How to Play Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Secrets of the Order

Game Objective

In Arkham Horror: Secrets of the Order, players take on the roles of investigators trying to uncover supernatural threats in Arkham and the Underworld. The central theme involves ancient secrets, mysterious apparitions, and portals to other realities. The investigators must discover the cause of a supernatural disturbance and free lost souls from an evil pact.

Victory Condition: Players win if they fulfill the specific objectives of the chosen scenario, which usually involve collecting clues, defeating monsters, and solving mysteries before the threats become uncontrollable.

Setup

Follow these steps to set up the game:

1. Add the expansion components to the base game components:
   • Add investigator tokens, scenario tokens, map pieces, and tokens to their respective pools.
   • Shuffle the encounter, headline, ally, item, and spell cards into their respective decks.
   • Separate the archive, special, initial, condition, and monster cards into distinct piles.
2. Prepare the anomalies, horror, and events decks as indicated by the chosen scenario.
3. Do not mix the event cards with the encounter decks.

Consult the manual for details on the initial board setup and distribution of specific components for each scenario.

Game Flow

The game follows a turn structure divided into phases:

1. Investigator Action Phase: Each player performs two actions with their character (movement, attack, collecting clues, etc.).
2. Encounter Phase: Investigators not engaged with monsters resolve encounters in their space (using specific decks for thresholds or mysteries).
3. Monster Phase: Monsters move or attack according to their abilities.
4. Mythos Phase: A card from the codex is resolved, triggering global events or advancing the threat.

Consult the manual for details on the exact order of phases and specific interactions.

Actions and How to Play

Basic Actions

• Movement: Move to adjacent spaces, paying costs for perilous borders (damage, horror, or concentration) if applicable. Monsters ignore these costs.
• Attack: Test the skill indicated on the monster's attack modifier. Some monsters have abilities like retaliate or hidden.
• Collect Clues: Obtain clues in mystery spaces or neighborhoods, following specific scenario rules.

New Mechanics

• Hidden Monsters: While prepared, they have no visible attributes and cannot be defeated by damage. They flip when engaging an investigator.
• Conditions: Cards like motivated (extra action if not fatigued) and fatigued affect concentration limits.
• Complex Encounters: In mysteries, players choose between bold options to resolve different effects.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when:

• The investigators fulfill the scenario objectives (victory).
• The codex advances to a defeat event or the investigators are eliminated.

Consult the manual for details on the specific victory/defeat criteria for each scenario.

Tips for Winning

1. Manage concentration: Use abilities like motivated for extra actions, but avoid becoming fatigued.
2. Prioritize mysteries: They offer greater rewards but require caution with dangerous encounters.
3. Beware of hidden monsters: Attacking early may be futile; wait to engage them to reveal their weaknesses.