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Build an Arkham Horror LCG Collection in Layers: Campaigns, Investigators and Side Stories
If Arkham Horror LCG has caught your eye, the hardest part is rarely deciding whether it looks good. The hard part is working out which box actually changes your evenings at the table. The range can look intimidating because some products add scenarios, some deepen deckbuilding, and some are best treated as optional extras for later.
The easiest way to shop the line is to build your collection in layers. Start with the boxes that create repeatable play, then add the boxes that widen your investigator options, and only after that reach for side stories or class-specific extras. That route keeps your shelf useful, rather than simply fuller.
What the main Arkham Horror LCG box types do
A quick read of the current living card game range shows three especially useful shopping buckets.
Campaign expansions add the actual narrative arc you will play through. They are the boxes that create a multi-session journey, set-piece scenarios and a memorable table story. Good examples on GameSummon include The Dunwich Legacy Campaign Expansion, The Scarlet Keys Campaign Expansion and The Forgotten Age Campaign Expansion.
Investigator expansions mainly deepen deckbuilding. They broaden your card pool and give you more ways to build, tune and replay your favourite roles. That is the job done by boxes such as The Dunwich Legacy Investigator Expansion, The Drowned City Investigator Expansion, The Scarlet Keys Investigator Expansion and The Forgotten Age Investigator Expansion.
Scenario packs and side stories are brilliant for variety, but they are rarely the smartest first purchase. They work best once you already have a stable campaign group and want shorter detours, one-off evenings or a special change of pace. In the current category, examples include Film Fatale Scenario Pack and Traces to Nowhere Scenario Pack.
Seen through that lens, the range stops looking random. It becomes a simple sequence: campaign first, card pool second, optional spice later.
First layer: get a playable campaign loop on the table
Your first priority is a dependable play loop. That means one campaign-focused box and enough investigator support to let your group actually explore different roles over several sessions. If you buy only narrative content, you may end up repeating the same deck ideas. If you buy only investigator cards, you may own clever deck tools without a fresh story to play them through.
For many shoppers, the cleanest starting pair is a campaign box plus its matching investigator box from the same cycle. The Dunwich Legacy Campaign Expansion paired with The Dunwich Legacy Investigator Expansion is easy to understand as a first layer because the campaign gives you the table journey while the investigator box gives you more replay value inside that journey.
If you prefer the idea of a harsher expedition tone, the same logic applies to The Forgotten Age Campaign Expansion and The Forgotten Age Investigator Expansion. If you want a globe-trotting structure and a range that feels broader in scope, the Scarlet Keys campaign box and matching investigator expansion make sense as a layer rather than as isolated purchases.
The key idea is simple: your first Arkham money should create both story momentum and deck variety.
Second layer: widen your investigator card pool
Once you already have a campaign you can return to, the next useful spend is usually more investigator depth. This is where Arkham Horror: The Card Game LCG products become easier to judge. Ask yourself whether you want more scenarios right now, or whether you want your existing scenarios to feel different the next three times you play them.
If the answer is replayability, investigator expansions are the better buy. A box like The Drowned City Investigator Expansion adds new investigators and deckbuilding possibilities that ripple across every campaign you already own. That usually creates more practical value than jumping straight to a niche add-on.
This is also the stage where ready-to-play investigator decks can make sense if you spot one that suits how your group actually learns games. They are not mandatory, but they can reduce setup friction for players who would rather play tonight than tune every card choice. Treat them as convenience purchases, not as the backbone of the collection.
Third layer: choose campaigns by mood, not by fear of missing out
After your first complete layer, campaign shopping becomes much easier. Instead of asking which box is “next”, ask what sort of Arkham evening you want more of.
If you want a classic-feeling route that many players naturally understand, Dunwich is an approachable anchor. If your group enjoys the idea of dangerous exploration and a stronger expedition flavour, The Forgotten Age is the kind of box you pick for mood. If you want a campaign that feels larger, more flexible and more like a strategic travel plan, The Scarlet Keys is the sort of purchase you make because you want that specific structure at the table.
This mood-first method works because Arkham is a campaign game, not a shelf-completion contest. The right next campaign is the one your group will actually finish, discuss and replay.
Fourth layer: add side stories for one-off nights
Once your shelf already has a dependable campaign pair or two, scenario packs become much more appealing. They are excellent when your group wants a shorter evening, a break between longer arcs or a special one-session detour.
Film Fatale and Traces to Nowhere make the most sense at this stage because you already own enough of the core Arkham experience to appreciate what a side story changes. They are seasoning, not the main meal.
If you enjoy keeping campaign cards organised, this is also the point where an occasional storage extra such as an Arkham Horror investigator deck box can be useful. It is a practical support purchase, but it should follow gameplay content rather than replace it.
Mistakes that make an Arkham shelf feel expensive fast
Buying only the dramatic-looking box. A campaign box often looks like the obvious buy, but it is better when you have enough investigator depth to keep returning to it.
Overvaluing side stories too early. Standalone scenarios are fun, but they shine brightest once you already know what your regular Arkham nights feel like.
Shopping by release anxiety. Arkham works far better when you buy by use case. Choose the next box that solves a real table need: more deck variety, a new campaign structure or a one-night detour.
Leading with storage. Accessories are useful, but in a collection-led card game, play value should come before organisation extras.
If you keep those four points in mind, the Arkham Horror LCG category becomes far easier to browse with confidence.
FAQ
Should I buy a campaign expansion or an investigator expansion first?
If you are building from a small Arkham shelf, the best first layer is usually one campaign expansion plus one investigator expansion. That gives you both a story arc to play and a deeper card pool to replay it with.
Are scenario packs a good first Arkham Horror LCG purchase?
Usually no. Scenario packs are strongest once you already have a dependable campaign setup and want shorter detours or one-off evenings between longer arcs.
How should I choose my second campaign?
Choose by mood and table style rather than by completion instinct. Pick the campaign structure and tone your group is most likely to finish and replay.
When do storage extras start making sense?
Storage extras make sense after you already own the gameplay content you need. They are useful support purchases, but they should not displace campaigns or investigator cards early on.
Build the shelf in that order and Arkham becomes much easier to enjoy: one complete campaign layer, one deeper investigator layer, then side stories and practical extras once the core loop already works for your group.