Lost Ruins of Arnak

On an uninhabited island in uncharted seas, explorers have found traces of a great civilization. Now you will lead an expedition to explore the island, find lost artifacts, and face fearsome guardians, all in a quest to learn the island's secrets.

Lost Ruins of Arnak combines deck-building and worker placement in a game of exploration, resource management, and discovery. In addition to traditional deck-builder effects, cards can also be used to place workers, and new worker actions become available as players explore the island. Some of these actions require resources instead of workers, so building a solid resource base will be essential. You are limited to only one action per turn, so make your choice carefully... what action will benefit you most now? And what can you afford to do later... assuming someone else doesn't take the action first!?

Decks are small, and randomness in the game is heavily mitigated by the wealth of tactical decisions offered on the game board. With a variety of worker actions, artifacts, and equipment cards, the set-up for each game will be unique, encouraging players to explore new strategies to meet the challenge.

Discover the Lost Ruins of Arnak!

Also available: Expedition Leaders, Missing Expedition, and Twisted Paths expansions.

What People Are Saying

BGG Rank: #29 of all time — Rating: 8.07 / 10

One of the highest-rated board games ever published.

"Lost Ruins of Arnak plays as smooth as butter, and delivers a genuinely interesting experience of archaeology at the interface between myth and history." — Meeple Like Us

"Its synthesis of elements felt like opening a forbidding tomb and getting a lungful of freshness rather than the musty dead air you'd steeled yourself to expect." — Meeple Like Us

What players love:

• Two great mechanisms, seamlessly combined — worker placement and deck building click together in a way that feels completely natural
• Tight, tense resource management — every action counts, every card matters, and nothing is wasted
• The Indiana Jones feeling — exploring ruins, fighting guardians, publishing research — it feels like an adventure, not just a puzzle
• Scales beautifully — equally satisfying solo or with up to four players
• Huge staying power — with expansions adding new leaders, missions, and map layouts, this one grows with you

If you've ever wanted a game that makes you feel like a brilliant archaeologist racing against rivals through a dangerous lost world, this is it.

Game Mechanisms

Worker Placement Players send their archaeologists to locations on the island to claim resources, but each site can only be occupied by one team at a time. This creates constant pressure to act before your opponents — secure the site you need first, or find another path forward.

Deck Building You start with a basic hand of cards and gradually add new equipment, artefacts, and items that make your team more capable. Each card you buy enters your deck, shaping what future turns will look like. The key tension: a bigger deck isn't always better — a lean, efficient deck of powerful cards beats a bloated one every time.

Hand Management Your hand of cards serves double duty — play them for their special effects, or spend them as travel actions to access dig sites. Deciding how to use each card is one of the game's most satisfying puzzles, especially as your deck improves and new combinations emerge.