Objective of the Game:
In Lost Ruins of Arnak, players take on the roles of exploring teams uncovering the secrets of a deserted island. The goal is to collect the most points through exploration, deck-building, and resource management. Players gain points by exploring ruins, discovering temples, and collecting artifacts.
Game Components:
- Game board with research track and exploration sites
- Decks of item and artifact cards
- Resource markers: compass, arrowheads, jewels, gold
- Fear cards
- Sites of loss (temples)
- Guardian tiles
- Player markers
- Score pad
- Rulebook
Number of Players:
- 1 to 4 players
Setup:
- Prepare the Game Board: Place the game board centrally and set up the cards, guardian tiles, and resources.
- Prepare Decks: Shuffle the piles of artifact and equipment cards and place them on their designated spaces.
- Starting Resources: Each player receives two explorers of their color, four starting cards (two funding resources, two fear cards), a player aid, and starting resources ranging from one compass to up to two gold coins, depending on starting player order.
Gameplay:
The game is played over five rounds. Each round consists of multiple turns until all players have passed. The main actions are:
- Exploration: Place an explorer on an unoccupied site to gather resources such as gold, compasses, or exchange resources.
- Discovery: Advance to a new site, spend compasses to explore new ruins and possibly encounter new guardians.
- Defeat Guardians: Special action to defeat guardians, which provides points and avoids fear cards.
- Buy Cards: Spend gold to acquire equipment cards, and compasses to acquire artifacts.
- Manage Deck: Use hand cards to perform actions or gain bonuses.
- Research Track: Advance to gain bonuses and points.
Scoring:
At the end of the game, the scoring phase accounts for:
- Progress on the research track for points
- Defeated guardians provide points
- Artifacts and equipment have a printed point value
- Fear cards deduct points
Strategy Tips:
- Resource Management: Effective use of compasses and gold is crucial for advancement.
- Deck-Building: Build an efficient deck to make strong moves.
- Flexibility: Adjust your strategy towards discovery or research based on the game state.
The game ends after the fifth round, and the player with the highest score wins the game.
