Lost Ruins of Arnak

Explore the island. Discover ancient secrets. Try not to get eaten.

Fancy yourself as an explorer, archaeologist or treasure hunter? Lost Ruins of Arnak sends you deep into an unexplored island filled with ancient ruins, mysterious artefacts and creatures that would really prefer you didn't poke around in their homes. As the leader of an expedition, you'll explore the island, uncover lost knowledge and collect valuable discoveries — all while trying to outscore the rival explorers who are doing exactly the same thing.

The clever part is that there's more than one way to succeed. You will explore new locations, gather resources, discover artefacts and recruit assistants to help your expedition. You also build a deck of cards during the game, giving you new abilities and opportunities as your expedition develops. Every turn gives you choices: do you spend your resources exploring, buy a useful card, investigate an ancient site, or save your supplies for something even better later?

Of course, exploring ancient ruins is never completely straightforward. The island is full of guardians and obstacles, and sometimes your expedition will need to deal with creatures that are rather less interested in archaeology than you are. Managing your resources becomes a big part of the challenge. You might have the perfect plan in your head, only to discover that you are one compass, tablet or precious gem short of making it work. Suddenly, that mysterious temple looks a lot less inviting.

Lost Ruins of Arnak is a great game for anyone who enjoys strategy, exploration and building a plan as the game develops. It looks fantastic on the table, has plenty of interesting decisions without requiring you to be a board-game expert, and gives every player their own expedition to develop. So grab your backpack, sharpen your archaeological skills and prepare to explore the island. Just remember: if an ancient statue starts moving, you've probably explored too far.