Arcana (2009) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Arcana is a fantasy card game that was released in in 2009. It is designed for 2 to 4 players, with a playing time of around 60 minutes. The game is set in a fantasy world where players take on the roles of powerful mages competing for control of the city of Cadwallon.

Game Components of Arcana

Cards: Five piles of cards, including agent, relic, and location cards, each with its own resources and abilities.

Resources: Primary resources needed to acquire cards.

Agents: Used to exert influence and collect new cards.

Relics: Can be used to bribe personality cards.

Location Cards: Adjust game aspects such as switching card piles or moving agents.

Player Decks: Each player starts with a basic deck and expands it throughout the game.

How To Setup Arcana

To set up Arcana, each player begins with a hand of four cards and a starting deck. Five piles of cards are placed on the table, showing the available cards for the round. Players position their agents face down against these piles to bid for the cards they wish to acquire.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Deck-building: Players expand their decks by acquiring new cards.

Area Control: Players compete for cards and resources.

Bidding: Agents are played face down to bid for cards.

Resource Management: Managing primary resources to acquire cards.

Game Objective

The primary objective is to collect cards that provide the most victory points.

Victory points are awarded for relics (1 point), personality cards (3 points), and location cards (5 points).

The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.

Player Experience

Playing Arcana involves constant interaction with other players, as you compete for limited cards. The game is known for its tense and persistent bidding mechanism, where players must strategically play their agents to outdo their opponents. The dynamic nature of available cards, which are randomized each round, requires players to adapt quickly and make smart decisions.

Pros

Great Setting and Artwork: The game is set in the vibrant fantasy city of Cadwallon, with beautiful and immersive artwork.

Constant Interaction: Players are engaged in a competitive bidding process throughout the game.

Strategic Depth: Requires strategic planning and adaptation to changing card availability.

Affordable: Generally priced lower than many other deck-building games.

Cons

Complexity in Tracking: The game involves tracking multiple piles of cards and face-down agents, which can be confusing.

Limited Card Improvement: The cards acquired do not significantly improve over time, remaining largely variations of the starting cards.

Victory Points System: The victory point system is somewhat shallow, with limited variety in point values.

Bribe Mechanism: The bribe cost for personality cards lacks variety, making it less strategic.

Personal Thoughts on Arcana

Arcana is a game suited for players who enjoy strategic deck-building and competitive bidding. While it offers a unique twist on traditional deck-building mechanics, it may appeal more to those who value direct player interaction and quick decision-making. However, players seeking games with deeper deck improvement or more complex victory point systems might find Arcana less satisfying. Overall, it’s a fun and visually appealing game, but its execution has some notable flaws.

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