Despite no official announcement, I'm reasonably confident that there will be more Arkham expansions. I believe there was a report to that effect from Arkham Nights, and, well, FFG knows that the lot of us are probably going to be buying them. There is, of course, much speculation on what's coming next, but I'd be interested to know what people want to come next. What is your vision for the future of Arkham?

Personally, I'm all for more expansions. Many more. But I think FFG should mix things up somewhat. Miskatonic broke a lot of the rules that governed expansions in the past, and I'd be interested to see more "different" expansions in the future. Specifically, the new expansions should include material for older ones. They don't have to go full-on Miskatonic and include material for all the old expansions, they just shouldn't be quite so base game-centric as the past ones have been; they could include Location cards for boards other than Arkham, for example. Speaking of which, the new expansions should also severely reduce the constant cascade of Mythos, Location, and Gate cards. Each expansion should include only a scant few, all of them highly thematic, unique, and interesting. (That means no encounters that say "You are delayed," "You gain/lose Stamina/Sanity," or "You gain/lose a particular kind of item," or have you make a check to avoid/attain one of the above. We have enough of those already. I'm envisioning something like the Innsmouth Gate Cards for the Gates; the Locations, of course, don't have space for encounters that lengthy, but they should still be unusual.)

Since I like to ramble, here's my more detailed vision for the next few expansions: the next expansion should be a Miskatonic-style big box (which is to say a non-traditional big box). It should include very few Locations, Mythos, and Gates and a great many items; in particular, it should have a large number of useful spells to counterbalance the significant quantity of useless ones already released. There should also be a great deal of monsters (because, in my humble opinion, one cannot have enough monsters), and some AOs as well. I'm on the fence about investigators; I'm not sure there are enough potential concepts/abilities left to make interesting, useful characters, and, quite frankly, I don't want another Patrice. The expansion should also have a major new mechanic, not necessarily related to a new board, but game-changing an dangerous (perhaps something akin to KiY's Acts). Lastly and most importantly, the expansion should have new Guardians and Institutions.

Following that, I'd like some more small boxes. I think we're good for generalist mechanics (like Relationships, Stories, the new gates, Injuries/Madnesses, etc.) so the small boxes should include mechanics linked to the theme, like those in the new Dark Pharaoh. Out of the remaining base game AOs (which seems to the pattern they're following for selecting small box themes), I'd like to see expansions for Yig and Cthulhu. Yeah, I know, Innsmouth was sort of Cthulhu's expansion, but Dunwich was essentially Yog-Sothoth's, and he still got Lurker. Besides, Cthulhu is only name-checked in "The Shadow over Innsmouth"; I'd like something based on his debut story. Specifically, I'm envisioning (for either the Herald or the general mechanic) something involving dreams of madness inflicting sensitive minds, maybe something like a cross between Hypnos and Corruption. Not really sure what the mechanic/Herald for Yig would be, though.

After a few expansions, there should be yet another expansion expansion like Miskatonic, covering all expansions released so far. It doesn't have to emulate Miskatonic by including more cards for the unique decks introduced in each expansion (although it could); I'm thinking more like an updating/spin on/complication of the unique mechanics for each expansion (like what Miskatonic did with the Acts). The most important element of this (and, if I'm being honest, the reason I propose this expansion in the first place) would be a new mechanic for Black Goat that would ensure Cult Encounters and Corruptions might actually make an appearance in your average game.

Well, that was rather longer than I had originally intended. At any right, I pass the metaphorical baton (or microphone, or what-have-you). What do you want to see out of the upcoming expansions?

A good series of Nyarly related things. Heralds for each of the existing Masks. Nasty Heralds, giving Nyarly the dignity he should have. And possibly a modified Nyarly as well, with a longer Doom track (12 or 13) and some doomers boosting mechanic related to his Heralds.

A Yig or Ithaqua themed expansion would be really appreciated as well. O some expansions with Heralds / AOs / Institutions / Guardians (mid sized expansions, the size of the deluxe expansions of FFG's LCGs).

And I'd like to see an investigators pack, with good investigators starting from other boards locations as well.

But above all, I'd really like to see a complete FAQ out

To me, the question is, what weaknesses of the game remain that can be rectified with an expansion? I'd love to see the Monster Limit and the Outskirts Limit done away with and replaced with vortexes. But an expansion that did that would mess up too many mechanics and cards. More monsters would be good, but only for variety's sake. It's not like there's any glaring gaps in the current set of monsters. I like the idea of better spells. But Lurker and the new Dark Pharaoh already gave us some nice spells, and I've already removed the weaker spells from my spell deck. I guess they could give us "better" versions of combat spells like Wither, Shrivelling, and Dread Curse, that give a +4, +7, or +10 combat bonus.

