Material and Tools

I designed everything around 1/2″ PVC piping. It is sturdy and easy to cut. Speaking of cutting, use a ratcheting PVC pipe cutter (not a saw). This is a handy tool that does its job well.

• 1/2″ PVC Schedule 40 Pipe (5 sections of 1/2″ x 24″)
• 1/2″ PVC Side Outlet 90-Degree S x S x S Elbow Fitting (x4)
• 1/2″ PVC Schedule 40 Socket Cap
• Tape Measure
• Marker
• PVC Pipe Cutter

Size the TV

The idea is that you are going to frame the backside of a TV so it sits off the table. This allows access to the buttons, power connecting, and HDMI. Each TV will have a different back, so adjust the sizing accordingly. My TV is 32″ on the screen side, but on the back, it had a bump out that I can frame in PVC. This turned out to be 22″ x 16″. Use the marker to mark the cuts. The fittings allow for about 1″ of the pipe so you need to account for that. But I would not worry about everything being exact. There is a lot of play. Oversize now and trim later.

Frame the TV

Take one of the 1/2″ PVC Side Outlet Elbow Fittings and place it in the corner of the TV. Put the pipe into the side that does not face down. Repeat this around the TV.

Use the marker to decide where you want to make some cuts. I personally like the Milwaukee Inkzall Point Markers. They write on any material that I make stuff with.

Use the ratcheting PVC pipe cutter to cut each pipe segment.

Put each segment together. Do not glue it together. There is enough friction to lock everything in place. Plus, you might want to make adjustments in the future or switch out the TV.

Add Height as Needed

With the remaining pieces of PVC, you can make some legs for the PVC frame. This depends on how much clearance you need for the back of the TV and what the best viewing angle for people sitting around the table is. Put on the caps on the end of the PVC for a finished look.

Maps and Software

People have been using TVs for RPG gaming quite a bit. There’s a whole ecosystem of software, tools, and maps available to you.

• Arkenforge: It has everything that you would want for a low price tag: tools, pre-made assets, and a strong community. You can make maps, animate, and add audio for in-person only play. Arkenforge comes with a 30-day trial. Give it a try.
• MapTool: Free, open-source tool. This software also supports network collaboration.

Next Steps

If I keep this going, I am imagining some next steps and where to take this. I would paint the PVC black to help blend into the table and not look so DIY. I would create different sizes of the legs to adjust the height for other types of games. The biggest upgrade I would make is reconfiguring the riser for a much better TV. I used an old TV that only looked “good” from one angle. So, if I end up using this TV for gaming, I might make some upgrades.

What would you do?

The Uncanny X-Men pinball game from Stern Pinball features Wolverine, Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Beast, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey, Bishop, Kitty Pryde, and Magneto, along with a supporting cast of allies and foes. The adventure takes players to familiar X-Men locations, including the Danger Room (the Jack Danger Room?), Beast’s Lab, the X-Mansion, and Genosha. Players will also interact with fabled X-Men devices like Cerebro and the X-Jet.

The Uncanny X-Men pinball machine is set in the The Days of Future Past storyline in Marvel’s Earth-811 timeline. This is why they are making exactly 811 Limited Edition (LE) machines. The LE model includes the new speaker lighting system with X-Men-themed game effects, a “Danger Room” inspired mirrored backglass, reflective foil “Future vs. Past” high-definition cabinet decals with artwork by Zombie Yeti, exclusive “Sentinel Armor” powder-coated pinball armor, custom designer-autographed bottom arch, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball playfield glass, shaker motor, a sequentially numbered plaque, a signed Certificate of Authenticity, and a digital Insider Connected LE owner’s badge on registration.

The playfield looks very unique. The Danger Room is set to the side of the main flippers. To get the ball over there, it looks like the ball crosses behind the flippers. I do not know of a game like that. This will feel fresh right out of the gate. I look forward to playing it as soon as it starts shipping.

Check it out at Stern Pinball.

Pixels Dice are Bluetooth-enabled dice that can be used with virtual tabletops and toolsets. They are rechargeable and can be customized to light up when and how you want.

The Unboxing

I got a little excited when I saw the shipment notice from Pixels. I appreciated the note and bonus stickers.

