Interview with Arthur Petersen about Cthulhu Wars Onslaught 3

“I have played Call of Cthulhu as the keeper hundreds, maybe thousands of times. In fact I just did it in Germany not two weeks ago. […] I like asymmetrical strategy games, particularly those that are fast moving, with lots of theme. […] I knew no one would publish a game like Cthulhu Wars. It was too bizarre, too expensive, too unusual. I had to do it myself, or go to the fans for help.”

Sandy Petersen (Interview in Juegos y Dados in 2015)

Cthulhu Wars is a competitive strategy game in which 2 to 8 players face-off to determine the fate of the planet. You’ll recruit cultists and summon monsters, cast spells, open interdimensional gates, and awaken your colossal unearthly Great Old One!

Every game is different – as you play, you unlock new spellbooks, giving new amazing powers unique to each faction. Play is highly asymmetric – every faction has a unique set of spellbooks and creatures.

The core game offers an asymmetric, two to four player strategy experience (up to eight players with expansions). Each player controls a faction of cosmic evil competing with its rivals for the remains of the defeated, dying Earth. Players push and battle each other to control areas, build gates, gain power, achieve personal goals, and unlock special abilities in the form of spellbooks to render their own faction supreme. The miniatures are conspicuously monstrous, appealing and evocative.

Cthulhu Wars’ original Kickstarter campaigns launched in 2013 and 2015 to stellar success.

Sandy Petersen, the designer

Carl Sanford Joslyn Petersen better known as Sandy Petersen is one of the most famous American game designers of role-playing games. He is regarded as the main designer for Call of Cthulhu role-playing game in 80’s in Chaosium. At Chaosium he co-authored the second edition of RuneQuest and a number of other Gloranthan supplements. Furthermore, he authored some RuneQuest supplements for Avalon Hill and Games Workshop. Lately He worked as designer of video games doing levels for Doom, Doom II, Quake or several of the Age of Empire games. Petersen was the Executive Producer for the movie The Whisperer in Darkness. In 2013, Petersen had an enormous successful Kickstarter campaign by his company, Green Eye Games, to produce the Cthulhu Wars board game and others famous games.

Interview with Arthur Petersen about Cthulhu Wars 3

Arthur Petersen, the project director for the Cthulhu Wars game, and author of Azathoth expansion, is answering our questions about Cthulhu Wars Onslaught 3.

Juegos y Dados – Welcome Arthur, it is a pleasure that you are here with us. Thank you so much for your collaboration.

Arthur Petersen – No problem!

Juegos y Dados – First of all, I would like explaining something. We are interviewing the most famous role-playing Spanish authors. Would you like know that the question of favourite role-playing game until now is more than 80% in favour of Call of Cthulhu?

Arthur Petersen – Wow! I have to agree, as it’s mine too.

Juegos y Dados – Are you fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories?

Arthur Petersen – Of course! My first introduction to them was actually while camping with my father telling me the tale (in his own words) of “The Shadow over Innsmouth.” It frightened me then, and still is one of my favorites.

Juegos y Dados – What was the first board game that you played?

Arthur Petersen – The first I can recall really playing and absolutely loving is Cosmic Encounter. It was an old 1977 edition (way before Fantasy Flight’s reprint). It has at least 100 aliens you could be, I was astonished at how much more fun it was (to me), than card games like Spades or Checkers.

Juegos y Dados – How many people are involved in the development of Cthulhu Wars?

Arthur Petersen – In terms of design, it’s really just Sandy (although he has an assistant, Lincoln to help playtest and balance). For art there are too many to list, though Kent Hamilton did most of the art for the new Onslaught 3. Our sculptors are legion, however.

Juegos y Dados – Are all staff working full time on the project?

Arthur Petersen – Absolutely. Petersen Games has a salaried staff of only 6 full time employees, but we have help from Ed Healy who collaborates with us as our marketing czar, as well as a few others.

Juegos y Dados – Is Cthulhu Wars a game from fan of the Mythos to fan of the Mythos?

Arthur Petersen – Yes. Sandy frequently calls himself a “peer” of his own fans; he thinks of himself as a fan of Lovecraft, and thus offers games like Cthulhu Wars exactly as you describe!

Juegos y Dados – What’s new about this third version of Cthulhu Wars?

Arthur Petersen – The game itself is the same, but we are offering some exciting new expansions, including a new playable Faction, The Ancients, based on Lovecraft’s story, “The Mound.” There is also a new version of Cthulhu and a pack containing several of Nyarlathoteps other “forms.”

Juegos y Dados – How many more expansions are planned for Cthulhu Wars in the future?

Arthur Petersen – Hahaha, nice try. We don’t really even know ourselves. If Onslaught 3 goes well, perhaps there will be more in the future, but at this point we’ve offered over 50 official expansions. This may be the last big offering of new material. I don’t really know.

Juegos y Dados – Are there many people interested in this third version of Cthulhu Wars?

Arthur Petersen – See for yourself! Go to www.cthulhuwars.com and you can see the preview page where we have hundreds of comments about it.

Juegos y Dados – Is Cthulhu Wars a board game with an amazing image that makes you sit at the table and with a fantastic mechanic that keeps you sitting on it?

Arthur Petersen – When we demo the game at conventions, for example, there are always folks who stop by to see our large and fabulous figures. It’s a show stopper for sure. But usually that’s just to get them interested. Once they actually play, virtually everyone responds positively that they didn’t expect the gameplay itself to be so fun! It’s a great combination of visual excitement with a great game to keep you playing.

Juegos y Dados – I think that there are a lot of spanish gamers interested in Cthulhu Wars. Will it be translated with any Spanish publisher?

Arthur Petersen – Absolutely! It should be coming out this fall by a publisher from Spain. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say who just yet, but the core game is fully translated into Spanish and it is nearly done being manufactured at this point.

Juegos y Dados – Would you like to add any comments that encourage our readers to support the project?

Arthur Petersen – Certainly – please go to www.cthulhuwars.com and check out our Kickstarter page! You can see all the new miniatures we are offering as well as the new expansions! Please consider supporting us when it goes live on July 17^th, 2017.