Gamehelparkhamcollectorswar

Arkham Collectors War – Rules

"In Massachusetts during the 1990s, true Collectors know that wealth alone is meaningless. Success is measured not in dollars, but in the rarity—and the peril—of the treasures you claim. In Arkham, where strange rumors linger and uncanny events unfold with unsettling regularity, a simple flea market can outshine the grandest of art auctions. Do you have the cunning to secure the most coveted relics for your Private Collection—while luring rivals into grasping the worthless, or even the cursed? Outwit, deceive, and bargain your way to prestige… if you dare."

Arkham Collectors War is a competitive card game for 2–5 players. As Collectors, you’ll acquire items either from the shared Showcase or from rival players’ Offers to assemble your own. The challenge? Lure opponents into claiming the less desirable items—sometimes by trickery, sometimes by clever play—while securing the finest treasures for your own Private Collection. Victory goes to the Collector who balances it all: keeping the fewest items in stock, crafting the most tempting Offer, and—above all—curating the most Prestigious Private Collection.

Components

The box includes:

• 5× Help Cards
• 3× Time Cards
• 40× Item Cards (yellow, red, blue, green and purple - sets from 1 to 4, 2 sets per color)
• 8× Artifact Cards (multicolor, 2 of each type)

Setup

1. Give each Collector one Help Card.
2. Set aside the 3 Time Cards.
3. With fewer than 4 Collectors: remove all blue cards.
4. Shuffle the remaining cards.
5. Deal 5 cards to each Collector.
6. Split the remaining cards into two halves (roughly equal) and shuffle the 3 Time Cards into one half.
7. Place the deck containing the Time Cards in the center of the table, then place the other half on top.
8. Randomly choose the starting Collector.

Turn Overview

Refill

1. If the Showcase is empty: draw the top card of the deck and place it in the Showcase.
2. If the card drawn is a Time Card: set it aside. If the game has not ended, repeat step 1.

Supply

The active Collector MUST choose one of the following:

• Take the card from the Showcase and add it to their hand.
• Take cards from one of the other Collectors’ Boxes:
  • Choose one of the other Collectors’ Boxes.
  • Take either ALL face-up cards or ALL face-down cards from that Box and add them to your hand.
  • The owner of the Box adds all the remaining cards to their Private Collection.

Offer

The active Collector MAY add one Box to their Offer by placing a group of cards from their hand in front of them, following these rules:

• At least 3 cards.
• Cards must all be of the same color (monocolor) or the same number.
• At least one card must be face down (hidden).
• At least one non-Wild card must be face up (visible).

Special Cards:

• Artifact Cards may be included in any Box.

End of Turn

Pass play clockwise to the next Collector.

End of the Game

The game ends immediately when one of the following occurs:

• The third Time Card is revealed.

Scoring

Each Collector adds up the Prestige value of their cards depending on where they are at the end of the game:

• Cards in their Boxes.
• Cards in their hand.
• Cards in their Private Collection.

Each yellow ★ is worth +1 Prestige Point. Each red ★ is worth –1 Prestige Point.

The Collector with the highest total Prestige Points is the winner.

Tiebreakers:

1. Most yellow Presige Point in collection.
2. Mosta Cards in collection.