Which Expansion

Eldritch Horror expansions

Base game: 1–8 players120–240 minFantasy Flight Games8 expansions checked
  1. #1 overall

    Forsaken Lore

    Buy this first

    BGG regulars call it the only must-have: it fills out the base game to what it should have been, adds encounters and 50% more Mysteries per base Ancient One.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Yig as a new Ancient One, extra Mystery and Research cards for the base-game Ancient Ones, new encounters, Spells, Assets and Artifacts.

    Fixes: Base-game encounter and Mystery decks repeat quickly; this fills them out with no new rules.

    Expansion1–8 playersAbout the same rules loadBest for casual groupsPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  2. #2 overall

    Cities in Ruin

    Worth it

    Several BGG players name it their favourite small box after Forsaken Lore for its cinematic city-smashing twist; pairs fine with Under the Pyramids.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Shudde M'ell as a new Ancient One with Disasters and Devastation that can wreck cities, four new investigators, new monsters and encounters.

    Fixes: Adds a sense of the world crumbling around you, so the map changes over the game instead of staying static.

    Expansion1–8 playersAdds more rulesFine for any groupPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  3. #3 overall

    Strange Remnants

    Worth it

    BGG players rate the small boxes as best value; one 2026 thread suggests starting with Forsaken Lore plus Strange Remnants to beef up item and encounter decks and add Focus.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Syzygy as a new Ancient One, the Mystic Ruins encounter deck (Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, Easter Island, Great Wall), Glamour spells, Relic unique assets, four investigators and four Preludes.

    Fixes: Gives teams a genuinely different Ancient One puzzle and more item and encounter variety without a side board.

    Expansion1–8 playersAdds more rulesFine for any groupPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  4. #4 overall

    The Dreamlands

    Worth it

    Most-liked big box in BGG threads; even a player who dislikes side boards called it the only big box worth adding after the small boxes.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: A Dreamlands side board, eight investigators, two Ancient Ones (Atlach-Nacha and Hypnos), Adventures, plus new Spells, Conditions, Assets, Mythos cards and encounters for every location.

    Fixes: Adds a second map to explore and a big jump in investigator and encounter variety.

    Expansion1–8 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $60–$100
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  5. #5 overall

    Under the Pyramids

    Worth it

    One BGG player calls it excellent and the best of the three big side-board boxes; pick it if the Egypt theme appeals more than the Dreamlands.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: An Egypt side board with six locations, eight investigators, Nephren-Ka and Abhoth as Ancient Ones, Impairment, Relics, Glamour spells, Museum Heist Adventures and six Preludes.

    Fixes: Makes the game bite harder for groups who find the base game too forgiving, and adds a lot of new investigators.

    Expansion1–8 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $60–$100
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  6. #6 overall

    Signs of Carcosa

    Depends on your group

    Recommended as a small box if you skipped Under the Pyramids; BGG players warn its Impairment effects pile up unpleasantly when combined with that box.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Hastur as a new Ancient One, four investigators, new encounters for every continent, plus new Conditions, Spells, Assets, Artifacts and Mythos cards built around madness.

    Fixes: Freshens up every encounter deck with a madness theme without adding a side board.

    Expansion1–8 playersAbout the same rules loadFine for any groupPrice: $20–$40
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  7. #7 overall

    Mountains of Madness

    Depends on your group

    Its eight investigators are strong, but several BGG players find its Ancient One mechanics the least interesting of the three side-board boxes; buy for the Antarctica theme.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: An Antarctica side board, eight investigators, two Ancient Ones (Ithaqua and Rise of the Elder Things), 156 encounter cards, and the first Adventures and Preludes.

    Fixes: Expands the investigator pool and adds Adventures and Preludes to vary setups.

    Expansion1–8 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $60–$100
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store
  8. #8 overall

    Masks of Nyarlathotep

    Most groups can skip

    The only big box without a side board; BGG players say its Personal Stories are wasted unless you own the other expansions and advise getting it last.

    Needs: Just the base game

    Adds: Two Ancient Ones (Nyarlathotep and Antediluvium), seven investigators, cult-hunting Adventures, Resource tokens, Personal Stories for every investigator in the line, and a Campaign mode.

    Fixes: Adds a campaign structure and personal goals for investigators once you own most of the line.

    Expansion1–8 playersAdds more rulesBest for experienced groupsPrice: $60–$100
    DetailsBuy:AmazonAsmodee Store

Need the base game?

Buy:AmazonAsmodee Store

Stuck between two?

Eldritch Horror expansions: quick answers

Which Eldritch Horror expansion should I buy first?

Forsaken Lore. BGG regulars call it the only must-have: it fills out the base game to what it should have been, adds encounters and 50% more Mysteries per base Ancient One.

Is Forsaken Lore worth it?

Our verdict: buy this first. It adds: Yig as a new Ancient One, extra Mystery and Research cards for the base-game Ancient Ones, new encounters, Spells, Assets and Artifacts.

Forsaken Lore or Cities in Ruin: which first?

We’d buy Forsaken Lore 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 2026-10-08.