Four New Ways To Battle The Cthulhu Mythos Across Time And Space
Games like Call of Cthulhu, Arkham Horror Card Game and Delta Green give tabetop fans a chance to battle these horrible forces in thrilling ways. Here's a look at their latest offerings along with a new version of a classic party game tainted by the Mythos. These games are available online and through Friendly Local Game Stores.
One of the most exciting parts of investigating the Cthulhu Mythos are cases that span different moments in time. Cthulhu By Gaslight is one of the most popular settings for Call of Cthulhu which opens up London in the late Victorian era as a new front for players and Keepers. The 7th Edition version features two new books, one geared for each side of the table.
Cthulhu by Gaslight: Investigators' Guide offers players a fantastic resource on the historical details of the era. The rules allow investigators of every social class and how to bring them together for a game of supernatural mystery. It also includes extensive details on the rigid social classes of the era, who was breaking them and why.
For more information on the darker side of the era, Cthulhu by Gaslight: Keepers' Guide deals with secret societies and the fascination with the occult many people had at the time. There are also Mythos cults and creatures that can be used in any game. The book rounds out with example scenarios ready to kick off a campaign.
Cthulhu's first appearance came in H.P. Lovecraft's short story 'The Call of Cthulhu' pubkished in 1928. One of the segments of the story dealt with a sailor's encounter with The Great Old One on an island city called R'lyeh. The nightmare corpse city sank beneath the waves at the end of the story but it rises once again.
The Drowned City Campaign Expansion sends Arkham Horror Card Game players to this horrible place. The storyline changes based on the decks they use and feature a final confrontation with Cthulhu. It's a climactic campaign option that long time fans will love.
Players looking for the most up to date additions to their decks should check out The Drowned City Investigator Expansion. There are six new investigators to choose from including two that are entirely new to the Arkham Horror line. This set also introduces specialist cards that key off of specific traits for powerful game effects.
Love Letter is a modern classic card game that tests players' powers of deduction in a fast, simple game that's easy to learn. It's a great choice for board game parties or as a game that can be brought to a pub. Arkham Horror: Lovecraft Letter puts a spooky spin on the game play making it a great choice for a Halloween party or fans of scary board games
The major change is an extra layer of sanity versus insanity that's a core of many Mythos games. Players have to be careful in playing Mythos cards because while they offer more powerful abilities, they can eliminate a player from a round much more quickly. It's a great choice for fans of the original looking for a new dimension of game play.
The agents of Delta Green form a conspiracy within the US Government to keep the world safe from Cthulhu Mythos incursions. This game mixes classic Cthulhu mysteries with modern conspiracies. It also shows the horrible effects a double life has on these brave, doomed humans.
The most recent cases have been collected into a volume called God's Hunt. They can be used to expand the game's most recent campaign called God's Teeth or as stand alone investigations. In addition to hunting monsters, the scenarios also deal with real world issues like police corruption and mass shooting.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Mom, it's not letting me go': Mom says octopus latched on to her son
A Texas mom is concerned after she says an octopus at the San Antonio Aquarium left bruises on her 6-year-old son's arm. According to the mother, Britney Taryn, the aquarium has always allowed guests to touch the octopus, dating back to November of 2024. Her son has visited the octopus, a Giant Pacific Octopus named Cthulhu, many times. 'They're allowed to touch them, and it's welcomed,' she said in a video she posted to TikTok about the incident, which has since gone viral. 'He would sit there and touch and talk to the octopus until we cut him off.' During the visit in question, Taryn and her son noticed the octopus had grown quite a bit since they last saw it, and its behavior had changed. While the octopus usually put its tentacles on her son and then released him, that's not what happened on July 14. 'Mom, it's not letting me go,' her son said that day. As Taryn tried to help her son step away from the tank, the octopus still wouldn't relent and even began coming out of the tank, she said. 'We start freaking out because that octopus is now bigger than my 6-year-old,' she said. 'So if we have this octopus outside of the water, is it going to engulf him and swallow him whole? I don't know.' It took three employees with ice packs to get the octopus off her son, she said in the video. The ordeal left her son's heart racing, and his arm was covered in purple tentacle marks. Taryn said her son is OK. 'This was honestly the coolest experience to him,' she said. 