The best games set in the H.P. Lovecraft universe "Cthulhu 2023

Looking for a really good game set in H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu universe? Then we have just the thing: The best Cthulhu Mythos games.

Who was H. P. Lovecraft?

Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937) was an American writer of gothic novels and horror stories, known for his creation of what later became the "Cthulhu Mythos" - he himself always called it the "Arkham Cycle". This myth, or rather the whole universe, can be found nowadays in movies, literature, music, computer games and even board games.

Even Batman refers to the works of Lovecraft

Batman and some other works from DC Comics universe have been inspired by the "Arkham Cycle". For example, the prison "Arkham Asylum" is located on the outskirts of Gotham City and is the place where those of Batman's enemies are imprisoned who are considered legally and mentally insane.

Lovecraft was never able to make a living from his works

Throughout his adult life, Lovecraft was never able to support himself on his income as an author and publisher. He was virtually unknown during his lifetime and was published almost exclusively in pulp magazines before dying in poverty at the age of 46, but is now considered one of the most important authors of supernatural horror literature of the 20th century.

Cthulhu Mythos...what is it?

The Cthulhu Mythos is a fictional universe that originated in the short stories and tales of American horror author H. P. Lovecraft. The term was first coined in 1927 by August Derleth, a contemporary correspondent and protégé of Lovecraft. The Cthulhu Mythos revolves around the settings (Arkham), characters (Henry Armitage), objects (Necronimicon), beings/entities (Cthulhu), and stories used by Lovecraft and his literary successors.

The name Cthulhu derives from the central creature in Lovecraft's seminal short story "The Call of Cthulhu," first published in 1928.

Games based on works by other authors

A lot of games are based on works of book authors. Just see our list of games based on authors below.

List of the best board games from the H.P. Lovecraft universe that you can buy 2023

This list was last updated on December 4, 2023. We compared 204 board games for this list and selected the top 30. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Cthulhu: Death May Die

    All details for the board game Cthulhu: Death May Die and similar games

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 1.

    More details for Cthulhu: Death May Die
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 90 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    👍 Good price!80€ atAmazon.de
  2. Lovecraft Letter

    All details for the board game Lovecraft Letter and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 5 - 15 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    🔥 Great price!12€ atAmazon.de

    Video reviews for Lovecraft Letter

    • YouTube Review for the game "Lovecraft Letter" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  3. Mansions of Madness: Second Edition

    All details for the board game Mansions of Madness: Second Edition and similar games
    • 1 - 5 Players
    • 120 - 180 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  4. Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe

    All details for the board game Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe and similar games
    • 4 - 8 Players
    • 1 - 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe

    • YouTube Review for the game "Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  5. Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu

    All details for the board game Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 40 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  6. Tides of Madness

    All details for the board game Tides of Madness and similar games

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for Tides of Madness
    • 2 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Tides of Madness

    • YouTube Review for the game "Tides of Madness" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Tides of Madness" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  7. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

    All details for the board game Arkham Horror: The Card Game and similar games

    Nominated for 13 awards and won 4.

    More details for Arkham Horror: The Card Game
    • 1 - 2 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Hard to learn

    Video reviews for Arkham Horror: The Card Game

    • YouTube Review for the game "Arkham Horror: The Card Game" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  8. Mythos Tales

    All details for the board game Mythos Tales and similar games
    • 1 - 10 Players
    • 60 - 120 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Mythos Tales

    • YouTube Review for the game "Mythos Tales" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  9. Sticky Cthulhu

    All details for the board game Sticky Cthulhu and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 15 Minutes
    • 6+ years old
    • Immediately playable
    👍 Good price!17€ atAmazon.de
  10. Unspeakable Words: Deluxe Edition

    All details for the board game Unspeakable Words: Deluxe Edition and similar games
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  11. Eldritch Horror

    All details for the board game Eldritch Horror and similar games

    Nominated for 5 awards.

    More details for Eldritch Horror
    • 1 - 8 Players
    • 120 - 240 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Eldritch Horror

    • YouTube Review for the game "Eldritch Horror" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  12. Cthulhu in the House

    All details for the board game Cthulhu in the House and similar games
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 10 - 20 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  13. Cthulhu Wars

    All details for the board game Cthulhu Wars and similar games

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for Cthulhu Wars
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 90 - 120 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Cthulhu Wars

    • YouTube Review for the game "Cthulhu Wars" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video is in English
  14. Elder Sign

    All details for the board game Elder Sign and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Elder Sign
    • 1 - 8 Players
    • 90 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  15. Stay Away!

    All details for the board game Stay Away! and similar games
    • 4 - 12 Players
    • 15 - 60 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  16. Lost in R'lyeh

    All details for the board game Lost in R'lyeh and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  17. Gates of Delirium

    All details for the board game Gates of Delirium and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for Gates of Delirium
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 45 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Gates of Delirium

    • YouTube Review for the game "Gates of Delirium" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  18. The Cards of Cthulhu

    All details for the board game The Cards of Cthulhu and similar games
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 90 Minutes
    • Easy to learn
  19. AuZtralia

    All details for the board game AuZtralia and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for AuZtralia
    • 1 - 4 Players
    • 30 - 120 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  20. Unfathomable

    All details for the board game Unfathomable and similar games

    Nominated for 6 awards and won 2.

    More details for Unfathomable
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 120 - 240 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty
  21. Cthulhu Realms

    All details for the board game Cthulhu Realms and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 25 - 45 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  22. Arkham Horror (Third Edition)

    All details for the board game Arkham Horror (Third Edition) and similar games
    • 1 - 6 Players
    • 120 - 180 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Medium difficulty

    Video reviews for Arkham Horror (Third Edition)

    • YouTube Review for the game "Arkham Horror (Third Edition)" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  23. Cthulhu Fluxx

    All details for the board game Cthulhu Fluxx and similar games
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 5 - 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  24. Ancient Terrible Things

    All details for the board game Ancient Terrible Things and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 14+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  25. Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set

    All details for the board game Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set and similar games
    • 2 Players
    • 30 - 45 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  26. Cthulhu Gloom

    All details for the board game Cthulhu Gloom and similar games

    Nominated for 1 award.

    More details for Cthulhu Gloom
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 13+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  27. Pocket Madness

    All details for the board game Pocket Madness and similar games
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable

    Video reviews for Pocket Madness

    • YouTube Review for the game "Pocket Madness" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
  28. Cthulhu Tales

    All details for the board game Cthulhu Tales and similar games
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 20 - 60 Minutes
    • 15+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  29. Munchkin Cthulhu

    All details for the board game Munchkin Cthulhu and similar games
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 90 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
    🔥 Great price!19€ atAmazon.de
  30. Mountains of Madness

    All details for the board game Mountains of Madness and similar games
    • 3 - 5 Players
    • 60 - 90 Minutes
    • 12+ years old
    • Easy to learn

    Video reviews for Mountains of Madness

    • YouTube Review for the game "Mountains of Madness" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English
    • YouTube Review for the game "Mountains of Madness" by BoardGameGeek
      Video is in English

Didn't find the game you were looking for?

We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: