Arkham Horror - Mother's Embrace -First Impressions - A murder mystery turn based RPG set in HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos

Howdy Gamers.

This title caught my eye when it appeared on Steam a couple of days ago.It released on March 23rd and is currently $19.99.

At first I thought it had something to do with Batman due to the Arkham title.On reading the description I became even more intrigued to find out its a turn based rpg set in Hp Lovecraft's world of cultists and elder gods such as Cthulhu.

The game is based on a board game which I assume resembles other tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder.The combat system is pretty similar so I imagine it uses a dice system similar to the D20 system found in other games.

Image from Amazon.com

Our story is set in the 1920s ,the lead character has been invited to a mansion by a woman by the name of Professor Wilhelmina Tillinghast.

At the start of the game we have to pick our lead investigator.The character selection here is like Dungeons and Dragons meets Cluedo...

We have characters that are more suited to a tanking role with higher melee attack power and hit points.Characters that are more accurate with ranged attacks.Others have increased healing abilities or magic abilities.

So the usual roles of tanks,rangers,healers and spellcasters are available here just in a 1920s setting rather than a medieval fantasy setting...

How intriguing I don't think I have ever found an rpg with such a setting before.Add to this the intrigue of a murder mystery and the occult aspects you would expect from a game set in HP Lovecraft's world and we have a very interesting little game here.

This video covers the first 1 hour and 40 minutes of the story.

So let's dive right in and meet the cast of characters we can chose to play as...

Harvey Walter's - The Professor

Jenny Barnes - The Dilettante

Jim Culver - The Musician

Kate Winthrop-The Scientist

Sefina Rousseau - The Painter

William Yorick

Zoey Samaras -The Cook

Each of the characters has their own voice over which plays as soon as you bring their profile up.I thought this was a neat touch.

I decided to play as William Yorick the gravedigger after reading his biography...

"William Yorick has long desired to make a name for himself on the stage.Alas,having seen him in a performance of the Scottish play.I fear he shall never distinguish himself on the boards.

To earn a living,he turned to work as a grave digger,and no one can say he shies away from hard labour

Some do say,however ,that in the lonely hours aftr a funeral,William performs scenes for the dead.Whether or not they appreciate his performance, no one living can say"

I found this delightfully Macabre and quit humorous.A gravedigger who is an aspiring but not very good actor that performs to the dead,seems perfect for our Lovecraftian murder mystery scenario.

Upon selecting our character we are given a little bit of back story and we then find ourselves in the front courtyard of a Mansion at night.

Allow me to introduce myself.I am Wilhelmina Tillinghast,professor of Astronomy at Miskatonic University

All my life I have dedicated myself to the study of celestial objects

Most recently,I visited Louisiana to observe the passage of a comet I had observed for many years

I hoped the trip would provide me with the evidence required to conclude my decades-long research.

Yesterday,you received my telegram requesting that you meet me at my house,just outside Arkham.

And so you've decided to join me in my mansion.

"The estimable Professor suggested a desire to organise a theatrical extravangana.At last,a patroness who recognizes my talent!"

"I should ring the bell"

The graphic style used here kind of reminds me of the old Alone in the Dark games,especially in this courtyard area.The area is suitably errie for the start of an occult murder mystery story...

Our character is an aspiring Shakespearean actor and will often quote lines from Shakespeare's plays.As we approach the mansions front door he says...

"O answer me!" Wait,Hamlet's talking to a ghost in that one.Bad choice."

"There's a light coming from the second floor window she must be home."

"Let the doors be shut upon him,that he may play the fool no where but in's own house" Or I could just let myself in"

We keep track of what we are supposed to be doing in our journal...

Our main objective right now is to find a way into the mansion...

AN INVITATION - You arrived at my modest manor home in Arkham,invited by me,Professor Wilhelmina Tillinghast. When I failed to answer the door you understood at once something was amiss.After all,I'm hardly one of those absent minded biddies whose minds wander off at the slightest distraction.Quite reasonably,you searched for another way inside the house to ensure I was well.

Areas we can investigate will be highlighted with a magnifying glass...

It seems we are not getting in through the front door...

Next to the window we find some boxes that will allow us to climb into the house but first we need to find something to smash the window with...

"It's no problem to reach the window,but it's shut tight.Id need to smash the glass to get inside"

We find a wheelbarrow to examine which brings up this interesting complex interaction mechanic in the game...

Our main character has a sanity meter which when totally depleted will cause our character to suffer a trauma which will result in some kind of detrimental effect.