King in Yellow fixed the Terror Track. Kingsport fixed final battles. Innsmouth gave us a very volatile board. The DOR track fixed the problem where you get a free pass if a gate opens on an elder sign. Personal stories balanced investigators (well, usually) and offered an additional layer of strategy. Black Goat gave a challenging option for speed players. Lurker's Pacts gave us even more strategy (though it has to be fixed with fan created heralds). Lurker's relationships and spells encourage interaction between players. So what's left?

I play with an Omens variant, where the identity of the AO is gradually revealed over the first 3-4 turns. Omens might be popular in an expansion. Like Julia said, Nyarly needs some help. I think all he really needs is more and nastier Mask monsters. I like your idea of dream-corruptions for Cthulhu. But does the game actually need these things, or would they just be icing on the cake?

One thing the game could really use is a secret traitor mechanic, like Battlestar Galactica and (sometimes) Mansions of Madness. It might not take much. It could be that everyone secretly gets a loyalty card at the beginning of the game. Every few games, someone gets a card that says, "You win if the investigators lose." Trouble is, it's unclear what would happen if the traitor gets found out.

Revamped Tasks and Missions would be helpful in games with six or more players. Sometimes, with large groups, some players aren't needed for clue gathering or for monster hunting. It would be good to give those players something to do. I guess Rift duty already does that, sort of.

At this point, I don't feel the need for another expansion if the main thing that it will offer is more variety. We already have lots of variety.

Alternate Personal Stories. (Yep, harping on this again.) But it's not just for various fixes (although clearly that is my motivation). Another part is taking out the predictability of "how to play this Investigator". (Android Investigators have three possible stories; two are randomly drawn for any given game.) In fact, it might be best to not even change the AH flavor text at all, just the conditions, so it's not the same set of tasks EVERY TIME. And then, after achieving a Pass or Fail, receiving one of a few random results, so you don't know which reward or penalty you're going to end up with. There's got to be a few ways to interpret the end of the stock stories on the backs of Investigators.

(And then I can burn the stories I don't like. )

Beyond that, I'm with Julia on the idea of small boxes devoted to specific Ancient Ones: Yig and Ithaqua foremost, but I'd love ones for Shudde and Glaaki too. I've also thought about little pocket boards with one or two Other Worlds on them, so as to be able to play with "Another Carcosa Time" and "UnderKadath" without using the town (whole board). Or maybe even new dimensions with cards to match; that may be the best way to have an Antarctic site and cards.

Julia: You know, the one thing I forgot to mention was a power boost for Nyarlathotep. Although I suppose the easiest way would be just to make him the Arkham Nights AO next year.

jgt7771: You know, your mention of Antarctica gives me an idea. I don't know how close it is to what you intended, but I'll put it out there anyway: an expansion that included a board vastly geographically removed from Massachusetts could also include a number of new Split Gates. Then, when the game began, you would place the gates on the new board. These gates would not count against the limit, but emerging from them and going through them would be the only way to travel to and from the new board, with the possible exception of a few encounters. The new board would also include a mechanic that, while not terribly dangerous, would have to be dealt with eventually (the Elder Things Rising track, perhaps?).

Was there really an indication at Arkham Nights that there will be more expansions? I mean, it wouldn't surprise me, but the only thing I've heard recently is Richard Launius saying that he believes that AH is, in essence, finished with Miskatonic. I've heard some vague allusions to a possible reboot using the AH system in a new location (Antarctica?), so I suppose that's a possibility.

I'd like to see a new box type, the medium box (akin to the size of the Elder Sign box). Especially with new characters like investigators, GOOs, heralds, guardians, monsters, allies, etc. More items would be good, as someone else suggested. But please, no more encounters of any kind (location, Other World). There are already way more than enough of those. And yes, a new set of Personal Stories would be great.

I could also see them releasing different "investigator packs" every once in a while with 4 investigators, their minis and their Personal Stories. I suppose they'd probably have to include not only the minis but also the original markers, in case people don't have any of the minis. Or maybe there could be two different price-points, with minis ($25-30) and without ($15-20). And by the same token, there could be "GOO packs," with a few new GOOs and their plot cards and spawn monsters and such. Or a combination pack with 4 investigators and 2 GOOs. The thing is, even if the game is not really "expanded" any more in terms of boards and mechanics and cards, there's always room for new characters, IMO, and plenty of ideas for interesting things, as the Fan Creations forum is evidence of. It would surprise me if FFG doesn't at least produce some new investigators and GOOs now and then to keep the AH money flowing.

I seem to recall that there was somewhere a vague mention of "future Arkham Horror projects" that FFG might or might not be working on, with the strong implication being that they were working on them. I could be wrong, though (like last time).

I still think that a cursed item mechanic would be lots of fun. If there were detrimental items placed in the item decks that you *had* to take if they came up, that had negative effects. Plus it'd add to the theme.

Hey, we've got useless items. So we're already halfway there, in a sense.

