Elder Sign (card game)

Elder Sign is a cooperative dice game designed by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, published by Fantasy Flight Games. It is themed around the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft, in which players take on the roles of investigators seeking to prevent an Ancient One from awakening and destroying the world.

Gameplay involves players traveling to various locations within a museum, represented by cards, and attempting to complete tasks described on those cards. These tasks are resolved by rolling a set of custom dice and matching the symbols rolled to the requirements listed on the card. Success yields rewards, such as sanity, stamina, or Elder Signs themselves. Failure can result in the loss of sanity, stamina, or other detrimental effects.

The primary objective is to collect a specified number of Elder Signs before the Doom track, which represents the Ancient One's impending arrival, reaches its maximum. As the Doom track advances, the game becomes progressively more difficult.

The game features a variety of investigators, each with unique abilities and starting equipment. It also includes numerous Ancient Ones, each presenting a different set of challenges and requiring different strategies to defeat. Expansion packs have been released, introducing new locations, investigators, monsters, and Ancient Ones, as well as new mechanics and challenges. The gameplay emphasizes strategic dice rolling, resource management, and cooperation among players.