Taking a Closer Look at the Pixels D20

The Pixels D20 has a folded up circuit board inside a resin shell that has icosahedron featured in role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. There are LEDs for each side, a battery, a charging coil, and a Bluetooth radio all stuffed inside.

When you roll the Pixels D20 and it settles to one side faced up, the dice transmits a Bluetooth message. If you have something listening to that message, that something can react to the message. Fortunately, the team created a mobile app that can interact with the dice. You pair Pixels just like you pair a set of headphones.

The app also lets you send “Profiles” that run on the Pixels dice. Out of the box, it came with “Rainbow” running. This was a cool effect that lights up a different color for every face.

You can also program your own profiles. Kind of like “when” and “then” logic. I created a profile for when the up face is 20, it then plays a rainbow effect over all faces, but only on a 20. I want that TPK to be glorious when it happens in my campaign.

Here’s me trying to roll a 20 to test out my new profile running on my Pixels D20.

Pixels Community

In order to pull off an ambitious project like Pixels, you have to have a strong community. This team started with the Kickstarter project and stayed in constant contact as the project unfolded. They hit some challenges, but the stayed transparent and authentic which helped keep all of us engaged. Now, the team is publishing code on GitHub with an open source license and engaging early adopters, gamers, and developers on their Discord server.

I am excited to be a part of this community and see where all of this goes. I am building some custom integrations with ThingSpeak and CheerLights, but you probably already guessed that.

Roll on!

To make this mod, you must disassemble your pinball machine to get access to the flipper buttons. First, open the coin door and release the lockdown bar latches. Then, pull out the lockdown bar, and carefully slide out the playfield glass. Lift the playfield up and rest it on the backbox. Just take your time. If something feels caught, slowly reverse your steps and start again.

Loosen the nut that holds the flipper button. I recommend that you use an adjustable monkey wrench to grip the edges of the nut. Twist out the old button and insert the new one. Replace the nut and enjoy your upgraded flipper buttons.

The Game Designers Movie Premier at BGG.CON 2019

My last in-person board game event was BGG.CON 2019. This Board Game Geek convention hosted the premiere of The Game Designers documentary and Q&A panel featuring the producers, director, and stars of the movie. I was thrilled to be a part of the event!

The movie premiere was a great time to meet the designers, take selfies, and collect some autographs. Everyone was super generous with their 15 minutes of fame. Matt Leacock signed my copy of Pandemic Legacy Season 2 and wrote a message to George: Good luck saving humanity. Eric Rayl presented the producers with a commemorative plaque and we signed posters for the team.

Lunatix Loop and Matt Leacock

One of the fascinating bits in The Game Designers documentary is when Matt Leacock talks about his start in board game design and shows us his first game, Lunatix Loop. Matt wanted to create his own board game after playing and tinkering on games in his childhood. Not only did he make a new game, but he also made all of the copies by hand. The documentary tells the story of how they made boxes and custom tokens. They sat on the couch and put stickers on thousands of bingo chips and glued paper to cardboard. This time investment paid off. Matt went on to design the Pandemic series of games, landing the Spiel des Jahres game of the year award, and starring role in a documentary. Ever since I learned about Lunatix Loop from the documentary, I wanted my own copy and have a part of board game history. I set an eBay alert and after a few years, a copy came up for sale. I didn’t haggle. I hit the Buy It Now button as fast as I could. It’s glorious.

Each copy of Lunatix Loop was handmade: the box, componetns, board, and rule book. Each game was signed and numbered. It definitely now feels like a limited edition. You can tell Matt had high hopes for his game design career and he really landed it.

I appreciate that The Game Designers documentary gives us a look into the game design world. Games are about people and people are the ones struggling over the design, the art, the rules, and getting everything right to create experiences for other people. I highly recommend checking out The Game Designers Documentary and checkout the Director’s Diary on Board Game Geek for more behind-the-scenes on how the project got started. Maybe you will be inspired by the people the movie features. Maybe you will design a board game?

Subscribe to Zoom Out Media for new and upcoming film projects, including Crafting Arzium, a documentary featuring the game design and production duo, Ryan and Malorie Laukat.

Everything they said was true about this old New 3DS. Even in this condition, my introduction to the 3DS was glorious. After spending a month with this plucky gaming system, I now say without any sarcasm that the Nintendo 3DS is the greatest gaming console of all time.

