Arkham Nights - Game Rules

Game Rules

Players: 7 to 30 - Time: 20 to 45 Mins - Age: 8+ (Potentially scary images for children)

How To Begin

1. Separate out the cards into distinct piles by type (see Card Layout). Gather something to use as Ritual

tokens (glass beads, coins, poker chips, etc.).

2. Place the Cultist card face-down in a new pile, This is now the "Play Deck".

3. Check the Player Distribution chart to see how many Investigator cards to use based on the total

number of players, then add that number of randomly selected Investigator cards to the Play Deck.

4. Select a number of Monster cards equal to one plus the number of Investigator players at random, then

add those cards to the Play Deck.

5. Add randomly selected Townsfolk to the Play Deck until the total number of cards in the deck is equal to

the total number of players.

6. Decide whether Cthulhu (the Moderator) will be randomly chosen or selected before play begins. If

randomly chosen, add the Cthulhu card to the Play Deck; otherwise give the “Cthulhu” card to the

selected Moderator.

7. Shuffle the Play Deck, then deal out one card at random, kept secret, to each player.

8. The Moderator (Cthulhu) is revealed, then takes all Relic cards and shuffles them, keeping them at hand.

The Moderator then takes an appropriate amount of Ritual tokens (see Player Distribution).

9. All Investigators identify themselves as such without revealing their Character, then group together as a

team, All other players (except Cthulhu) group together as the Townsfolk.

How To Play

Arkham Nights is played in any number of rounds comprised of two main phases: Day and Night

-Day Phase

During Day, all players are in the same room.

Each Investigator may ask their unique Question to one living Townsfolk and get a “yes” or “no” answer

based on that player's hidden Character.

The Investigators decide whether or not to have one of the Investigators kill a Townsfolk.

When any Character is killed, they reveal their Character card. If they have an ability that triggers when

killed, the effects take place immediately. If an Investigator kills a Monster, that Monster "challenges" the

Investigator (see Challenges).

Once any effects are resolved, all Investigators gather in a separate room and Night begins.

-Night Phase

During Night phase, Townsfolk are gathered in one room, Investigators in another.

Investigators:

All living Investigators discuss their plans to find and kill the Cultist.

Townsfolk:

All Townsfolk, living and dead, discuss any plans to keep the Cultist hidden. or ways to resurrect or

replace the Cultist if the Cultist was killed during the previous Day.

Some Townsfolk may reveal their Character card to use their Reveal ability. Any effects of that ability

take place immediately.

At the end of Night, the Cultist must choose to either remove one Ritual token from the Moderator or to

select and use a Relic.

Play then continues with the next Day Phase.

Player Distribution

Game Terminology

Living: Any player not yet Killed, even if Revealed

Dead: Any player who has been Killed

Kill: To change a player’s status from Living to Dead

Hidden: Any player not yet Revealed or Dead

Reveal: To permanently show your Character to all players

Resurrect: To change a player's status to Living and Hidden

Unused: Any Character card not used by a player

Townsfolk: Any Madman, Monster or Cultist player

Challenges

If a Townsfolk “challenges” an Investigator, that player takes an unused Ritual token and places it in one

of their two hands secretly, then offers both closed hands for the Investigator to choose.

Once the Investigator chooses a closed hand, the challenger reveals the contents of both hands.

If the Investigator chose the hand with the token, the Investigator is safe.

If the Investigator chose the empty hand, the Investigator is also killed.

Relics

When the Cultist chooses to select a Relic, they must choose one Relic card at random held by the

Moderator, or they may choose a Relic that has been permanently revealed instead.

Once a Relic is chosen, its ability is revealed and takes effect. The Relic is then hidden again, unless it has

been permanently revealed.

How To Win

If the only living Investigator is killed, or if the Cultist removes the last Ritual token from Cthulhu, then

the game ends and the Townsfolk win!

If the Cultist was killed at any point and remains dead at the end of Night, the game ends and the

Investigators win!

# of Players

7 to 10

11 to 15

16 to 20

21 to 25

26 to 30

Investigators

1

2

3

4

5

Cthulhu

(Moderator)

1

Townsfolk

5 to 8

8 to 12

12 to 16

16 to 20

20 to 24

Ritual Tokens

3

5

7

9

11