Which Expansion

Arkham Horror (Third Edition) expansions

Base game: 1–6 players120–180 minFantasy Flight Games3 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Dead of Night

    Buy this first

    BGG rates it 8.29 from 1,446 ratings. BGG posters say buy it first: it doubles each neighbourhood encounter deck and is the cheapest by MSRP, though it has the fewest scenarios.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Two new scenarios, new investigators including Roland Banks, and eight more encounter cards per neighbourhood, doubling the base encounter decks.

    Fixes: Fixes repeating encounters: the core box has only eight encounter cards per neighbourhood.

    Expansion1–6 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any group
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeek
  2. #2 overall

    Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Under Dark Waves

    Worth it

    BGG rates it 8.42 from 1,036 ratings. BGG posters call its scenarios easier and more numerous (four) than Secrets of the Order, but say it feels less polished.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Four new scenarios, eight new investigators and special locations, with minor new mechanics.

    Expansion1–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groups
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:Amazon
  3. #3 overall

    Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Secrets of the Order

    Worth it

    BGG rates it 8.46 from 690 ratings, the highest of the three. A BGG poster ranks it the best expansion, but others warn two of its scenarios are among the hardest in the game.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Three scenarios with interesting layouts, hidden monsters and special locations, plus four new investigators including Agatha and Winifred.

    Expansion1–6 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groups
    DetailsReference:View on BoardGameGeek

Need the base game?

Reference:View on BoardGameGeekBuy:AmazonFantasy Flight Games

Stuck between two?

Arkham Horror (Third Edition) expansions: quick answers

Which Arkham Horror (Third Edition) expansion should I buy first?

Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Dead of Night. BGG rates it 8.29 from 1,446 ratings. BGG posters say buy it first: it doubles each neighbourhood encounter deck and is the cheapest by MSRP, though it has the fewest scenarios.

Is Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Dead of Night worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: Two new scenarios, new investigators including Roland Banks, and eight more encounter cards per neighbourhood, doubling the base encounter decks.

Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Dead of Night or Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Under Dark Waves: which first?

We’d buy Arkham Horror (Third Edition): Dead of Night first. See the side-by-side comparison for what each adds and needs.

Other games’ expansion guides

Same publisher

Rankings are our editorial picks, built from the reviews linked on each expansion page. Last checked 2026-10-15.