Why?

Catalog of Games. The 3DS is the successor to the DS. The 3DS plays all of the new 3DS games plus the entire catalog of DS games. This means there are over 4,000 games to play and all of your Nintendo families of games are presented: Mario, Yoshi, Metroid, Castlevania, Donkey Kong, and Zelda.

Dual Screen, Clam Shell Design. The DS part of the name means dual screen. The 3DS is two screens: one big display for the main game action and one touch screen for inventory and finer controls. I have lived with the 3DS for a month. I fold it up and put it into my back pocket and flip it open to play some Zelda. I really feel the portable, real portability of the 3DS, is a key differentiator. The Switch is great, but I have never once put it in my pocket and carried it around. The new Steam Deck is even larger.

Gimmicks. The 3DS includes 3D graphics, AR, cameras, and a step counter. All of the extras work and have a purpose. The 3D is gorgeous and doesn’t require special glasses. The AR games are fun and their fun lasts as long as you need them to. The step counter is wonderfully integrated into certain games and encourages players to interact.

The Feels. My first console was the Nintendo Entertainment System and I have been hooked on the gameplay, characters, themes, and style. Nintendo is the complete package.

Zelda. Only Nintendo games systems have access to the Zelda franchise of games. I really love t these games. Nintendo usually makes a Zelda game for each new console. The game exploits the gimmicks of the system and everything works really well together. The Zelda games on the 3DS are masterpieces. And, when I posted on Twitter about taking on Ganon, I got confirmation.

So, should you buy a Nintendo 3DS in 2022? Yes. It is a great gaming system full of experiences. Prices for secondhand game systems are high right now. And, the eShop is no longer active. These are two cons at the moment. On Craigslist, I see 3DS systems going for the same price as Switch Lite consoles.

What’s next for me and the 3DS? I am going to finish The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, write a recap of my experience with that game, and refurbish my new old New 3DS.

Game on.

Insider Connected Platform

So, what’s the deal? A pinball machine is a machine. It lives inside the home or at an arcade or, more likely these days, a taproom. The machine takes people’s money in exchange for gameplay. It’s a wonderful thing. If the machine goes down, the revenue stops. Disappointment sets in. But, when the machine is working, everything is great. Everyone wins. People are happy to play while enjoying beverages and food, the operator is making back their investment on the machines, and the establishment gets faithful customers. When I start working on the Internet of Things (IoT) back in 2007, I used to make the same talking points about appliances, industrial equipment, and heating/cooling systems. IoT has a role in embedded software updates, predictive maintenance, customer retention, and interconnecting services that benefit operators, owners, and customers. With the release of the Stern Pinball Insider Connected Platform, they appear to be thinking about what’s next for their pinball games by building a platform that leverages a lot of the value and impact that IoT brings to the table, so to speak.

My Experience With the Stern Pinball Insider Connected Platform

Since Stern’s announcement, I have been excited to try it out for myself. The first pinball game that includes the hardware that allows a pinball machine to connect to the internet and to the platform is Godzilla! Using a retrofit kit, some older pinball machines by Stern Pinball will be able to be upgraded and leverage the platform. I used Pinball Map to find a location that has the Godzilla machine and headed out into the real world. I found Godzilla at The Double Bull Taphouse and Grill in Peabody, MA (Peabody is one of the fun Massachusetts town names that separate the locals from the tourists). I got to play Godzilla for about an hour before a line started forming behind me. This was enough time to try out the platform, check into the machine, take a selfie without feeling self-conscious, and learn some of the rules of the Godzilla pinball game.

You start by signing up for an Insider Connected account at Stern Pinball. Select LOGIN in the top-right corner of the homepage, and then select, “Create a free account.” These steps will kick off the sign-up process.

What you are doing is setting up a profile for you as a player of Stern’s games. This is your player identity where you can set preferences, track your high scores, see achievements, and access your QR code. This QR code is how you will check into a pinball machine that you play. Right now, the only way to get access to your QR code is via the website. I imagine that native mobile apps are coming, but I am only guessing.

The game actually has a QR code scanner. You put your QR code on your phone’s screen and hold it above the scanner. I found this to be pretty easy and connects quickly. Your player initials show up on the machine and you can use the flipper buttons to log out or arrange the players.

