On Arkham Horror's many expansions

So what's the haps with this blog, asked no one. Nothing much, I have been bit busy with writing other stuff. Especially since now my job is to write stuff, I am having difficulties stuffing writing into my free time as well. Writing and baking and boardgame playing...

A friend of mine bought Arkham Horror about a year ago and he got several expansions with it. He didn't have time to play it yet (or so he says) and has been planning to throw an AH party. Somehow I became the person who knows about the game the most because I played it several times and with various expansions. There are 8 expansions of which I have played 4. I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means but yeah, among those who haven't played the game, I know the most :D

The problem with Arkham Horror and its expansions is that the base game itself can go for hours and each expansions adds features that extend and complicate (or deepen) the gameplay. Playing the game with all the expansions at once is very difficult and will drive any newcomers crazy... Maybe that is the point but still I suggest choosing playing them separately or in a combination of two each time you play which would keep the game fresh and still enjoyable. What follows is a summary of the expansions I know with recommendation whether they work when mixed with others or not.

Victoria Sponge Cake

All those things that keep getting in the way of baking, like exams and changing jobs and more exciting things like running and trying to keep a diet of sorts (who am I kidding? I love cake). However, there is an important date coming soon, Friday 14th June is the International Steampunk day.

Steampunk is cool if you're a geek and only a tiny bit weird but harmless if you are not. The whole idea is to dress and act (and relive) the period of the industrial revolution during Queen Victoria's reign with clothing adorned with cogs and brass. In a fictionalized period of the age of steam, there are blimps in the sky and fascinating machines as if from the works of Jules Verne propel adventurers on whatever journey they might be on.

Anyway, when I learned that there was such a thing like a Steampunk day, I immediately knew how to celebrate it. Majestic Queen Victoria which lived for 800 years (she looked great for her age) supposedly loved this one dessert which is today known after her. When I looked into it more, I found some background info that she had it with her daily afternoon tea with her personal assistant. Charming! And since Steampunk is tightly knit with the Victorian period, a slice of Queen's favourite dessert should satisfy everyone from high aristocrats to the greasiest of monkeys.