Lost Ruins of Arnak
At a glance
Rules overview
English version of our rules overview, translated from the Chinese original (cunlema). The Chinese page is the source of record.
Game Overview
Lead an expedition to explore the uncharted island of Arnak, uncovering archaeological sites, defeating guardians, acquiring items and artifacts, and building a body of research toward discovering the Lost Temple. Over five rounds, players take turns choosing actions to earn resources, opportunities, and points, with more of the island becoming available as the game progresses. The player with the most victory points at the end wins.
Core Mechanisms: Deck-building, worker placement (sending archaeologists to sites), card-row market purchases, and a branching research track with two advancing tokens (magnifying glass and notebook).
1. Game Components
| Component | Quantity/Description |
|---|---|
| Main board | 1 (Bird Temple side / Snake Temple side) |
| Coin tokens | 27 |
| Player boards | 4 (double-sided) |
| Idol tiles | 16 |
| Temple tiles | 24 |
| Guardian tiles | 15 |
| Sticker sheet | 1 |
| Supply board | 1 (double-sided) |
| Basic cards | 4 in each color |
| Levelsite tiles | 10 (basic) + 6 (additional) |
| Notebook & magnifying glass tokens | 1 of each in each color |
| Compass tokens | 27 |
| Tablet tokens | 16 |
| Fear cards | 19 |
| Arrowhead tokens | 12 |
| Archaeologist figures | 2 in each color |
| Assistant tiles | 12 |
| Jewel tokens | 9 |
| Research bonus tiles | 18 |
| Moon staff | 1 |
| Item cards | 40 |
| Starting player marker | 1 |
| Blocking tiles | 5 |
| Scoring sheets | 1 pad |
| Artifact cards | 35 |
| Reserve tiles | 10 |
| Rival action tiles (solo variant) | 15 |
| --- |
2. Game Setup
Artifacts: Shuffle the artifact deck face down and place it on the marked space.
Fear: Place the Fear cards face up on the marked space (they are all the same).
Items: Shuffle the items deck face down and place it on the marked space.
Moon Staff: Place the moon staff in the card row to indicate round I.
Card Row: Deal 1 artifact face up to the left of the moon staff, and 5 items face up to the right of the moon staff.
Idol Tiles: Mix up and randomly assign to sites as depicted on the board; each site in the levelsite region gets one face-up idol.
Blocking Tiles:
- 4-player game: do not use blocking tiles.
- 3-player game: mix blocking tiles face down, flip 3 at random; each corresponds to one site. Use the 3 tiles to block the space at each of those 3 sites (placed face down). Return the 2 unused tiles to the box.
- 2-player game: block all 5 spaces. Each site will have space for only one archaeologist.
Blocked spaces are treated as though not printed on the board and are unavailable for the entire game.
Research Track – Temple Tiles: Make stacks of temple tiles on the temple. Each stack has as many tiles as there are players. The 11-point tiles have one stack at the top, 6-point tiles have two stacks in the middle, 2-point tiles have three stacks at the bottom. Return unused tiles to the box.
Research Bonus Tiles: Shuffle face down. Most spaces on the research track get 1 bonus tile — make a stack with as many research bonus tiles as there are players and place it face down at the top of the research track. Spaces marked with a special symbol get a tile only in a four-player game.
Player Setup: Each player chooses a color and takes the player board, research tokens, 2 archaeologist figures, and 4 basic cards in that color.
Research Tokens: Place your research tokens on a starting space below the research track. Place your magnifying glass atop the notebook.
Starting Deck: Each player's deck consists of the 4 basic cards in their color plus 2 Fear cards. Shuffle and place face down on your player board.
Play Order: The starting player is the one who most recently traveled to a place they had never visited before; give this player the starting player marker. Play proceeds clockwise.
Starting Resources: Depend on play order (Player 1: 0, with increasing amounts for later players as shown).
