2005Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson
- Videos
- 117
- Creators
- 38
1 - 8 players120 - 240 minHeavy weight

2011Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson
Mostly playthroughs and reviews. Elder Sign is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 7 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 8 recorded sessions, and 2 unboxings.
From BoardGameGeek
Game description from the publisher: It is 1926, and the museum's extensive collection of exotic curios and occult artifacts poses a threat to the barriers between our world and the elder evils lurking between dimensions. Gates to the beyond begin to leak open, and terrifying creatures of increasing strength steal through them. Animals, the mad, and those of more susceptible minds are driven to desperation by the supernatural forces the portals unleash. Only a handful of investigators race against time to locate the eldritch symbols necessary to seal the portals forever. Only they can stop the Ancient One beyond from finding its way to Earth and reducing humanity to cinders. Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of Arkham Horror. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient One. Armed with tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game. To locate Elder Signs, investigators must successfully endure Adventures within the museum and its environs. A countdown mechanism makes an Ancient One appear if the investigators are not quick enough. The investigators must then battle the Ancient One. A clever and thematic dice mechanism pits their exploration against monsters and the sheer difficulty of staying sane and healthy, all within the standard game duration of one to two hours.
Elder Sign has 19 videos from 14 creators: 7 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 8 playthroughs and 2 unboxings. They date from 2022 to September 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "How To Setup And Play Elder Sign (2011)" by Lance's Board Game Stuff, which runs 59 min. For a quicker teach, "Elder Sign: Gates of Arkham - A Casual How To Play Explanation | Optimal Play" by Optimal Play runs 17 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "TDG: Elder Sign" by The Discriminating Gamer. 7 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Elder Sign - Gates of Arkham" by Optimal Play, one of 8 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Arkham Horror, Kinfire Chronicles: Night's Fall, A Gentle Rain and Arkham Horror (Third Edition), also by Kevin Wilson.
8 of 14
2005Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson
1 - 8 players120 - 240 minHeavy weight
2023Kevin Wilson, Darrell Hardy, Adela Kapuścińska, Brandon Perdue
1 - 4 players45 - 60 minMedium weight
2018Nikki Valens, Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson
1 - 6 players120 - 180 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Game description from the publisher: It is 1926, and the museum's extensive collection of exotic curios and occult artifacts poses a threat to the barriers between our world and the elder evils lurking between dimensions. Gates to the beyond begin to leak open, and terrifying creatures of increasing strength steal through them. Animals, the mad, and those of more susceptible minds are driven to desperation by the supernatural forces the portals unleash. Only a handful of investigators race against time to locate the eldritch symbols necessary to seal the portals forever. Only they can stop the Ancient One beyond from finding its way to Earth and reducing humanity to cinders. Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of Arkham Horror. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient One. Armed with tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game. To locate Elder Signs, investigators must successfully endure Adventures within the museum and its environs. A countdown mechanism makes an Ancient One appear if the investigators are not quick enough. The investigators must then battle the Ancient One. A clever and thematic dice mechanism pits their exploration against monsters and the sheer difficulty of staying sane and healthy, all within the standard game duration of one to two hours.
Designers
Richard Launius, Kevin Wilson
Artist
Dallas Mehlhoff
Publisher
Fantasy Flight Games
Mechanics