Cthulhu-esque terrors invade Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series

The Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series of board games has sidestepped into the world of Cthulhu-esque horror in its newest entry.

Called Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Bureau of Investigation – Investigations into Arkham & Elsewhere, the upcoming board game will transport players from the series’ previous setting of late 19th century London, during the era in which the fictional detective would have been sleuthing, to the USA during the 1920s. A historical period known for great social upheaval and technological advancements, the Roaring Twenties will play host to an invading army of creatures and beings from beyond in the stars in Investigations into Arkham & Elsewhere

In the co-op game, players will become members of a secret organisation designed to look into strange goings-on and paranormal phenomena called The Bureau of Investigation. As agents of the Bureau, players will be responsible for launching investigations into unusual events that have been inspired by the Cthulhu-mythos, which is also the inspiration for many other tabletop series such as Arkham Horror: The Card Game and Cthulhu: Death May Die, in order to unearth the clues they need to prevent any potential invasions from the Old Ones.

Throughout their adventures, the players will find themselves exploring 1920s Boston and Arkham on the hunt for information, as well as places beyond the mortal realm and human understandings. Within these locations, players will need to work together to find clues, question leads and eventually solve five different cases. Based on the same system used in the other Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective games, Investigations into Arkham & Elsewhere is a standalone title – meaning that players do not need any of the other entries in the series to play it – that will, according to its publisher Space Cowboys, include some “twists and new mechanics”.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Bureau of Investigation – Investigations into Arkham & Elsewhere was created by Grégory Privat, whose previous games include another Cthulhu-esque inspired title called Assault on Innsmouth, a miniatures game featuring WWI infantry and Old Ones creatures.

Apart from releasing the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series, Space Cowboys is also known for publishing the beginner board game Splendor, the two-player card game Jaipur and another cooperative board game series called T.I.M.E Stories, in which players travel through time in order to fix mistakes and rewrite history.

The Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series – whose first released was in 1982 – has players becoming apprentice investigators to the legendary fictional sleuth. Players are charged by Sherlock with the task of solving a set of cases inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel series, with a trail of clues leading players to the right culprit, if they’re clever enough. Points will be awarded to players depending on how much help they require to solve each case, with Sherlock berating or praising players accordingly.

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Bureau of Investigation – Investigations into Arkham & Elsewhere is set to be released in March at a retail price of £27 ($36).