When these complex interactions occur we need to pick the right option.If we pick the wrong option we will cause the mythos clock to fill up.When the clock is totally full we will feel the intervention of the elder gods and will have to perform a sanity check which if failed will cause our character to lose a sanity point.Its a very interesting mechanic which we will explore later on.

In this case the right option was to Look Through the wheelbarrow rather than just to choose the quick look option...

We find a wire cutter which we can use to smash the window and enter the house...

Using the wire cutters to smash the window and gain entry to the living room .Professor Tillinghast will often comment on certain events in a sort of out of body way.Early on I get the suspicion this is her spirit talking to the player...our lead character can't hear her dialogue.

How dare you smash my window! I hope you intend to have it replaced.

"What light through yonder window breaks? It is my elbow.Ouch! Now where is the professor"

I make a quick investigation of the living room but there's nothing of any real use here...

Heading into the front hall we find a smashed glass.This is where the Mythos clock and the intervention of the "Great Old Ones" is explained to us...

"A broken vase?The professor must have heard it fall.She wouldn't have just left it here."

While investigating the broken glass we hear a scream from upstairs followed by a loud thud....

"That scream came from upstairs"

"Professor was that you?"

"No answer.There must be someone else inte house.I ought to find a weapon"

Hearing the scream and then the thud followed by the realization that someone else is in the house causes our character to lose his first point of sanity.

In the font hall of the house we find a knife...

Ok now we have a weapon ,time to head upstairs and investigate...

"The scream must have come from the other side of this door"

The door is locked we have to look around for a key...

In a cabinet in the bathroom we find some bandages.These are what we use to heal during and after combat.

We walk into a rather creepy looking nursery where we meet our second character..

"Who goeth...Ahem.Who goes there?"

"I'll ask the question.Roland Banks.Bureau of Investigation.Im on the job.Who are you and whats your reason for being here?"

We explain to Roland why we are here and he agrees to help us look for the key,we now have 2 party members.Roland has a revolver and is a very accurate shot.

"Is Professor Tillinghast a suspect in some crime?"

"She's only a person of interest.The Bureau has evidence that others are trying to involve her in some shady business"

"I came to find out what she knows.If anything.Then I heard the scream,too.Seems we need a key to get inside that door"

"I'll help you find the key"

Searching the bedroom at the end of the hall we find some cigarettes.These can be used to regain sanity points at the cost of health.

The key we need is hanging from the mobile above the crib in the nursery...

"There is a key on the mobile"

"My files say Tillinghast has no children.If that's true why would she need a nursery?"

"The professor always wished for children even long after she grew too old to have them"

Our first enemy encounter is behind this door...we learn that every door with a glow under the bottom has enemies behind it...

Time to unlock the door and confront the intruders...

"What,Who.?"

"Who are you?"

"Listen pal,you've got some explaining to do"

"Come then,I have just the "explanation" you deserve"

Combat is pretty simple ,you have 5 action points per turn.You can spend them moving,attacking or using items...

William is first to act..he comes in with a critical knife attack for 11 damage leaving the cultist with only 1 hit point remaining...

Roland finishes the cultist with a shot from his revolver...

"Whats going on?"

"We'd better have a look inside"

"Who in blazes are you?"

"Angels and ministers of grace defend us!"

"That's Professor Tillinghast, all right.She wont be telling me much anymore"

"We need to stop them!"

Roland ends the fight with a brutal point blank shot to the cultist's head....this game is awesome!

"Who were those cloaked figures.This wasn't just a burglary"

"You're right about that,it must be connected to my investigation.We'd Better have a look around."

"An ill sign that and drawn in blood!"

"That looks like some kind of cult symbol.This ain't a garden variety burglary"

"Such a brutal death.Even shakespeare would hesitate to dispatch a kindly old scholar in such a manor"

"The wound on her stomach,it looks like she was knifed"

"Look at these notebooks.Is this the professors handwriting?"

"There's no useful information here ,but perhaps Professor Tillinghast kept notes on this material in another location"

"What's this mess?"

"A broken jar or flask.I can make out a few letters: "Minksa...Uni...Sc...Lab"

"Miskatonic University Science Lab.That's simple enough"

"We've found everything we're liable to find here.Time to see where the evidence leads us"

And so my friend's set out to discover how I was killed

We will end it there for now.In the next episode we will head to Miskatonic University and see what we can find out there.So far the story has me deeply intrigued.I will be playing this game all the way to completion so stay tuned for more Lovecraftian murder mystery.

So far I am really impressed with this game,it brings together a lot of things I like, occult mysteries ,eerie settings,rpg combat,an intriguing plotline and a cast of interesting characters.