'He is so excited, but I don't know. Should I be more concerned? Should I be worried?' USA TODAY has reached out to the aquarium for comment. Employee initially thought octopus was being 'playful' According to Taryn, there were no employees around initially. Then one walked up and witnessed what was happening. 'He's like, 'Oh, isn't she playful today?'' Taryn recalled. 'This octopus is halfway out the tank trying to eat my son, but yeah, playful, sure.' The employee tried unsuccessfully to get the animal off the boy, then used his radio to call for ice packs. Two people came running in with ice packs, placing them on the animal, Taryn said. 'The octopus is suctioning and releasing the other employees, but it's not letting go of my kid,' she said. 'More and more tentacles start to envelop his arm.' The three employees were then able to free her son from the octopus' grip. 'She recognized him': Octupus can recognize humans they interact with Taryn and her son left the aquarium and eventually went back because he wanted to check on the animal, she said. They had to wait for a crowd of people to clear the area, then once her son got closer to the octopus, she noticed a reaction that took her aback. The octopus, which normally appeared reddish-brown, began to take on a color she'd never seen before. '(The octopus) made eye contact with my son and immediately … started to change colors and come close to him,' she said, adding that the animal turned white. She later went home and researched octopus behavior, and what read saw was alarming. 'Since this octopus is getting up there in years, I read that it can start becoming super erratic or clingy,' she said. 'She recognized him … it seems like she has a heightened emotional response to him.' She said she was worried about the animal's emotional regulation, and also that another child may have a similar issue with the octopus. Although her son handled the situation calmly, other kids may not and they may hurt the animal, she said. But researchers say the animals are curious and can remember things. "They can also recognize people and actually like some more than others," wrote team members at the Max Delbrück Center, a research center in Germany. "Researchers now believe that they even dream, since they change their color and skin structures while sleeping." Aquarium explains behavior of octupus Nearly two weeks after the incident, the San Antonio Aquarium did not directly address the situation but did share an educational video of an employee working with Cthulhu the octopus. According to the employee, Cthulhu's suction is a strong, "amazing" tool she uses to crawl and pry things open. Calling the suction cups "bundles of nerves," she said the suction cups can move independently and allow the animals to taste food and move heavy objects. Some octopuses have about 200 suction cups per arm. The employee added that the octopus is intelligent and gets excited during mealtime, noting how she tried to pry a shrimp out of the employee's hand. Throughout the video, viewers can see the octopus inching up the employee's arm with her tentacles. As the animals try to get hold of food or other items, the suction cups create "hickeys" or "octopus kisses" that are normal for strong, curious animals, the employee said. "Blood comes up to the surface of your skin,' the employee said. 'She's not trying to be harmful in any manner." How the bruises show depends on an octopus' complexion, age and the thickness of its skin. They disappear within one to two weeks, the worker said. In another video featuring the employee working with the octopus, she laughed as she tried to get the octopus off her arm. Viewers tagged Taryn in the clip. "Now imagine that that is a 6-year-old," Taryn said. Outside of the initial video that went viral, Taryn is continuing to post about the experience on TikTok to bring awareness to others. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Octopus grabs boy's arm at aquarium at San Antonio Aquarium, mom says
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Mom, it's not letting me go': Mom says octopus latched on to her son
A Texas mom is concerned after she says an octopus at the San Antonio Aquarium left bruises on her 6-year-old son's arm. According to the mother, Britney Taryn, the aquarium has always allowed guests to touch the octopus, dating back to November of 2024. Her son has visited the octopus, a Giant Pacific Octopus named Cthulhu, many times. 'They're allowed to touch them, and it's welcomed,' she said in a video she posted to TikTok about the incident, which has since gone viral. 'He would sit there and touch and talk to the octopus until we cut him off.' During the visit in question, Taryn and her son noticed the octopus had grown quite a bit since they last saw it, and its behavior had changed. While the octopus usually put its tentacles on her son and then released him, that's not what happened on July 14. 'Mom, it's not letting me go,' her son said that day. As Taryn tried to help her son step away from the tank, the octopus still wouldn't relent and even began coming out of the tank, she said. 'We start freaking out because that octopus is now bigger than my 6-year-old,' she said. 