Cthulhu Wars
The premier horror strategy game with high quality miniatures and great competitive gameplay and tactics
The Old Ones have risen. Monsters walk the Earth. Humanity is finished, but the struggle continues.
Which Great Old One will rule the ruins of Earth? Now, you take charge!
Cthulhu Wars is a fast-moving strategy game about the end of the world. You take the part of various monstrous aliens seeking to dominate the world. You can play as Great Cthulhu himself, or you can take charge of other factions, such as the slithering hordes of the Crawling Chaos, or the insane minions of the Yellow Sign.
Earn and cast spells and summon monsters unique to your own Faction. Each Faction is strikingly different in tactics and techniques. A strategy that works for the Black Goat will be ineffective for the Crawling Chaos. The game is for 2-4 players…up to 5 if you get one of the expansions. Each Faction has multiple unique strategies for winning, so Cthulhu Wars has incredible depth and replay value.
Cthulhu Wars is a combination of strategic gaming and Lovecraftian horror, with the bonus of high-quality monster figures to make your game even more fun. Sandy Petersen, its creator, is well-known as one of the top game designers in the industry, and this is his best work so far!
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Awards
Reviews
Over the Top Gaming
VIDEO REVIEW
"...The rules themselves are very simple... the game itself is very deep, very rich... different paths to victory... great game...a lot of fun, I highly recommend it..."
Meeple Mountain
WRITTEN REVIEW
“Rating: 9.99/10 - as close to a perfect hit to me as they come.”
-Tyler Williams, meeplemountain.com
Shut Up and Sit Down
VIDEO REVIEW
"...Finally! Shut Up and Sit Down has a "Dudes on a map violent war game that it can recommend...wholeheartedly...Cthulhu Wars is a game that knows an epic experience does not mean an equally epic rulebook it is a game where simplicity and silliness sit side by side with strategy and scale..."
— Quinns, Shut Up and Sit Down
Gaming Trend
WRITTEN REVIEW
“With mechanics that make sense and brilliantly-written flavor text that is positively creepy, and you are completely plunged into the Mythos…this game is phenomenal”
-Joshua Davis, gamingtrend.com
Boardgame Quest
WRITTEN REVIEW
“Every part of Cthulhu Wars resonated with me as both a gamer and a fan of the Mythos… A stunning looking miniatures game…great asymmetrical game play…it’s a win all around.”
-boardgamequest.com
Miniature Market
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The immediacy of this game- coupled with its easy play and approachability- makes this one of my favorite designs in this genre space… Setup and commitment are minimized. Impact and engagement are maximized.”
-Michael Barnes, nohighscores.com and miniaturemarket.com
Father Geek
WRITTEN REVIEW
“A game that is as rewarding to the mind as it is to the eyes. Simply excellent and a game I highly recommend.”
-Cyrus, fathergeek.com
Tabletop Tribe
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The game’s asymmetry is front and centre. Big time. Everything is different for each faction from their spell books, to the monsters and Great Old Ones they can summon. The only identical thing for each player is their starting tools of six cultists and a controlled gate.”
-tabletoptribe.com
RPG.net
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The game really comes alive through the factions… each player plays in a different way, which keeps play fresh and interesting from game to game.”
-Shannon Appelcline, rpg.net
Deseret News
WRITTEN REVIEW
“‘Cthulhu Wars’ boasts what are among the best plastic minis seen in any board game in the history of the genre… large and beautifully sculpted, and really draw players into the eerie world of the Cthulhu mythos.”
-Cody K. Carlson, deseretnews.com
Ding and Dent
WRITTEN REVIEW
“This was my best play, the best game we had”
“We’ve talked a lot about Cthulhu Wars on these podcasts, and this is another shining example of why this is such an amazing game.”
“We walked away saying, “we want to play it again.”
-Ding and Dent broadcast, episode 48
GoodReads
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The gameplay is fast and addictive, the strategy is deep yet accessible, and the arresting quality of the components sets a new bar for board games.”
-Michael Langlois, goodreads.com
Nerditis
WRITTEN REVIEW
“Fantastic miniatures, fantastic game. I’ve got to find those expansions somehow”
-Ridureyu, nerditis.com
Awful Good Games
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The game is easy to learn, setup, and actually play”
-David Guyll, Points of Light
Michael Langlois
WRITTEN REVIEW
“It plays beautifully. All of the new factions and creatures slot into the core game seamlessly. And it’s fun as hell.”
