Lost Ruins of Arnak

Multiple playthroughs in and the deck-building plus worker-placement combo still feels fresh every time—that guardian fight at the end really ties the exploration together. The artifact cards add just enough chaos to keep me planning my next move even between turns.

The deck-building mixed with worker placement took a round to click, but by game two the artifact cards were flying. Only gripe is the rulebook — a few icon clarifications needed a forum search mid-play.

The guardian battles add real tension to the second half, and the artifact cards are gorgeous. Only gripe is the rulebook—took us three read-throughs to get the research track right. Still, the explore-and-excavate loop keeps pulling us back.