'So if we have this octopus outside of the water, is it going to engulf him and swallow him whole? I don't know.' It took three employees with ice packs to get the octopus off her son, she said in the video. The ordeal left her son's heart racing, and his arm was covered in purple tentacle marks. Taryn said her son is OK. 'This was honestly the coolest experience to him,' she said. 'He is so excited, but I don't know. Should I be more concerned? Should I be worried?' USA TODAY has reached out to the aquarium for comment. Employee initially thought octopus was being 'playful' According to Taryn, there were no employees around initially. Then one walked up and witnessed what was happening. 'He's like, 'Oh, isn't she playful today?'' Taryn recalled. 'This octopus is halfway out the tank trying to eat my son, but yeah, playful, sure.' The employee tried unsuccessfully to get the animal off the boy, then used his radio to call for ice packs. Two people came running in with ice packs, placing them on the animal, Taryn said. 'The octopus is suctioning and releasing the other employees, but it's not letting go of my kid,' she said. 'More and more tentacles start to envelop his arm.' The three employees were then able to free her son from the octopus' grip. 'She recognized him': Octupus can recognize humans they interact with Taryn and her son left the aquarium and eventually went back because he wanted to check on the animal, she said. They had to wait for a crowd of people to clear the area, then once her son got closer to the octopus, she noticed a reaction that took her aback. The octopus, which normally appeared reddish-brown, began to take on a color she'd never seen before. '(The octopus) made eye contact with my son and immediately … started to change colors and come close to him,' she said, adding that the animal turned white. She later went home and researched octopus behavior, and what read saw was alarming. 'Since this octopus is getting up there in years, I read that it can start becoming super erratic or clingy,' she said. 'She recognized him … it seems like she has a heightened emotional response to him.' She said she was worried about the animal's emotional regulation, and also that another child may have a similar issue with the octopus. Although her son handled the situation calmly, other kids may not and they may hurt the animal, she said. But researchers say the animals are curious and can remember things. "They can also recognize people and actually like some more than others," wrote team members at the Max Delbrück Center, a research center in Germany. "Researchers now believe that they even dream, since they change their color and skin structures while sleeping." Aquarium explains behavior of octupus Nearly two weeks after the incident, the San Antonio Aquarium did not directly address the situation but did share an educational video of an employee working with Cthulhu the octopus. According to the employee, Cthulhu's suction is a strong, "amazing" tool she uses to crawl and pry things open. Calling the suction cups "bundles of nerves," she said the suction cups can move independently and allow the animals to taste food and move heavy objects. Some octopuses have about 200 suction cups per arm. The employee added that the octopus is intelligent and gets excited during mealtime, noting how she tried to pry a shrimp out of the employee's hand. Throughout the video, viewers can see the octopus inching up the employee's arm with her tentacles. As the animals try to get hold of food or other items, the suction cups create "hickeys" or "octopus kisses" that are normal for strong, curious animals, the employee said. "Blood comes up to the surface of your skin,' the employee said. 'She's not trying to be harmful in any manner." How the bruises show depends on an octopus' complexion, age and the thickness of its skin. They disappear within one to two weeks, the worker said. In another video featuring the employee working with the octopus, she laughed as she tried to get the octopus off her arm. Viewers tagged Taryn in the clip. "Now imagine that that is a 6-year-old," Taryn said. Outside of the initial video that went viral, Taryn is continuing to post about the experience on TikTok to bring awareness to others. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Octopus grabs boy's arm at aquarium at San Antonio Aquarium, mom says Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Forbes
Mark Meer And Samantha Béart Talk About Their Call Of Cthulhu Tour
The company of Jasper Cartwright (The Re-Slayer's Take), Johnny Chiodini (The Oxventure), Belinda ... More Cornish (Dragon Age), Mark Meer (Mass Effect), Samantha Béart (Baldur's Gate 3) and Josephine McAdam (L.A. By Night) recently completed a five city tour of the United Kingdom playing Call of Cthulhu in a live actual play format. Summertime is when big concerts roll around the world. Fans want to see their favorite performers live. This summer the big names incude Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar and…The Great Old One Cthulhu? Big actual plays like Critical Role and Dimension 20 are hitting the tour circuit this summer to bring their stories out of the studios and into big venues. Chaosium backed a recent tour of Call of Cthulhu that ran through the United Kingdom featuring a mix of actors and actual play stars. The tour is part of Chaosium's 50th anniversary celebration