Objective
In Anasazi, players take on the roles of explorers venturing into the American Southwest to uncover ruins and artifacts from the Anasazi culture. The objective is to collect the most valuable artifacts and outscore your rivals by the end of the game.
Components
- 1 Game board
- Artifact cards in various colors and values
- Wooden scouting figures
- Scoring board
- Player screens to keep collections hidden
Setup
Each player starts with a certain number of scouting figures and a player screen to hide their artifacts and treasures. The game board, indicating sites of artifact discoveries, is placed in the center.
Gameplay
The game is played in rounds where players take turns moving their scouting figures around the board to discover new sites or search already known sites.
Turn Options
In each turn, a player may choose to:
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Discover a new site: Draw an artifact card and place a scouting figure on the matching location on the board. Depending on the chosen route, there might be costs in form of already collected artifacts or treasures.
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Search a site: Use accumulated points from discovering sites to obtain valuable artifacts.
Artifact Collections
There are different types of artifacts, each with distinct point values. Deciding whether to specialize in one type or diversify the collection is critical for strategic gameplay.
End of the Game and Scoring
The game ends once all artifacts are discovered and all sites have been searched. Players then tally their scores based on the size and worth of their artifact collections. The player with the highest score wins.
Strategy Tips
- Focus early on securing valuable sites to obtain high-value artifacts.
- Balancing specialization and diversification is essential: while specialized collections can yield high points, diverse collections provide flexibility.
- Keep an eye on your opponents' moves to anticipate potential threats.