-Michael Langlois, michael-langlois.net
Player Theory
WRITTEN REVIEW
“If you’re tired of the normal Lovecraft game where you’re another investigator trying to lure another Old One back to sleep, than I highly suggest you try out “Cthulhu Wars” and, for once, actually mean to bring about the apocalypse.”
-Andrew Dodson, playertheory.com
Blasphemous Tomes
WRITTEN REVIEW
“You’re getting a fun game that for all its size is reasonably easy to learn and should provide you with plenty of replay potential.”
-Paul Fricker, blasphemoustomes.com
Slug Magazine
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The twisted shapes of each faction are beautifully grotesque, rendered in surprising detail.”
-Henry Glasheen, slugmag.com
Boardgame Geek
WRITTEN REVIEW
“The gameplay is so intuitive, the placement of your monsters is incredibly satisfying, the combat is so streamlined, you’re not mentally exhausted after playing it … it’s an excellent, excellent game.”
-Nate (littleturd), boardgamegeek.com
Boardgame Geek
WRITTEN REVIEW
“This is a title beyond just its theme and the massive miniatures… It is a game of wild asymmetry; fans of area control and asymmetric games will want to take a long, good look.”
-James (Brother Jim), boardgamegeek.com
Boardgame Geek
WRITTEN REVIEW
“It’s a lighter game, featuring gigantic monsters destroying the world (and each other). It’s very fun to play if you’re into that (and who isn’t?).”
-Ryan Abrams (ryanabrams), boardgamegeek.com
Boardgame Geek
WRITTEN REVIEW
“Overall fun: Definitely a yes. We never got bogged down into the minutia of the rules”
-Ben Burns (BenTheRat), boardgamegeek.com
Miami Dice
VIDEO PODCAST REVIEW
"They knocked it out of the park... it has great gameplay... it has very cool asymmetrical powers for each faction... (If you're) a Cthulu guy, go get it, you won't be disappointed... "
— Miami Dice, Episode 156, The Dice Tower
Drive Thru Games
VIDEO REVIEW
"...You can really try out and play with different strategies.. There's a lot of potential with this game... a lot of upside... it's a very solid design... (the gameplay) it's very dynamic and interesting... I do enjoy the gameplay quite a bit...it's a lot of fun... I recommend it... "
Game Info
Game Stats
Cthulhu Wars News
Game Info
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$ 6.00
$ 49.99
$ 29.99
$ 24.99
$ 39.99
$ 24.99
$ 39.99
$ 29.99
$ 39.99
$ 14.99
$ 29.99
$ 39.99
Game Info
Game Stats
Highly Strategic
The interplay between players is vigorous and decisive. Key decisions must be made each turn, and while there is a small element of luck (particularly in rolling battle dice and some hidden victory points), the best tactics and strategy ultimately determine victory.
Cthulhu Wars is Fast
Despite its depth of gameplay, Cthulhu Wars is fast for a miniatures heavy game – interesting decisions can be made from the very beginning. It usually takes 90 minutes, including setup. Plus, the game also ramps up quickly – it is common to see the massive Great Old One figures Awakened very early!
2-8 Players
The core game includes 4 playable Factions. However, the core map can support up to 5 players – If you have a playable Faction expansion. There are 9 total playable Factions for Cthulhu Wars, and we are offering a map of earth that supports form 6-8 players.
Drenched in Theme
Cthulhu Wars is designed by Sandy Petersen, the author of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. It includes frightening depictions of the most famous Lovecraftian entities in 28mm scale, along with abilities steeped in the Mythos. However, you don’t need to know anything about Cthulhu in order to have a blast playing this strategy game!
Highly Asymmetrical
Cthulhu Wars is groundbreaking in its level of asymmetry. No two Factions have the same Monsters, Great Old Ones or Abilities at their disposal so each plays incredibly differently. The game has been balanced over years of playtest, so despite the radical diversity any matchup of Factions is a fair game this is similar to how keno casino game works when playing for real money online.
