Lost Ruins of Arnak - Gateway to Heavy
Skin in the Board Games - Review
Set off on the greatest adventure ever played!
Summary: Lost Ruins of Arnak by CGE has you leading an expedition team of explorers into the ancient ruins of the lost civilization of Arnak. The theme of mystery & discovery makes you feel like Indiana Jones playing Jumanji.
How it plays: Lost Ruins of Arnak combines worker placement, deck building, & resource management in a harmonious balance. Earn the most Victory Points using these main mechanics to win the game with the best overall research expedition.
On your turn, you take a main action of either placing an explorer, buying an item or artifact that will build your deck, or moving up the research track. If you discover a new site, you awaken its guardian. Gather the proper resources to defeat it for 5 VP & it’s reward, or retreat at the end of the round with an extra fear card.
Moves start off simple, but as you gain equipment (cards) with coins or compasses, you gain greater power of action to accomplish the main tasks of exploring top tier sites & advancing your research.
Recruit assistants as you advance your research that can help you in their unique ways.
It pays off to be 1st in Lost Ruins of Arnak. The 1st one to explore a new site is rewarded with an idol that is worth 3 VP & can be instantly used on any turn to be exchanged for a necessary resource. Also, the 1st one up the research track can gain bonus resources at crucial spots. Being the 1st to make it to the top of the research track will secure 2 more VP than 2nd place. This game plays so tight that you will want to lock down any advantage you can find.
Be as frugal as you can to save enough to earn a glorious golden temple tile after you discover the Lost Temple with your magnifying glass to boost your score by 11 VP!
Creative Problem Solving:
The skill in this game is in precisely planning how you will gather the specific combination of resources for each challenge you face. Never lose hope & always believe that it is possible to find the perfect move. This is the true discovery of Arnak.
The game plays so tight that you have to get it right. Sequencing your actions in the right order is crucial for gaining optimal advantage. Just when you think you don’t have enough resources to advance your research, scan the board & card row because you can often just barely find what you need to continue.
The Real Run-Down:
This is the breakthrough, generational gateway game that we have been waiting for since Catan!
What Catan did for trading, Lost Ruins of Arnak does for worker placement & deck building. It is a difficult task in the table-top world to get new players to learn something, well new. The concept of worker placement seems so foreign to players who only know the roll & advance method of Monopoly. This game shines in its simplicity that makes every move matter, while not being confusing beyond comprehension.
I will bring this game to a crew that is ready to take their gaming to the next level, much like the 2nd level cave sites when you are ready to face that monster.
Appreciate the Journey:
The artwork on the board, cards, & tiles is magnificent. Admiring the detail to design allows you to immerse yourself into the adventure. The suspense of secrets yet to be discovered gives me the feelings of watching Brendan Fraser in The Mummy. That movie was a banger & so is this game.
