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Archaeology: The Card Game box art
2007 Ranked #2,005

Archaeology: The Card Game

Egyptian set-collection game where archaeologists uncover treasures, trade them, and try to make a fortune. Sandstorms and thieves can change the value of a find, so every artifact must be judged for when it is safest to sell.

Family Games Adventure Ancient Market Open Drafting

Players

2-4

Play time

Not listed

Age

8+

Complexity

1.34/5

Rating

6.66

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.3/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 4.0/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.8/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.4/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.7/5

Deep strategy

See all 5 specifications

How it plays

How does it play?

Discover the lost treasures of Egypt and make your fortune! You are an archaeologist working the dig sites of the Egyptian desert.

Core mechanisms

Key systems that shape the decisions players make.

Read the full game description

Discover the lost treasures of Egypt and make your fortune! You are an archaeologist working the dig sites of the Egyptian desert. Search for the right pieces to complete torn parchments, broken pots and other priceless artifacts. Explore an ancient pyramid hoping to uncover a huge stash of treasure! Trade shrewdly at the local marketplace to increase the value of your collection. Sell your treasures to the museum at just the right time for maximum profit. But beware, the desert also has its dangers! A devastating sandstorm can throw your expedition into disarray, and cunning thieves lurk around the dig site ready to steal your prize discovery! The aim of the game is to make the most money by finding treasures and selling them to the museum. Players find treasures by digging at the dig site (draw pile of cards). Sets of treasures are collected over the course of the game and players choose the best time to sell them to the museum. Once a player sells a treasure set to the museum the value of that set is credited to the player, and is no longer subject to loss or theft. If a player finds any maps at the dig site, he can use them to explore an ancient pyramid where more treasures are hidden. Players can trade their treasures with the local marketplace to increase the value of their collection. If a player meets a thief at the dig site, he will use this thief to steal treasure from another player. If a sandstorm hits, all players are affected and may lose some of their treasure. The player with the most money at the end of the game is the winner.

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Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
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Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

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Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
2–4
Best with
2–4
Play time
20 min
Age
8+
Complexity
1.3/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

1
Phil Walker-Harding

Artists

2
Atha Kanaani Phil Walker-Harding

Publishers

2
Adventureland Games Z-Man Games