I played Godzilla 15 times with a high score of 103,305,640 points. I accurately know this data since the website tracks the gameplay. The website also keeps track of where I played, achievements that I have unlocked, and people that I have connected with. I thought my score was good until I watched some get over 650,000,000 points on their fourth try. This set the grand champion score on the machine and colored me impressed. I learned a few tricks watching them play.

Everything worked as advertised. It is brand new and will soon offer more features for players, operators, and the locations that host the machines. I can only imagine what is coming next.

“Insider Connected will transform how players interact with pinball machines, and operators will benefit greatly from new tools.”

Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc.

Some Ideas

Inspired by over a decade of IoT development for hundreds of customers and millions of products, I have some ideas on where this can go. I am sure Stern Pinball is thinking about some of these but is trying things out slowly and make sure that they get the experience right. I always think of the Internet of Things like the Internet of Nouns. In this case: players, operators, and locations.

• Players: Players will be able to metagame. This is the game outside of the game. They will be able to play against remote players and join tournaments at other locations. Players will be able to tweak parts of the game, maybe set rules that make the game easier or more challenging based on their preference.
• Operators: Operators will be able to make sure that the machine is running the latest code and running in operating condition. WIth the right sensors reporting data to the internet, you could do predictive maintaince and always have the machine running in tip-top shape during operating hours. Replacement parts could be on the ready for planned downtime.
• Locations: Once everything is connected, locations will be able to offer their products as prizes and incentives to keep playing. How about a free appetizer or drink if you get 20 loops on Gidzilla? Pinball machines have screens with ample ad space potential while their not being played.

I do recommend that Stern opens up access to the platform with an API and turns the player profiles into identities. Over time, everybody is going to try their hand at making a connected platform and it will leave players, operators, and locations in a lurch. They will have to support multiple platforms and will have to choose. Stern could have a first-mover advantage and if they open up their player identity management system could win. This is a lesson learned from what I experienced with consumer IoT products. In the beginning, there were many consumer IoT platforms, but it only really took off when a few started interoperating. APIs have the advantage of helping a community build integrations that are totally unexpected. If it was me, I would be allowing my subs on Twitch to control the light show or my flipper strength while I play for charity. If music licensing gets worked out, a pinball machine could double as a jukebox while it’s not in play.

Caution

Again, borrowing from my IoT experience, I have some words of caution. Although I have an optimistic feeling of what is coming for gaming, pinball, and IoT, I suggest going slow and make sure Stern solves problems that operators and locations may have while giving value to the players.

Managing updates is a nightmare. Think about your mobile phone. You have apps and operating system software. Something is probably out of date and you hold it in your hand every day. It doesn’t scale very nicely. Games will have versions, out-of-date code, different models, and then you will have many games to manage. Operators will manage many locations so it is easy to get things mixed up.

Things connected to the internet have inherent risks. Imagine a pinball machine bitcoin mining in the background without anything knowing about it. That is not even the worst thinning that I can imagine. Have a focus on security. Don’t spread yourself thin. The surface area becomes cyber attack vectors.

Plan for scale. This is going to be popular. As games get sold into homes using the new home edition model, people are going to use a connected platform in many interesting ways. Downtime will not be great. Leverage web services and cloud infrastructure that scale.

The Future

The future is here and it continually unfolds. I am excited to see what’s going to happen with pinball and IoT. It has been a fun time to be into pinball. The games are exciting, deeper, and throwbacks to older games. If you are old like me, I wouldn’t dismiss these new ideas too early. Let it breathe and let’s enjoy the ride together.

And, if you are new here, find a pinball machine near you and see what’s going on: Pinball Map, Pinside, or Stern Pinball Locator.

Here’s how to get an email when the latest news gets announced on the Fantasy Flight Games blog:

• Sign up for a new account at IFTTT
• Select the “rss to email” applet
• Click Connect
• Enter the Feed URL: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/rss/?tags=arkham-horror-the-card-game
• Click Save

Check out more Arkham Horror: The Card Game tips, checklists, and stories chronicling my latest game obsession.

I am obsessed with Arkham Horror: The Card Game and going mad trying to collect everything related to the game. This is my story. Fantasy Flight Games announced Arkham Horror: The Card Game on August 2, 2016, on their website. Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a Living Card Game® based on H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, monsters, and madness.