Endless Replayability
Factions gain their unique abilities via the Spellbook mechanic which operates similar to video game achievements: once you earn the requirements, you gain that ability for the rest of the game. Additionally, Spellbook requirements are not tied to any particular script. This means you can earn them in any order you want, which multiplies your tactical options. Your very strategy is dependent on which order you choose each new ability. As a result, playing the same Faction twice can be a very different experience!
Impressive Expansions
Cthulhu Wars boasts over 50 official expansion products. Some of them are currently out of print. We are offering 6 new products for this campaign as well as 10 of our top selling expansions from prior Kickstarter efforts, including every playable Faction expansion ever made: Opener of the Way, Sleeper, Windwalker, Tcho-tchos and the NEW Faction: Ancients.
Armies of Mercenary Units
Many expansions offer mercenary units. These are new types of Cultists, Monsters, Terrors and Great Old Ones that any player can Summon to add to their Faction during play. This multiplies your strategic and tactical options many fold as each of these neutral units comes with its own unique ability. New for Onslaught 3 are the Masks of Nyarlathotep and Beyond Time and Space. From previous campaigns these include Azathoth and the Cosmic Terrors.
Lots of Bling!
Due to high demand, Cthulhu Wars has several expansions that upgrade and pimp out your game! For this campaign we created the alternate Dire Cthulhu sculpt, unique sculpts for each Faction’s Acolyte cultists, and new colors of the Battle Dice. From previous campaigns we offer the exceedingly popular plastic gates and the custom dice pack for use with various Faction’s abilities.
Expansions
The Ancients Faction (CW-F6)
The Ancients Faction (CW-F6)A new human Faction for Cthulhu Wars. Includes 6 unique Acolytes, 3 Un-Men (plasma criminals), 3 Reanimated (atom-powered zombies), and 3 Yothans (gigantic underground reptiles). Includes 4 cathedrals; 19 total figures, and 3mm die cut Faction Card.
CW Onslaught 3 Stretch Goal Box (CW-E20)
All the Stretch Goals that all backers got in our Cthulhu Wars: Onslaught 3 Kickstarter. These were not “Kickstarter Exclusives” but they were free! Not anymore! Includes glow in the dark gate; maroon HPL marker; maroon Asenath Waite; 4 Ancients brain cylinders; Ancients colored gate; Ancients high priest; 2 updated Tcho-tcho Spellbooks and 2 updated Great Cthulhu Spellbooks; all 8 Investigators and all 9 Neutral grey Acolytes (Note, this box does NOT include the O3 Master Rulebook, Nodens, or Cacodemon, even though all three of those items were part of every pledge level in Onslaught 3 - they are simply packaged separately and are NOT included here)
NEW Battle Dice (CW-U-BattleDice)
20 Battle Dice in 1 Faction's color (Green = Cthulhu Faction, Red = Black Goat Faction, Yellow = Yellow Sign Faction, Blue = Crawling Chaos Faction, Orange = Sleeper Faction, Purple = Opener of the Way Faction, Light Blue = Windwalker, Pink = Tcho-Tcho Faction, Teal = The Ancients Faction, Silver = Azathoth Faction)
Masks of Nyarlathotep (CW-U10)
The multiplicity of the Crawling Chaos! Contains 9 Dark Demon figures (one per Faction), the Shadow Pharaoh, the Bloated Woman, and the Haunter of the Dark!
Beyond Time and Space (CW-U11)
More monsters and a terror! Includes 4 wamps, 2 vooniths, and the dread hound of Tindalos!
Beyond Time and Space (CW-U11)
Conquer the shattered world of Shaggai before it falls into oblivion. Also includes 6 worms of Ghroth figures; 15 eradication figures; and 5 custom dice
Neutral Unit Identifiers (CW-U26)
144 plastic rings to fit on your neutral unit bases! There are an equal number of rings in each of the 9 Faction's colors: 6 per color in 25mm, 3 per color in 40mm, 3 per color in 50mm, 3 per color in 60mm, 1 per color in 80mm.
Unnameable Set (CW-U25)
6 grey Acolytes, 1 grey High Priest, 1 grey Doom marker, 1 grey Power marker to be used with variant and Faction entries from the 1000 Forms contest, or your own homebrew and variant Faction designs!
Dire Cthulhu (CW-U13)
A great new Cthulhu figure for your game. Huge and even more impressive than the old classic sculpt. Also, acts as a new Independent Great Old One, with his own loyalty card and spellbook.