Who goes first in Arkham Horror: The Card Game?
Fantasy Flight Games English Learn to Play, revised core set, 2021
There is no fixed first player. During setup the group chooses a lead investigator, and each investigation phase the investigators decide together who takes the first turn.
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
Rule details
The lead investigator holds the lead investigator token, breaks ties and makes decisions for the group if there is a conflict.
In the investigation phase, the group chooses who goes first. After each turn, they choose who goes next, until every investigator has had a turn.
When the rules say “in player order”, the lead investigator goes first, then the others clockwise.
In the first round, skip the mythos phase and begin with the investigation phase.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
Source & edition
- Arkham Horror: The Card Game — Learn to PlayFantasy Flight Games · Page 4, Lead Investigator and “In Player Order”; page 6, setup step 3 (Choose Lead Investigator); page 11, The Investigation Phase; copyright on PDF page 23 · Checked 2026-09-25
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