History TabletopGame / ElderSign

* RogueLike: While not described as one officially, Elder Sign shares various elements with this genre of videogames, like completely randomised starting equipment taken from specific pools of items. The most noticeable feature being that the museum (and other locations)where Elder Sign takes place is made up by cards from a deck that gets shuffle and dealt at the start of the game, [[RandomlyGeneratedLevels meaning the composition of the map changes every time you play]] instead of being a static board like in other Arkham Files games.

* RogueLike: While not describe as one officially, Elder Sign shares various elements with this genre of videogames, like completely randomised starting equipment taken from pools of items. The most noticeable feature being that the museum (and other locations)where Elder Sign takes place is made up by cards from a deck that gets shuffle and dealt at the start of the game, [[RandomlyGeneratedLevels meaning the composition of the map changes every time you play]] instead of being a static board like in other Arkham Files games.

* Roguelike: While not describe as one officially, Elder Sign shares various elements with this genre of videogames, like completely randomised starting equipment taken from pools of items. The most noticeable feature being that the museum (and other locations)where Elder Sign takes place is made up by cards from a deck that gets shuffle and dealt at the start of the game, [[RandomlyGeneratedLevels meaning the composition of the map changes every time you play]] instead of being a static board like in other Arkham Files games.

Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of ''TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror'', for which this is a sister game, both sharing Investigators, items, and artwork. Players take the roles of Investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient Ones. Armed with cards for tools, allies, and occult knowledge, Investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game.

* BadassBookworm: Part and parcel for the Mythos, especially since the Museum is run by Miskatonic University. You can even have a ''[[UpToEleven full party of them]]'', using Harvey Walters, Mandy Thompson, Kate Winthrop, Carolyn Fern, and/or Amanda Sharpe.

* WorldOfBadass: A whole slew of Investigators who face up to eldritch horrors without hesitation, and a range of Allies who can back them up. Unfortunately, this IS a CosmicHorrorStory...

* NintendoHard: Tasks are difficult and the toughest ones come with nasty effects, monsters can appear that make them even tougher, failure often incurs severe penalties, every four turns a new Mythos card leads to both a bad thing happening and a penalty that lasts until the ''next'' mythos card. Ancient Ones have game-long effects and incur a very difficult boss battle with FinalDeath incorporated if it awakens (except for Azathoth, which is outright GameOver if it awakens,) Other World cards can offer significant rewards but are even harder than normal Adventures, and there are a handful that can penalize the players for having uncompleted Other World cards. Players can build up a repertoire of items, clues, and allies that can provide extra dice, re-rolls, and useful passive and active effects, as well as trophies from their victories that can be traded in for valuable rewards...but Investigators can and will drop like flies, and with few exceptions players lose ''everything'' and have to start fresh when it happens. Finally, there are tasks and monsters that can lock up die, preventing them from being used until dealt with and making both themselves and other events FAR more difficult, potentially even leading to an {{Unwinnable}} situation.

* ABoyAndHisX: A homeless man and his HeroicSacrifice prone dog.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist / ContinuingIsPainful: Both examples. Dying lets you start fresh with a new Investigator, with full health/sanity and a set of starting items. If you had nothing, you're better off than you were before. However, dying means you forfeit ''everything'', so if you had a collection of dice, rerolls, and allies, dying can be VERY painful.

* AnyoneCanDie: One of the biggest differences between this game and ''TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror''; whereas it took a great deal of effort (or REALLY bad luck) to die there, here it simply takes a reduction of either stat to zero, something that can happen very easy and very often. It's not uncommon for the players to go through multiple Investigators over the course of a game.
* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu: Just like the home game; you can stop the Ancient One, sometimes even [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu personally]], but unless you've been having a perfect game, there WILL be casualties.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist / ContinuingIsPainful: Both examples. Dying lets you start fresh with a new Investigator, with full health/sanity and a set of starting items. If you had nothing, you're better off than you were before. However, dying means you forfeit EVERYTHING, so if you had a collection of dice, rerolls, and allies, dying can be VERY painful.

* WorldOfBadass: A whole slew of Investigators who face up to eldritch horrors without hesitation, and a range of Allies who can back them up. Unfortunately, this IS a CosmicHorrorStory....

* AdaptationDistillation: The game can basically be described as a wholesale version of this to the original ''TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror''; one Ancient One, simplified abilities, less emphasis on character backgrounds and lore, and tasks and events are more straightforward. And while the expansions have added backi nsome of the complexity, it is still nowhere near as crazy as Big Sis.

* AdaptationDistillation: The game can basically be described as a wholesale version of this to the original TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror; one Ancient One, simplified abilities, less emphasis on character backgrounds and lore, and tasks and events are more straightforward.

Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of ''TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror'', for which this is a sister game, both sharing Investigators, items, and artwork. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient Ones. Armed with cards for tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game.

* AnyoneCanDie: One of the biggest differences between this game and ''TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror''; whereas it took a great deal of effort (or REALLY bad luck) to die there, here it simply takes a reduction of either stat to zero, something that can happen very easy and very often. It's not uncommon for the players to go through multiple investigators over the course of a game.

It is 1926, and the museum’s exotic curios and occult artifacts open barriers between our world and the elder evils lurking between dimensions. Other Worlds begin to leak through and terrifying creatures of increasing strength steal through them. Animals, the mad, and those of susceptible minds are driven to desperation by the supernatural forces that the portals unleash. In the midst of this chaos, a handful of investigators race against time to locate the eldritch symbols necessary to seal the portals forever and stop evil Ancient Ones from reducing humanity to cinders.

Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of ''TabletopGame/ArkhamHorror'', for which this is a sister game. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient Ones. Armed with cards for tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist / ContinuingIsPainful: Both examples. Dying lets you start fresh with a new Investigator, with full health/sanity and a set of starting items. If you had nothing, you're better off than you were before. However, dying means you forfeit EVERYTHING, so if you had a collection of die, rerolls, and allies, dying can be VERY painful.

Elder Sign is a fast-paced, cooperative dice game of supernatural intrigue for one to eight players by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, the designers of Arkham Horror. Players take the roles of investigators racing against time to stave off the imminent return of the Ancient Ones. Armed with cards for tools, allies, and occult knowledge, investigators must put their sanity and stamina to the test as they adventure to locate Elder Signs, the eldritch symbols used to seal away the Ancient Ones and win the game.

* AdaptationDistillation: The game can basically be described as a wholesale version of this to the original ArkhamHorror; one Ancient One, simplified abilities, less emphasis on character backgrounds and lore, and tasks and events are more straightforward.
* AnyoneCanDie: One of the biggest differences between this game and ArkhamHorror; whereas it took a great deal of effort (or REALLY bad luck) to die there, here it simply takes a reduction of either stat to zero, something that can happen very easy and very often. It's not uncommon for the players to go through multiple investigators over the course of a game.

* NintendoHard: Tasks are difficult and the toughest ones come with nasty effects, monsters can appear that make them even tougher, failure often incurs severe penalties, every four turns a new Mythos card leads to both a bad thing happening and a penalty that lasts until the ''next'' mythos card. Ancient Ones have game-long effects and incur a very difficult boss battle with FinalDeath incorporated if it awakens (except for Azathoth, which is outright GameOver if it awakens,) Other World cards can offer significant rewards but are even harder than normal Adventures, and there are a handful that can penalize the players for having uncompleted Other World cards. Players can build up a repertoire of items, clues, and allies that can provide extra die, rerolls, and useful passive and active effects, as well as trophies from their victories that can be traded in for valuable rewards...but Investigators can and will drop like flies, and with few exceptions players lose ''everything'' and have to start fresh when it happens. Finally, there are tasks and monsters that can lock up die, preventing them from being used until dealt with and making both themselves and other events FAR more difficult, potentially even leading to an {{Unwinnable}} situation.

* NintendoHard: Tasks are difficult and the toughest ones come with nasty effects, monsters can appear that make them even tougher, failure often incurs severe penalties, every four turns a new Mythos card leads to both a bad thing happening and a penalty that lasts until the ''next'' mythos card. Ancient Ones have game-long effects and incur a very difficult boss battle with FinalDeath incorporated if it awakens (except for Azathoth, which is outright GameOver if it awakens,) Other World cards can offer significant rewards but are even harder than normal Adventures, and there are a handful that can penalize the players for having uncompleted Other World cards. Players can build up a repetoire of items, clues, and allies that can provide extra die, rerolls, and useful passive and active effects, as well as trophies from their victories that can be traded in for valuable rewards...but Investigators can and will drop like flies, and with few exceptions players lose ''everything'' and have to start fresh when it happens. Finally, there are tasks and monsters that can lock up die, preventing them from being used until dealt with and making both themselves and other events FAR more difficult, potentially even leading to an {{Unwinnable}} situation.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist / ContinuingIsPainful: Both examples. Dying lets you start fresh with a new Investigator, with full health/sanity and a set of starting items. If you had nothing, you start off even than you were. However, dying means you forfeit EVERYTHING, so if you had a collection of die, rerolls, and allies, dying can be VERY painful.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist/ContinuingIsPainful: Both examples. Dying lets you start fresh with a new Investigator, with full health/sanity and a set of starting items. If you had nothing, you start off even than you were. However, dying means you forfeit EVERYTHING, so if you had a collection of die, rerolls, and allies, dying can be VERY painful.

* BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulu: Just like the home game; you can stop the Ancient One, sometimes even [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulu personally]], but unless you've been having a perfect game, there WILL be casualties.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: A University professor, a professional author, a psychologist, and a college student [[spoiler: who is actually a Deep One, just unaware of it]] work alongside a gangster, a hobo, an AdventurerArchaeologist, and a military veteran. [[NintendoHard Most of them]] [[AnyoneCanDie will die.]]