Collecting a non-collectible card game

A “living card game” means that all of the cards that you need are in the box, and the game can evolve with add-on packs that add new characters, enemies, and plot points. The game is compelling to me. It feels like the right balance of story and strategy… and luck. I am also a collector. I like to collect things related to things that I like. In this case, it should have been easy to collect all of the Arkham Horror: The Card Game cards since they release all of the cards and they aren’t collectible. In a few cases, Fantasy Flight Games released “promo” cards and early versions of the add-on packs. They released these packs at Gen Con, Arkham Nights, or bundled them with books. This interested me even more, to make sure I attend the events or pre-order things directly from Fantasy Flight Games. I keep up-to-date by following the Arkham Horror: The Card Game blog at Fantasy Flights Games, the FFG Organized Play Facebook group, new eBay auctions, and the Arkham Horror LCG subreddit.

Following Arkham Horror News

It’s hard to follow what’s going on with Arkham Horror: The Card Game without consistently checking out the Fantasy Flight Games blog. Fantasy Flight publishes many posts a month and they cover many of their active game properties. The news articles about Arkham Horror LCG are important. Fantasy Flight often announces special events where they give out promos for participation or when they announce new products where you get promos by pre-ordering directly from them. It is possible to generate an RSS feed of just Arkham Horror: The Card Game news. I use IFTTT to monitor the RSS feed and send me an email when new posts are published about Arkham Horror LCG.

• Sign up for a new account at IFTTT
• Select the “rss to email” applet
• Click Connect
• Enter the Feed URL: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/rss/?tags=arkham-horror-the-card-game
• Click Save

Arkham Nights 2016

The first Arkham Horror: The Card Game promo debuted at Arkham Nights 2016, held at The Fantasy Flight Games Center in Roseville, MN, on October 14, 2016. Attendees who preregistered for the event received several promos, including an advanced copy of the Curse of the Rougarou scenario pack.

I didn’t attend this event, but this is when I started to notice the extra promos. I asked someone from Fantasy Flights Games about promos. They said the promos should be considered prizes for event participation. Right after Arkham Nights 2016, I noticed people selling their Arkham Horror promos on eBay. This is where avid collectors started their collecting journeys. Very few complete sets of promos exist in the wild, making Arkham Horror LCG fun to collect.

The Investigators of Arkham Horror Book Release

Shortly after Arkham Nights 2016, Fantasy Flight Games announced the release of The Investigators of Arkham Horror, a full-sized, premium book about the investigators. If you were able to pre-order this book, you also received promo Arkham Horror: The Card Game cards, a playmat, and four 12″x18″ posters. The promo cards featured Marie Lambeau and included her investigator card, mini-card, and two signature cards. The playmat is extremely rare and features the boundless and chaotic Ancient One known as Azathoth, with art by Brian Valenzuela.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Promo Card Checklist

