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Twitter Share to Linkedin The Kickstarter for the Horror On The Orient Express board game has raised over $800,000 as of this ... [+] writing. The classic era of Call of Cthulhu features several globetrotting campaigns.These stories can feel just as epic as a Dungeons & Dragons campaign as players find themselves everywhere from small New
England towns to cities deep below Antacrtica. Not only that, but it ads a bit of Indiana Jones flavor to these games as players must fight cultists and seek out mystic solutions to their cases. One of the most well-regarded campaigns in this style is Horror On The Orient Express. Players board the legendary luxury train and travel across Europe seeking to stop cultists from putting together a cursed artifact. It’s an investigation, a travelogue, history lesson and horror story all in one. Chaosium is currently crowdfunding a board game based on the campaign. The game feels like a good introduction to the world of Cthulhu for board gamers or as a way to get a taste of the full campaign without committing to several game sessions. This article looks at both the original RPG storyline and the upcoming board game to help gamers discover which is a better fit for their style and schedule. Horror On The Orient Express RPG Campaign Horror On The Orient Express was first published in 1991 for Call of Cthulhu. The boxed set players in a chase to track down a cursed statue called the Sedefkar Simulacrum. The train goes from
London to Constaninople with each stop offering a mystery to investigate for the players. A revamped boxed set was released in 2014. In addition to updated props and rules, the adventure now contained stories that stretched out past the original timeline to the 1890s and the modern era. These points extended the campaign even further while also allowing for players to enjoy some of the different eras Call of Cthulhu has to offer. The Best Gaming Mouse That’ll Improve Your Aim A two volume reprint occused in 2021 with the boxed set materials moved to two big hardcovers. The rules were updated to 7th edition though a full reprint with the new editions look is still some time away. Instead, they’re offering a new way to experience the storyline through the board game. Horror On The Orient Express Board Game In the campaign, the train veers into the Dreamlands on a few occasions. This surreal landscape offers a connection between the human investigators and creatures who know more about the Mythos than they ever will. The board game frames itself as a Dreamlands encounter though one more like a nightmare. The players must survive until the dream train arrives in Constantinople. But they’ve got plenty of threats to worry about in the meantime. They have to deduce who amongst the trains passengers are part of the cult that sent the train into the Dreamlands in the first place. There are monsters to battle as well. Classic creatures threaten to crash through the windows and cut the players to ribbons. Not only that, but the vampire Count Fenalik seeks victims to quench his bloodthirst. It’s a classic cooperative board game setup with plenty of fires that need to be put out. The game is a mix of clever deduction, fast action and strange horror all on a 3-D board that looks great. It also offers a pair of expansions that add even more to the experience. Horror On The Orient Express Expansions Investigators Unveiled turns the culists suspects into playable characters and adds components to make the four investigators that come with the base game into possible cultists. This adds a lot of replayability with a pool of ten characters. Fans who back the game now recieve this expansion for free. Those players looking for a middle ground between the single sessions of the board game and the campaign of the RPG will enjoy Consumed By The Void. New monsters, a mysterious detective and a multiple game structure await players who want to luxuriate in their horror. This expansion is available at a discount for fans who get the game in the Kickstarter instead of retail. Horror On The Orient Express is on Kickstarter through Friday, April 19th, 2024. The game is expected to arrive to backers in August, 2025. Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions