Objective of the Game

Welcome, intrepid explorers, to the mysterious island of Arnak! In Lost Ruins of Arnak, you'll lead an expedition to uncover ancient secrets, discover forgotten artifacts, and brave the dangers of a lost civilization. Your ultimate goal? To become the most renowned archaeologist! You'll achieve this by accumulating the most Victory Points through discovering new sites, researching ancient lore, acquiring powerful artifacts, and overcoming guardians. The explorer with the highest score at the end of the game will be crowned the victor!

Preparation (Setup)

Let's get our expedition ready! Setting up Lost Ruins of Arnak is straightforward, getting you to the adventure faster:

1. Place the main Game Board in the center of your playing area.
2. Each player chooses a color and takes their corresponding Player Board, 2 Archaeologist pawns, 1 Research token (boot side up), and 1 Fear card.
3. Shuffle the Starting Deck (6 cards: 2 Fear, 2 Gold, 2 Compass) and deal 5 cards to each player. This is your starting hand.
4. Place the Supply Board next to the main board. Organize the Resource tokens (coins, compasses, tablets, arrowheads, jewels) onto the Supply Board.
5. Shuffle the Artifact cards and place them face down in their designated spot on the board. Do the same for the Item cards.
6. Place the Guardian tiles face down in their designated spots.
7. Set up the Research Track on the main board, placing the various Bonus tiles and Site tiles as indicated in the manual (though specific details aren't provided here, assume standard setup).
8. Determine the first player using any agreed-upon method (e.g., the player who last visited a historical site).

The Game Turn

A round in Arnak is a dynamic sequence of actions! Players take turns performing a single main action and any number of free actions until all players pass. Here’s how your turn generally flows:

1. Perform a Main Action: This is the core of your turn. You can choose one of the following:
   • Place an Archaeologist: Send one of your Archaeologist pawns to an available Site on the board to gain its resources or discover new locations.
   • Buy a Card: Purchase an Artifact card or an Item card from the display using your resources. These cards provide powerful abilities or resources.
   • Play a Card: Use a card from your hand for its immediate effect or to gain resources.
   • Discover a New Site: Send an Archaeologist to an unexplored location, revealing a new Site tile and potentially encountering a Guardian.
   • Overcome a Guardian: Defeat a Guardian that is blocking a site, earning you valuable Victory Points and clearing the path for future explorations.
   • Research: Advance your Research token up the Research Track, unlocking powerful bonuses and Victory Points.
2. Perform Free Actions (Optional): You can perform any number of free actions before or after your main action. These often involve using card abilities or converting resources.
3. Pass: When you can no longer (or choose not to) perform any more main actions, you pass for the round. Once all players have passed, the round ends, and a new one begins.

End of Game and Scoring

The expedition concludes after the fifth round. Once the final round is over, it's time to tally up those hard-earned Victory Points!

Players will score points from various sources:

• Research Track: Points gained from advancing your Research token.
• Overcome Guardians: Each Guardian you've defeated contributes points.
• Artifact Cards: Many Artifact cards have end-game Victory Point values.
• Item Cards: Some Item cards also provide end-game points.
• Discovered Sites: Points from the various Site tiles you've explored.
• Remaining Resources: Any leftover Resource tokens might convert to points (check the specific rules for conversion rates).

The player with the highest total Victory Points is the winner and the most celebrated archaeologist of Arnak!

Tips for Winning

To help you on your journey to archaeological fame, here are a couple of pointers:

1. Balance Exploration and Research: Don't neglect either aspect! While exploring new sites gets you immediate resources and access to new areas, advancing on the Research Track provides powerful one-time and ongoing bonuses, plus significant end-game points. Find a good rhythm between sending out your Archaeologists and pushing your research forward.
2. Strategic Card Acquisition: Your deck is your engine! Pay attention to the Artifact cards and Item cards available. Consider not just their immediate effects, but how they synergize with your current hand and long-term strategy. Sometimes a cheaper Item card that gives you a crucial resource is better than an expensive Artifact you can't fully utilize yet.