Given that there is a copy of the true elder sign emblazoned on the symbol for this web page you may surmise that we are fans of games based on the highly original and imaginative writings and dark philosophy of H. P. Lovecraft; and you would be right.

In an earlier post I detailed our disastrous first attempt at playing Call of Cthulhu and I have a post upcoming on both editions of Arkham Horror(1987 and 2005), both of which I am fortunate enough to own. Today though I want to talk about 1996’s Mythos, Chaosium’s collectible card game.

Though only produced for a year this game is one of the best at capturing the feel of HPL’s writings. The players are not fighting monsters or even each other, unless they choose. They are merely trying to survive the horrors of a hostile yet impersonal universe as they explore dark, forbidding locations and get their story out to the world, the basic premise to many of Lovecraft’s stories.

Granted the game play of Mythos is a bit difficult to master at first, but once the rules are absorbed the game flows easily and it is one of the few card games that I have played that works well with large groups of players. If you have a chance to play it, do so. We highly recommend it.

The problem you face though is in finding it. With such a short print run the card supply was never large. In my group we ended up  pooling all our cards into one communal box and building our decks from that.

But….

If you follow our Instagram—which I also highly recommend—you may have seen the pics of unopened packs of Cthulhu Rising, Legends of the Necronomicon, Expeditions of M. U. and the Dreamlands expansions. These rare finds were unearthed at a local game store, hidden amongst the ever present boxes of Magic: The Gathering.

Samples were taken of this rare ore find and the location of the vein was marked for future, better funded, expeditions to return and mine all this valuable mineral deposit.

Of particular interest were the Dreamlands starter decks. Mythos decks come with the two sided character card necessary to play the game and they are complete enough to be played right out of the box, which is great if you’re like us and apt to hand a deck to a new player and invite them to play. We’ve drawn a lot of people to this wonderful little game by doing so. They get to play right away, learn the rules by playing with seasoned players and enjoy a genuine Lovecraftian experience.

If you come across a find of Mythos cards, buy them. Try this game. I bet you’ll like it.

And you do, or if you have any questions about Mythos, message us here, on Instagram or Facebook. We’d like to hear from you.

Until next time,

First Edition Dad

Oh, and if you haven’t done so, check out our post on The Howard Phillips Lovecraft Historical Society website.