Game Sets

There are 9 Game Sets to play Eldritch Horror: 1 Core Game, 4 small expansion boxes (card only) and 4 big expansion boxes (card + board or card + mode). Only the core game is required, but you may add one or more expansions to enhance replayability, for new gameplay mechanics or variants, or just to enjoy a different atmosphere and theme.

### Adding Expansions

When playing with one or more expansions, add all expansion components to their respective decks or pools of Eldritch Horror components, including the Unique Assets, Disaster and Devastation decks, the   Focus,  Resources and Impairment tokens, except for the components described below.

* The Round Overview cards can be used by players to quickly reference possible actions (including actions added by expansions), encounters, and Mythos card effects.
* Before setup, players draw one random Prelude card. These cards alter game setup and make each game feel unique.
* The Adventure cards are used by a Prelude card or by  Nyarlathotep. Otherwise, they are returned to the game box.
* The Side Boards and their respective decks, the Clues and Gates that correspond to spaces of the Side Board are used by some Ancient Ones or specific Prelude cards. Otherwise, these components are returned to the game box.
* The Mystic Ruins Encounter cards are used by some Ancient Ones or specific Prelude cards. Otherwise, the deck is returned to the game box.
* If players decide to play with Personal Stories, the corresponding Personal Mission cards are distributed to the players.

## Expansions Guide

### Forsaken Lore

*Main article: Forsaken Lore*
 Forsaken Lore leads investigators through jungle expeditions to defend the world against  Yig; it adds also many encounters of all kinds. This expansion adds nothing more than the extended gameplay for the 4 exising Ancient Ones and is highly recommended. This is the small expansion that adds the most cards. Be careful however because these cards tend to increase drastically the difficulty, and the Ancient One is a tough one. If you do not want to increase the difficulty too much, it is recommended to complement with an expansion that adds Focus mechanics.

**Additional mechanics:** None.

### Mountains of Madness

*Main article: Mountains of Madness*
 Mountains of Madness leads investigators to an expedition to Antarctica causing the  Rise of the Elder Things, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's novel of the same name. It also adds  Ithaqua and many themed cards around expeditions in the icy lands. Gameplay-wise, this expansion is recommended if you want to add the Focus mechanics to your game, as many investigators play around this mechanic. If you want to add multiple expansions, this is a good start, as it does not add too many new mechanics at once. It also adds Gates that may spawn on the Expedition spaces, which makes them a bit less reachable and predictive; and Expedition cards that may occur on the main Cities, which gives the opportunity to have some more reachable Encounters. The Tasks are a good way to diversify the completion of a Mystery, so it tends to make the game easier with these additions, and the Ancient Ones are relatively easy to play against.

**Additional mechanics:** Adventures, Antarctica Side Board, Focus, Preludes, Unique Assets.

### Strange Remnants

*Main article: Strange Remnants*
 Strange Remnants leads investigators to explore remnants of ancient civilizations around the world. It adds  Syzygy, leading to explore Mystic Ruins and find ancient Relics. This expansion is a reliable way to add Focus mechanics to Eldritch Horror and may complement Forsaken Lore. It also adds many powerful Glamour Spells if wanting to give access to spells for less Magic-oriented investigators. The addition of the Focus mechanics tends to make the game easier, but the Ancient One may have a fairly complex strategy to understand for beginners.

**Additional mechanics:** Focus, Glamour Spells, Mystic Ruins, Preludes, Unique Assets.

### Under the Pyramids

*Main article: Under the Pyramids*
 Under the Pyramids leads investigators to explore the Pyramids and remnants of ancient Egypt towards the Black Pharaoh  Nephren-Ka. It also adds  Abhoth, a filthy monstrosity with some original Cultist mechanics. The expansion is more focused on Expeditions, with its Relics and investigators more focused on expeditions and research than magic. It also adds the most Glamour Spells, intended for the non-spellcasters, so it is recommended to add this expansion with Strange Remnants for fully integrated Glamours. Like Mountains of Madness, it adds Gates for the Expedition spaces and Expedition cards for the main Cities, so it is a recommended to add this expansion with Mountains of Madness if you want to diversify the gates/expeditions.
The Impairment mechanic could be harsh, but the Ancient Ones are not too difficult to beat, so it tends to be balanced in terms of difficulty.

**Additional mechanics:** Adventures, Egypt Side Board, Glamour Spells, Impairment, Preludes, Unique Assets.

### Signs of Carcosa

*Main article: Signs of Carcosa*
 Signs of Carcosa leads investigators from cities of the world towards the gates leading to Carcosa. It adds  Hastur, the King in Yellow, spreading madness and having an unusual Mystery mechanic. The expansion adds Talents and Promise of Power which are beneficial Conditions, but it also adds Impairment mechanics and the Ancient One is one of the most hardest to beat; so it is more for veretrans than for beginners. Rather, it is one of the last expansions to add to the game, or reserved if you want to add more challenge.

**Additional mechanics:** Glamour Spells, Impairment, Preludes, Talent Conditions, Unique Assets.

### The Dreamlands

*Main article: The Dreamlands*
 The Dreamlands leads investigators on the border between dream and reality, by encountering  Hypnos into the Dreamlands or facing  Atlach-Nacha, weaver between worlds. This expansion is more generally focused around Gates and Other World Encounters. This is the expansion that adds the most mechanics, including Focus and Talents, but there are no new ones. If you don't want too many extensions, consider adding it to get a glimpse of all the mechanics, but if you want to add more, it is recommended to take it last, since all of these are present in other expansions.

**Additional mechanics:** Adventures, Dream-Quest Encounters, Dreamlands Side Board, Focus, Glamour Spells, Preludes, Talent Conditions, Unique Assets.

### Cities in Ruin

*Main article: Cities in Ruin*
 Cities in Ruin leads investigators through unnatural disasters, caused by  Shudde M'ell. It adds very unique mechanics: Disasters and Devastation, ravaging the main cities of the world. These mechanics really increase the difficulty, but will not be present every game; the other additions, like Expedition Encounters on main Cities, complementing those of Mountains of Madness and Under the Pyramids, will make the investigator's job slightly easier. The expansion is a bit more focused around Talents than Signs of Carcosa and have more original mechanics, so in terms of gameplay it is recommended to add it before Signs of Carcosa.

**Additional mechanics:** Devastation, Disasters, Glamour Spells, Preludes, Talent Conditions, Unique Assets.

### Masks of Nyarlathotep

*Main article: Masks of Nyarlathotep*
 Masks of Nyarlathotep leads investigators on an adventure around the world, chasing the cults of  Nyarlathotep. It also adds  Antediluvium, requiring to explore Mystic Ruins. This expansion is the only big box that does not contain any sideboard; instead it adds a dispensable campaign mode. Besides, it adds resources for an additional action and Personal Stories for more flavor to each investigator, however if you don't have at least 3 or 4 other expansions adding some of these investigators, the majority of the stories are unusable. It also adds Gates that may spawn on more generic spaces. This is the expansion that adds the most cards, but due to the Personal Stories, it is recommended to include this expansion after at least 3 other expansions adding investigators.

**Additional mechanics:** Adventures, Campaign, Focus, Mystic Ruins, Personal Stories, Preludes, Resources, Talent Conditions, Unique Assets.

## List of Game Sets

Eldritch Horror and its Expansion Sets are listed below: