Exceptional consensus · 5 organizations

Lost Ruins of Arnak

Mín, Elwen · Czech Games Edition · 2020

Lead an expedition to a mysterious island, combining deck-building with worker placement. Send archaeologists to discover new sites and manage a growing deck of items and fear cards.

Players

1–4

Time

120 min

Ages

12+

Difficulty

Medium

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Why you'll like it

Elegant blend of deck-building and worker placement
Indiana Jones adventure theme
Multiple paths to victory
Beautiful production
Excellent at all player counts

How it plays

Lost Ruins of Arnak mixes two styles: deck-building and worker placement. You start with a small deck of cards and two archaeologists. Each round you play cards for resources or movement and send your archaeologists to dig sites on a jungle island.

Exploring new sites reveals guardians you'll need to defeat, and artifacts and items you buy are added to your deck, so your options grow each round. Meanwhile you climb a research track toward the lost temple, which rewards players who plan ahead.

The game lasts five rounds. Most points come from the research track, defeated guardians, cards in your deck and temple tiles. It's a satisfying step up for players who enjoy games like Ticket to Ride or Splendor and want something with more decisions.

May not be for you if…

Two interlocking systems can overwhelm new players
Games run 90-120 minutes
Limited direct interaction
Research track can feel prescriptive

Best for

Strategy gamersadventure fansdeck-building lovers

Awards

2022ATTAComplex
2021IGABest Multiplayer Strategy Game
2021Deutscher Spiele Preis1st Place
2020Golden GeekMedium Game of the Year
2020Dice TowerBest Strategy
2021Kennerspiel des JahresKennerspiel des JahresNominated

Appears in

Strategy Night

Where to buy

AmazonCheck price →

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Common questions

How long does Arnak take?

About 120 minutes with four players, less with two. Once players know it, 2-player games can be done in about an hour.

Can you play Lost Ruins of Arnak solo?

Yes. It has a solo mode against an automated rival, and supports 1 to 4 players.

Is it too complicated for new players?

It's a medium-weight game. The rules fit on a few pages, but there are many choices each turn, so it's best for people who've played a few modern board games.