• 2016-11 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book pre-order – Marie Lambeau investigator card
• 2016-11 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book pre-order – Marie Lambeau mini-card
• 2016-11 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book pre-order – Mystifying Song
• 2016-11 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book pre-order – Baron Samedi
• 2017-08 – Gen Con – Leo de Luca – Level 0
• 2017-08 – Gen Con – Leo de Luca – Level 1
• 2017-10 – Arkham Nights – Unexpected Courage
• 2017-10 – Arkham Nights – The Council’s Coffer BETA
• 2017-10 – Arkham Nights – The 13th Vision BETA
• 2017-12 – Invocation – Daisy Walker investigator card
• 2017-12 – Invocation – Daisy Walker plastic mini-card
• 2017-10 – Hour of the Huntress book bundle – Jenny Barnes investigator card
• 2017-10 – Hour of the Huntress book bundle – Jenny Barnes mini-card
• 2017-10 – Hour of the Huntress book bundle – Green Man Medallion
• 2017-10 – Hour of the Huntress book bundle – Sacrificial Beast
• 2017-10 – Hour of the Huntress book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2017-12 – Ire of the Void book bundle – Norman Withers investigator card
• 2017-12 – Ire of the Void book bundle – Norman Withers mini-card
• 2017-12 – Ire of the Void book bundle – Split the Angle
• 2017-12 – Ire of the Void book bundle – Vengeful Hound
• 2017-12 – Ire of the Void book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2018-02 – The Dirge of Reason book bundle – Roland Banks investigator card
• 2018-02 – The Dirge of Reason book bundle – Roland Banks mini-card
• 2018-02 – The Dirge of Reason book bundle – Mysteries Remain
• 2018-02 – The Dirge of Reason book bundle – The Dirge of Reason
• 2018-02 – The Dirge of Reason book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2018-04 – To Fight the Black Wind book bundle – Carolyn Fern investigator card
• 2018-04 – To Fight the Black Wind book bundle – Carolyn Fern mini-card
• 2018-04 – To Fight the Black Wind book bundle – Foolishness
• 2018-04 – To Fight the Black Wind book bundle – To Fight the Black Wind
• 2018-04 – To Fight the Black Wind book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2018-06 – The Deep Gate book bundle – Silas Marsh investigator card
• 2018-06 – The Deep Gate book bundle – Silas Marsh mini-card
• 2018-06 – The Deep Gate book bundle – Nautical Prowess
• 2018-06 – The Deep Gate book bundle – Dreams of the Deep
• 2018-06 – The Deep Gate book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2018-08 – Gen Con – Lucky! – Level 0
• 2018-08 – Gen Con – Lucky! – Level 2
• 2018-10 – Arkham Nights – Drawn to the Flame
• 2018-10 – Arkham Nights – Dendromorphosis BETA
• 2018-10 – Arkham Nights – Ikiaq BETA
• 2019-08 – Gen Con – Alice Luxley
• 2019-08 – Gen Con – Subject 8L-08 (5″x7″ card)
• 2019-10 – Arkham Nights – Shortcut (alternative art by Derk Venneman)
• 2019-10 – Arkham Nights – Purifying Corruption BETA
• 2019-10 – Arkham Nights – Shrine of the Moirai BETA
• 2020-06 – Blood of Baalshandor book bundle – Dexter Drake investigator card
• 2020-06 – Blood of Baalshandor book bundle – Dexter Drake mini-card
• 2020-06 – Blood of Baalshandor book bundle – Molly Maxwell ally card
• 2020-06 – Blood of Baalshandor book bundle – Yaztaroth weakness card
• 2020-06 – Blood of Baalshandor book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2020-07 – Invocation 2020 – Copycat – Level 3
• 2020-07 – Invocation 2020 – Nathaniel Cho (alternative art)
• 2020-07 – Invocation 2020 – Harvey Walters (alternative art)
• 2020-07 – Invocation 2020 – Winifred Habbamock (alternative art)
• 2020-07 – Invocation 2020 – Jacqueline Fine (alternative art)
• 2020-07 – Invocation 2020 – Stella Clark (alternative art)
• 2020-11 – Dark Revelations book bundle – Gloria Goldberg investigator card
• 2020-11 – Dark Revelations book bundle – Gloria Goldberg mini-card
• 2020-11 – Dark Revelations book bundle – Ruth Westmacott ally card
• 2020-11 – Dark Revelations book bundle – Liber Omnium Finium weakness card
• 2020-11 – Dark Revelations book bundle – Rules Reference card
• 2021-10 – Arkham Nights – Wendy Adams (alternative art)
• 2021-10 – Arkham Nights – “Skids” O’Toole (alternative art)
• 2021-10 – Arkham Nights – Agnes Baker (alternative art)
• 2021-10 – Arkham Nights – Daisy Walker (alternative art)
• 2021-10 – Arkham Nights – Roland Banks (alternative art)

Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Promo Scenario Deck Checklist

• 2016 – Arkham Nights – Curse of the Rougarou
• 2017 – Gen Con – The Labyrinths of Lunacy (over-sized packaging, branded with GEN CON 2017 on the front, and tagged “NOT FOR SALE” on the back)
• 2017 – Arkham Nights – The Labyrinths of Lunacy (over-sized packaging, branded with Arkham Nights 2017 on the front, and tagged “NOT FOR SALE” on the back)
• 2018 – Gen Con – The Eternal Slumber (tagged “NOT FOR SALE” on the back)
• 2018 – Arkham Nights – The Night’s Usurper (tagged “NOT FOR SALE” on the back)
• 2019 – Gen Con – The Blob That Ate Everything (tagged 05/2019 on back)
• 2021 – Arkham Nights – Machinations Through Time (over-sized packaging, tagged Arkham Nights 2021 on front)

Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Promo Playmat Checklist

• 2016 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book pre-order – Azathoth playmat with art by Brian Valenzuela
• 2017 – Invocation – Invoke Thy Name – Eixodolon’s Pet playmat
• 2017 – Holiday Sale – The Jolly Ancient One playmat
• 2017 – Holiday Sale – Beyond the North Portal playmat
• 2018 – Arkham Nights / Invocation – No Rest for the Wicked – Invocation 2018 playmat with artwork from The Night’s Usurper scenario
• 2019 – Gen Con – The Blob That Ate Everything “The Viscous Blob” playmat with art by Guillaume Ducos
• 2020 – Invocation – Copycat
• 2021 – Arkham Nights – Final Hour (goodie bag)
• 2021 – Arkham Nights – Altar (raffle)
• 2021 – Arkham Nights – The Worm (raffle)
• 2021 – Arkham Nights – Patrice Hathaway (raffle)

• 2022 – Arkham Nights – Orphic Theory
• 2022 – Arkham Nights – Gargoyle
• 2022 – Arkham Nights – The Raven Quill

Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Promo Poster Checklist

• 2016 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book pre-order – Four (4) 12″x18″ art prints with art by Adam S. Doyle, Tomasz Jedruszek, and Magali Villeneuve
• 2018 – Arkham Nights – The King in Yellow 13.5″x19.5″ poster
• 2019 – Gen Con – The Blob That Ate Everything 17″x11″ poster
• 2019 – The Dream-Eaters pre-order – Eight (8) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – Murder at the Excelsior Hotel pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – The Search for Kadath pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – A Thousand Shapes of Horror pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – Dark Side of the Moon – pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – Point of No Return – pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – Where the Gods Dwell – pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – Weaver of the Cosmos – pre-order – Four (4) 5″x7″ art prints
• 2019 – Arkham Nights – “Skids” O’Toole poster
• 2022 – Arkham Nights – Horrific Journeys – 8″x12″ poster

Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Book Checklist

• 2016 – The Investigators of Arkham Horror book
• 2017 – Hour of the Huntress novella
• 2017 – Ire of the Void novella
• 2018 – The Dirge of Reason novella
• 2018 – To Fight the Black Wind novella
• 2018 – The Deep Gate novella
• 2020 – Blood of Baalshandor novella (pre-order includes bookmark featuring cover art by Shane Pierce)
• 2020 – Dark Revelations novella

Tips

Buying Legit Promos

Some promos have shown up on eBay. Be careful when bidding, buying, or making offers. Some promos get released version by Fantasy Flight Games in later releases. Make sure to check the icons at the bottom of the card. For example, Arkham Nights and Invocation promos are marked with a “fire” symbol and the year. The version that was released later has the standard scenario markings. Scenario decks released in advance often have a “not for sale” tag near the UPC on the back, but not all.

Protecting Arkham Horror Tokens

Arkham Horror LCG chaos tokens are 1″ (25.4mm) in diameter. I like to put the tokens inside of a coin capsule. This makes for a nice chunky feel in the chaos bag. I recommend 26mm coin capsules to house the Arkham Horror chaos tokens. They are sold in lots of 100 on Amazon. There are many brands of coin capsules and they all vary in quality. Expect 5% of the coin capsules to have scratches or cracks, or they won’t stay closed.

Want to Buy

I don’t have everything related to Arkham Horror: The Card Game, but I am looking for a few things. If you have one of these items, contact me. I have money, or we can make a trade.

• 2016 – Arkham Nights – Elder sign symbol emblazoned chaos bag
• 2017 – Arkham Nights – Auto-fail symbol emblazoned chaos bag
• 2017 – Holiday Sale – The Jolly Ancient One playmat
• 2017 – Holiday Sale – Beyond the North Portal playmat
• 2021 – Arkham Nights – Playmats (Violin, Worm, and Altar)

References

• ArkhamDB
• The Atlas Agency
• BoardGameGeek Arkham Horror: The Card Game wiki
• Fantasy Flight News

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