| 👨👩👧👦 | Players: 2-6 |
| ⏳ | Time: 15-20 mins |
| 🎂 | Ages: 14+ |
| ⚙️ | Mechanisms: Hand management, take that, player elimination, score and reset |
Would you investigate a mystery if there was a risk you could go insane? That’s exactly what you’ll do in Arkham Horror: Lovecraft Letter from Zman Games.
Arkham Horror: Lovecraft Letter is a 2-6 player card game that has you investigating within the Cthulhu mythos. Each turn, you play a card that will help you deduce, bluff, or push your luck as you work to uncover the mysteries of these ancient horrors. But investigating while the Old Ones are lurking comes with risk…
Lovecraft Letter has two types of cards: Arkham cards (with a Sane effect), and Other World cards (with a Sane and an Insane effect). You are Sane when you begin, and must play the Sane actions of the cards. But, when you play an Other World card, you lose your grip on reality and drift into Insanity. In Lovecraft Letter, Insanity comes with both risk and reward.
Playing an Other World card lets you use the more powerful Insane effects of Other World cards on future turns. However, you must also conduct a sanity check at the start of each turn, putting you at risk of being eliminated from the round. But never fear, not all is lost if you are insane; you can still win!
Players win (regardless of Sanity status) by knocking all other players out of the round or having the highest value card when the round ends. The first player to reach 2 wins while Sane, or 3 wins while Insane, wins the game.
I adore the Love Letter series, and this version is no exception. I’ve often heard complaints that the Cthulhu mythos is overused. However, in the case of Lovecraft Letter, the theme is well integrated into the mechanics and helps to create an extra level of tension.
The simplicity of the Love Letter franchise is excellent for introducing newbies to gaming. The small step up in complexity in Lovecraft Letter means this is unlikely to be my first pick for brand-new gamers. However, as a seasoned Love Letter player, I really enjoy the extra challenge, and I’ll definitely be tabling this version often.
If you enjoy Love Letter and are looking to spice up your gameplay a bit, this is definitely one to check out.
You can see this post on Instagram here. Check out the publisher’s website for further information about Arkham Horror: Lovecraft Letter.
The copy of Arkham Horror: Lovecraft Letter used for this review was provided to Board All The Time by VR Distribution.
The Boardgame Detective 