If I am mad, it is mercy! May the gods pity the man who in his callousness can remain sane to the hideous end! Come and be mad whilst he still calls with mercy!

—H. P. Lovecraft, “The Temple”

Pre-order your own copy of Return to the Path to Carcosa at your local retailer or online through our website—with free shipping within the continental U.S.—today!



When you first witnessed the cursed play The King in Yellow in The Path to Carcosa, you opened your mind to a maddening mystery that drove you to the darkest corners of Arkham, to the asylum, across the sea, and beyond to the realm of Lost Carcosa in the stars. You barely escaped the madness once, but when Hastur and his minions return for an encore performance, you have no choice but to heed the call and take up your weapons once more to defend Arkham—and the world—from the dark machinations of forces no mortal can understand.

But while you left the case of strange Carcosa behind, the powers of the Mythos have only changed and mutated, adding new creatures and schemes to their ranks to push the world closer to the brink of madness. Now, you must prepare for a fight like nothing you have faced before, where your greatest enemy may prove to be your own mind. Today, we’re pleased to offer you a closer look at the madness that awaits in the Return to the Path to Carcosa upgrade expansion for Arkham Horror: The Card Game—now available for pre-order at your local retailer or online through our website with free shipping within the continental United States!

Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?

While you thought your enemies dead, they merely slumbered until the moment came for them to strike once again. Return to the Path to Carcosa introduces 81 new scenario cards and 23 player cards for you to integrate into your entire The Path to Carcosa campaign, along with labeled divider cards to organize each encounter set and a premium box to house all the madness. Among the renewed ranks of the Yellow King you will find that Agents of Hastur from the Core Set have been promoted to Hastur’s Envoys, and the Ancient One’s hold on Arkham strengthens as Delusions from The Path to Carcosa become Maddening Delusions and the encounter set that was once merely Decay and Filth in The Path to Carcosa becomes Decaying Reality. You may find yourself struggling to deny the reality of Bleeding Walls (Return to the Path to Carcosa, 66), or losing more and more of yourself with the pain of Fragile Thoughts (Return to the Path to Carcosa, 67). But perhaps if you are going mad, it truly is a gift. After all, the alternative is to watch the world you know crumble around you—is madness not easier?

Increasing the terror tenfold, some of the new encounter cards in this upgrade expansion even have the power to undo the work you have you achieved in your scenarios by unraveling your mind. In “Return to the Unspeakable Oath,” Clouded Memory (Return to the Path to Carcosa, 39) forces you to choose between either suffering horror and the further wrath of the encounter deck or completely forget something you have learned from your investigation, making it no longer true. And should you move from amnesia to psychosis, you will find that your brain is a playground for Hastur and his followers with a new selection of treacheries with the Hidden keyword, entitled Visions in Your Mind (Return to the Path to Carcosa, 72). Similar to previous encounter cards like Gift of Madness (The Unspeakable Oath, 187) or Possession (Dim Carcosa, 341), Visions in Your Mind offers several different versions, each with a different terrible effect that you cannot share with your allies. Will you be forced to stay on the move throughout your investigation, or perhaps horde resources for yourself above the needs of your group? How can you save Arkham when you cannot even trust yourself?

An Old Friend

Rather than simply adding new dangers on top of those you already know, this upgrade expansion works to integrate these new terrors into your Path to Carcosa campaign, weaving synergy between the familiar and the new to not only increase difficulty, but also replayability and create a new play experience. Perhaps, with just a little stroke of luck, the memories and treasures from your past encounter with Dim Carcosa can serve you as you return. For example, if you should face the new Host of Insanity (Return to the Path to Carcosa, 37) while you control the Clasp of Black Onyx (Echoes of the Past, 142) first found in the Echoes of the Past Mythos Pack, you can attempt to distract the beast just long enough to get away.

Along with the thrilling new treacheries, locations, and enemies designed to challenge even the most hardened investigator, Return to the Path to Carcosa also includes new achievements and ultimatums to customize your campaigns and push your investigators to their limits. For example, The Cuckoo’s Nest achievement asks you to smuggle Daniel Chesterfield (The Unspeakable Oath, 82a) out of the asylum by resigning with him under an investigator’s control, while Say My Name demands that you listen to the madman’s ravings and after you have heeded his warning, speak the name of Hastur aloud seven or more times during a single scenario. For the truly brave or insane, you may attempt to gain this achievement while obeying the Ultimatum of the Unspeakable Name. If you heeded Daniel’s warning, each time you speak the name of Hastur aloud during a scenario, in addition to taking 1 horror, you must suffer 1 mental trauma. The king has returned to claim all the minds of Arkham, and your investigators are no exception.

Madness Takes its Toll

Now that you have been thrown back to the beginning of the path, few could blame you for questioning your sanity. Did you even escape, or is this reversal of time the fever dream of a deranged mind? The choice is yours whether you choose to believe that the world has gone mad or it is all in your head. Either way, the battle has just begun. Hold on to your mind, ready your allies, and defend what you know to be true!