Table feel
Zarcana has a high level of direct confrontation and strategic depth in confrontation. Players must frequently pay attention to and react to each other's strategies. However, there is limited emphasis on cooperation in the game.
Zarcana
Players
2-4
Time
?-?
Age
12+
Weight
2.82
Rating
6.75
Fit
Teach
2.4
Teaching signal
Replay
4.0
High replayability
Interaction
3.7
Highly interactive
Scaling
4.0
Scales well
Strategy
4.5
Deep strategy
Control
3.5
More strategic control
Replay value
Zarcana has a high replayability score due to its high variability gameboard, impactful expansions, deep strategic possibilities, and adaptability to different player counts. The game offers fresh experiences each time it is played, allowing players to discover new tactics and strategies. While the easiness to learn score is relatively low, it adds to the game's depth and long-term replay value.
Luck profile
Zarcana has a moderate level of luck involved in the game. Random elements like card draws and dice rolls have a notable impact on the game outcome, but players have substantial ability to mitigate the effects of luck through strategic decisions and planning. The game relies on a balanced mix of luck and strategy, with player decisions playing a significant role in determining the game outcome. Overall, Zarcana offers a good balance between luck and player agency.
Overview
Zarcana is a game played with Icehouse Pieces on tarot cards. "Zarcana is a game of war, journeys, growth, life, and death. Icehouse pieces are your minions, spreading out across a world composed of tarot cards. You move these minions across the board, trying to occupy valuable cards. The board can change, grow and shrink, so be prepared to defend your holdings, invade enemy territory, and colonize new lands. You will also have a hand of cards, drawn from the tarot deck. Each card has a power, and you can make use of the cards you occupy on the board in addition to the cards in your hand. Use them wisely. Whoever occupies the most valuable set of cards on the board will be the winner, when the end of the game is finally declared." Its rules were included in Icehouse: The Martian Chess Set. Zarcana was redeveloped into Gnostica. Zarcana has also been re-implemented by Zark City and Dectana. The former is much simpler and uses a poker deck, while the latter is more complex and uses the Decktet.
Category
3Mechanism
3Family
3Type
1Editions
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|---|---|---|---|
| No editions imported yet. | |||
Files
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Commerce
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Credits
Designers
1
John Cooper
Publishers
1
Looney Labs