“The darkness always teemed with unexplained sound—and yet he sometimes shook with fear lest the noises he heard should subside and allow him to hear certain other, fainter, noises which he suspected were lurking behind them.”
–H.P. Lovecraft, The Dreams in the Witch House

Recently, we announced the upcoming release of Terror in Venice , the fifth deluxe expansion for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game . Full of terrifying secrets, horrific monsters, and devious intents, Terror in Venice explores the themes of H.P. Lovecraft’s eerie fiction in turn-of-the-century Venice as unfathomable powers lie ripe for the plucking. The expansion centers around several new conspiracies, but they’re not the only cards destined to concern the game’s investigators, cultists, and darker powers; many of its 165 new cards (three copies each of fifty-five different cards) explore the passage of time and give shape to the fleeting hopes the game’s investigators hold during Day and the mounting perils they face at Night .

As the expansion’s horrifying struggles of begin, Carnevale is drawing to a close. Revelers lurch through the city’s streets, drinking, dancing, and singing. Their brightly colored masks and elaborate costumes belie the darkness that has begun to spread with the coming of dusk, a darkness that is both physical and figurative. At night, forces that defy human comprehension comb the city’s narrow alleys and dark canals. They seek something powerful, something that beckons unconsciously to their very natures. At night, they roam.

Today, developer Brad Andres reveals a little more about those things that glint in the sunlight and slink in the shadows, but as you read, remember: time is always ticking!

Day and Night in Terror in Venice

Greetings, cultists, investigators, and servitors!

You’ll soon have reason to fear the darkness once again…

The Terror in Venice deluxe expansion is bringing Day and Night back to the forefront of Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game . Day and Night were originally featured in the Dreamlands cycle of Asylum Packs and proved to be very popular with players. Personally, I love the Day and Night mechanics. They ooze with flavor and reinforce the narrative nature of the game, and in Terror in Venice , they represent the shifting states of power amid the narrow streets and canals of the “City of Water.”

The ability to discover a story in my games is one of my favorite things about Call of Cthulhu . As such, I wanted to make sure this storytelling aspect featured prominently as more Day and Night cards were reintroduced to the game.

Cards with the Day or Night trait change the “time” of the game, an effect which does nothing by itself. However, as the time changes, other cards may become much more powerful, and some can only be played when it is a specific time of day.

The Day effect is closely associated with the investigator factions of Call of Cthulhu , who fight against the invaders to our world. In Terror in Venice , the idea is that Day effects would protect them from the creatures that lurk in the dark. There is safety in the light of day, especially on the streets of Venice, and Day cards reinforce this narrative. The Church Operative ( Terror in Venice , 3) makes it harder for your opponent to remove your key characters while the sun is up, providing safety within the walls of his church. Other Day cards in the box can even tell a story all by themselves, like the card, Desperate Search ( Terror in Venice , 23). What does that student hope to find, and will he find it in time?

Night empowers the game’s mythos factions. After the sun sets, many mythos faction cards, like Poleman ( Terror in Venice , 8), become deadlier by gaining icons or additional abilities. These creatures stalk the streets of Venice in the dark, preying on the weak and furthering their master’s plans. Night cards also have the opportunity to tell their own stories, with cards like At Night they Roam ( Terror in Venice , 17). During the Day , it’s possible that an inmate can escape from the walls of San Servolo ( Terror in Venice , 15), but at Night the lunatics wreak havoc, spurred by some otherworldly will.

The stories told by Day and Night aren’t limited to faction cards, as neutral cards can change the game as well. These neutral Day and Night cards reflect the changing alliances of the city’s conspirators and can shift the balance of power to either light or dark. Cards like The Guardian ( Terror in Venice , 27) ensure that no matter what deck you are playing you are always able to stay on schedule, or keep your opponent from doing the same. Neutral cards like this were essential to our design as they ensure that every faction has access to enough Day and Night effects to make them viable and entertaining.

Soon, you’ll be able to get your hands on these new cards…and grasp control over time itself! Each faction has its own designs for the city of Venice and the powerful artifacts found in its depths, so only one question remains: who will you support?

–Brad Andres, developer Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game

Pre-Order Your Copy Today

The hour is growing late, and the darkness spreads. What monsters roam the streets and canals of Venice? Will we survive another night?

In Terror in Venice , time is always ticking. Your expediency matters. So head to your local retailer today to pre-order your copy of this deluxe expansion for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game . Who knows? Tomorrow the Ancient Ones may devour us!