Cthulhu Wars is a strategy board game where players assume the roles of alien races and gods from the Cthulhu mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft. The game is grand in scale, boasting sixty-four figurines of cultists, monsters, aliens, and Great Old Ones, ranging in height from about 20 mm to nearly 180 mm.
Set on a map of Earth, players represent one of four factions included in the base game. Each turn starts with players Gathering Power. During subsequent Action Rounds, they expend this Power to perform various tasks such as recruiting Cultists, moving units, battling, summoning monsters, constructing Gates, casting spells, and Awakening their Great Old One. When all players deplete their Power, the Action phase concludes, and a new turn starts. Victory hinges on accumulating points on the Doom Track. The first player to reach 30 points emerges as the victor, but only if they’ve unlocked all six of their spell books.
Each faction possesses a unique set of monsters, spell books, and special abilities, with distinct requirements to unlock its spell books. Every faction has multiple strategic paths available. While the base game caters to 2-4 players, expansions introduce new factions and maps, allowing up to 8 players.
