu hunter. That being said the revised box is a better option in every way.

The extra tokens make playing the game a much smoother experience. The cards in the revised set are a much better starting collection if you are planning to buy expansions. This brings me to the biggest weakness both sets suffer from. There are only three scenarios to play through, great scenarios but there is not a lot of replay value here. You will still want to be picking up expansion packs if you intend to play this game long-term. Which for most living card game players is half of the fun (myself included).

The revised set is a much greater collection starter than its predecessor, which is why if your budget can stretch the minor cost increase. I wholeheartedly recommend the new box over its older sibling. There are no cons to the new box, everything great about the previous edition is here and Fantasy Flight made an already great product even better. Thank you for reading my rundown on the starter sets for Arkham Horror, good luck investigating,