Walk said:

::standing ovation::

When I discovered this game, I was fascinated by the diversity and the thematic appeal of it. The first expansions were really something into that regard. Playing with only encounters and mythos from dark pharaoh or king yellow makes a really immersive game. Then, slowly came all the other expansions that had no theme whatsoever... black goat, lurker and more recently miskatonic. The only thematic element to them is either a herald or an institution. Although they can be used to design new heralds/scenarios that have more thematic appeal (e.g. using the corruptions), playing them as it without their herald is not worth it.

What I would be excited about is a new small-box expansion with a strong thematic coherence in it. I mean with dedicated encounters, mythos, etc. Not just a new boring mechanics add-on. For me this game is not interesting as a strategy game (there are tons of better ones in that regard, starting with chess ^^), so please ffg, do not leave theme aside.

Small-box, new monsters, new Personal Stories...lotsa cool-looking pieces!

Walk said:

;') Yes, but I want items that make you lose sanity in the game, not just in real life.

amikezor said:

Um, yeah, I could see that. I think you're going a little too far in implying that Arkham Horror is about theme, but not mechanics. If theme is what you want, then don't play the game. Just use the cards as inspiration for campfire ghost stories or the like. Or play Arkham Investigations. I personally think that mechanics are one way to provide theme. But I see what you're saying that a thematically coherent expansion would provide value even if it didn't have any new mechanics. It would basically be like another novel in a series. I do wonder if an expansion without new mechanics would be seen as boring. The flavor text would be interesting, but the gameplay would be just the same old same old.

Also, I think the base game plus Innsmouth is very thematic and immersive. All the locations in Innsmouth fit together in a specific way. Even if you aren't one of the investigators that gets up to Innsmouth, you'll still feel the theme, with flooded streets and strange plagues and the like.

Truthfully, this is what I expect for the future of Arkham Horror:

Arkham Horror revised/second edition

Now, I also don't think this is a scary as it sounds at first. Because I don't see a 2nd Edition being a reboot of the game, but rather a cleaning up of the game. Fixing some rules issues, changing some game effects, and redesigning the item cards from the base game (and getting rid of or fixing the crummy items and spells).

Then, releasing an "upgrade" kit (like they are doing for Descent 2E or Talisman) for those of us who have AH1.

Let's face it. There are issues, some major, some minor, that we'd all like to see fixed in AH. And the rumored FAQ has never come out, regardless of how many times it is "imminent." An AH R/2E would solve that, and could include the FAQ that we need. Plus, done correctly (and by correctly, I would say releasing the game as "revised" is correctly) it would not alienate the community or make existing expansions obsolete. That is the big thing in regards to a "new" version of AH - do not make the existing content unusable with a new version.

I would also like to see more specific expansions for this game. The Investigator and GOO packs are great ideas. I'd also like to see more small box expansions that are stronger developing their theme (more King in Yellow, less Black Goat, although I think MH helped BG out). I think with the small box scenarios there is a huge option to create thematic releases for the game, and I really feel that FFG is missing the boat by not developing these to a greater degree.

Been jealous of the COC Card Game for a long time- they seem to get a new "Asylum Pack" of cards every week or so. It'd be neat if they did that for Arkham Horror too... instead of a full-blown expansion it could be a pack of Unique Items with a theme, or a pack o' monsters, etc....

JerusalemJones said:

That's the problem, though. You can't fix something without changing it. I once had a job where I was supposed to fix a problem without changing anything. It took me about ten seconds to realize that the powers that be didn't actually see that there was a problem. So, if you fix the crummy items and spells, then all the current crummy items and spells will get stuck in a drawer and will never be used. People don't want to stick all their cards in a drawer and never use them again. If people have to buy the whole game again, they'll wonder why they bought Miskatonic Horror in the first place.

I'd like to see an Akrham Horror version 2.5... if it's the exact version 2.5 that I want to see. If it's someone else's vision for a 2.5., then I'll say **** it, I'll just keep the game I've got now with my own house rules. I'm not going to shell out another $150 or whatever if the new version pisses me off as much as the old one does.

But then everyone else on the forums will pay $150 for the new crappy version, and then I'll probably pay $150 for the new crappy version just so I'll know what the **** people are talking about. I wonder what kind of car Kevin Wilson drives. It's probably a pretty nice one.

Fake Ghost Pirate said:

Good point. Of course, COC being a CCG is a different model and type of game, entirely, but I could see where something at least semi-regular could work for AH. As I said before, sets of investigators and/or GOOs would be great, but I could also see that with item/spell packs. I could see a smallish pack of cards being released periodically which include a few new items and spells and a mix of other things... maybe a few Injury/Madness cards, Relationships, Allies, Skills, Cult Encounters, etc. Basically a much smaller sampling of what MH included, with a different variety each time, or maybe a particular thematic focus for some packs. And maybe once in a while there's a set of cards that introduces a new mechanic/variant, like the Curse Cards or Clue Cards that have been mentioned before, or who knows what else. Probably the quality/usefulness of any particular set would vary somewhat, but for something of that size and scope (and cost), I think most people wouldn't care.

avec said:

I heard he sold his Phantom and bought a Continental SS.