this year. Call of Cthulhu is the premier game of cosmic horror. Players are ordinary people who are drawn into a secret world of secretive cultists, unknowable horrors and mind shattering revelations. The timelessness of the horror allows games to be set in multiple places during human history, though the 1920's remains one of the most popular. We spoke with tour members Samantha Béart and Mark Meer about bringing the game's madness to the masses. Mark Meer is a voice actor best known as the voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series of video games. Samantha Béart's best known role is as Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3. Both Meer and Béart began their time in role playing games where many people do. Dungeons and Dragons remains the great gateway into the hobby. Meer found himself stepping into the Dungeon Master role for a very common reason; nobody else would do it. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder "I started playing Dungeon & Dragons back in 1981," said Meer. 'I remember the year well because my first DM was excited to show off the brand new book he'd just purchased - the original Fiend Folio. I was instantly hooked. I was playing with a group of older kids who needed somebody to be the cleric .When they moved on to other interests, it became clear to me that if I wanted to keep playing in the small prairie town I grew up in, I'd need to both teach other people how to play and learn how to be a Dungeon Master myself. Other favourite RPGs included the old Marvel Super-Heroes game and later, Vampire: The Masquerade and GURPS.' "I'm more of a video gamer," said Béart. 'I've been a gamer since I could make a boy give me his controller. In 2019, my friend who is a DM wanted to ease me into it. There was a one-shot club in London. The idea is that you make your character, you're hired as a mercenary and you go on the job. There were a lot of first time DMs there. My first chracter was a Dragonborn barbarian called Denise. She was very accident prone. Then 2020 happened and I started playing online with that DM. I played regretful tiefling warlock. Weirdly, you put those two characters together and you get Karlach, so maybe it was meant to be. I had to then give up that group to record Baldur's Gate 3 without being able to tell them that's why I had to leave.' In the tour, Meer took the role of Keeper of Arcane Lore, which is what Call of Cthulhu calls the Game Master. This is Meer's third live play series partnership with publisher Chaosium. Béart won a BAFTA Breakthrough award for her work on The Excavation of Hob's Barrow which is known for combining the cosmic horror of Lofecraft with folk horror situations. 'I've got two very useless arts degrees,' said Béart. 'one in English Literature and one in acting. Lovecraft isn't that well known in the UK. But I was aware of him for a long time. Hob's Barrow had very strong Lovecraftian themes. I got asked by one of the actors if I wanted to do it.' 'My direct involvement with Chaosium came about when Elder Eye Entertainment put the YouTube series Bookshops of Arkham together back in 2021, with Belinda co-writing the scenario alongside our friend Darren Ormandy, me as Keeper, and Chaosium as a producer/backer. The success of Bookshops lead Chaosium to contact Belinda and me for a sequel, Graveyards of Arkham, with Good Time Society. Since then, I've also run games for Chaosium at Gen Con, and they asked me to be Keeper for the 2025 UK tour.' Call of Cthulhu can be a dark, grim game and there was plenty of horror to be had in each show. Each episode featured a different adventure built to be played in an hour or two ranging from tomb raiding to checking in on a missing friend. The players did their best to balance the spooky with the silly and send everyone home entertained. 'Although they were assigned archetypes for each show," said Meer. "The players were generally making up names for their characters in real time in front of the audience. There were certainly a few hilarious surprises in that department! Some favourites included Professor J.R.R. Culkin, Mr. Abraham Lincoln Norelation and Dr. Newjersey Jones. Perhaps they thought horrific things wouldn't happen to people with funny names. They were sadly mistaken!' 'It's so priviledged a position to be in,' said Béart. 'I know folks in TTRPG. I know how long it takes to build that following, to get that funding. I'm so appreciative. I'm a pretender. A total fake. I've not worked for this. I got lucky on a video game and I'm playing a barbarian. I'm making all my mistakes in public, but it's fine.' Meer will return at Dragon Con running a liveplay show featuring Baldur's Gate 3 characters. He can be heard in the upcoming adaptation of The Last Wardens. He is also booking reservations at his table at D&D In A Castle for Spring 2026. Béart continues her career as an actor in the upcoming game, Fading Echo, which also features Matt Mercer and Laura Bailey from Critical Role. She will voice one of the four playable characters in Absolum called Cider, an enigmatic fusion carefully rebuilt from near death by a mysterious puppeteer. Call of Cthulhu is available directly from Chaosium, multiple online retailers and Friendly Local Gaming Stores around the world.