3. Game Flow
The game is played over 5 rounds. Each round proceeds as follows:
1. Draw. All players draw from their decks until they have a hand of 5 cards.
2. Take turns. The player with the starting player marker starts; players take turns clockwise. You are limited to one main action on your turn, plus an unlimited number of free actions.
3. Pass. On your turn, you may pass to indicate you are done playing for the remainder of the round. Other players continue until all players have passed.
4. Set up for the next round. All cards in your play area are shuffled and returned to the bottom of your deck. The board is set up for the next round. The starting player marker is passed to the left.
5. Move the moon staff. At the end of each round, move the moon staff to mark the passage of time. After 5 rounds, the moon is full and it is time for final scoring.
Setup for Next Round (all players simultaneously):
1. Return both archaeologists to your player board. Each time you take back an archaeologist from a site with a guardian, add 1 Fear card to your play area.
2. Any cards left in hand can be discarded to your play area or saved for the next round.
3. Gather all cards in your play area, shuffle them thoroughly, and put them face down on the bottom of your deck (items bought during the round will now be above the shuffled cards).
4. Refresh your assistants (turn them right way up again).
Card Row Adjustment:
1. Exile the two cards on either side of the moon staff (removing 1 artifact and 1 item).
2. Move the moon staff to the right to indicate the next round number.
3. Refill the card row.
The starting player marker moves one place to the left. Start the new round by drawing until you have a full hand of 5 cards (if your deck has fewer, draw them all).
End of Round V: All players take back their archaeologists and gain Fear from guardians. Skip all other steps and proceed to final scoring.
4. Player Actions
On your turn, you perform exactly one main action, plus any number of free actions (which can be played before, after, or even during your main action).
Main Actions
Dig at a Site
- Cost: Pay the travel cost depicted on the target space (must be unoccupied — no archaeologist figure, and in 2- or 3-player games, no blocking tile).
- Effect: Move one archaeologist from your player board to that space, then resolve the effect depicted at the site.
- Restriction: If both your archaeologists are already on sites, you cannot take this action.
Discover a New Site
- Cost: Pay the depicted cost to traverse the wilderness (choose a level-2 or level-3 site), then pay the travel cost to move your archaeologist from your board to that site's space.
- Effect: Take the idol (immediately resolve its effect; if the site has two idols, take both but use only the face-up one's effect — keep idols face down on your supply crates). Take the top tile from the matching site stack, place it face up, and immediately resolve its site effect. Draw the top guardian tile and place it face up on the site tile (the guardian does not affect you immediately).
- Note: The printed cost applies only when discovering, not when digging later.
Overcome a Guardian
- Cost: Pay the cost depicted at the bottom of the guardian tile. You must have an archaeologist on the guardian's site.
- Effect: Remove the guardian from the board and keep it by your player board. The guardian grants a one-time boon (upper right corner) usable on any of your turns; after using it, turn the guardian face down. The guardian is worth 5 points at game end whether or not you use its boon.
- Note: Some card effects allow overcoming a guardian without paying the printed cost (but any cost on the effect itself must still be paid).
Buy a Card
- Buy an Item: Choose an item in the card row, pay the coin cost at the bottom of the card, put the item face down on the bottom of your deck, and refill the card row.
- Buy an Artifact: Choose an artifact in the card row, pay the compass cost at the bottom of the card, move the artifact to your play area (you may immediately resolve its effect, ignoring the corner cost), and refill the card row. Resolving the artifact's effect is part of your main action.
- Refilling the Card Row (end of your turn): Slide cards toward the moon staff to make a space on the end, then deal a new card of the same type to that empty space. If a deck runs out, no further sliding/refilling for that type.
Play a Card
- Cost: Play the card from your hand face up into your play area.
- Effect: Resolve the card's effect. If the effect has the free-action icon, playing the card does not count as your main action; otherwise, it is your main action. All artifact effects are main actions.
- Artifact Cost: When playing an artifact's effect from hand, you must pay the special cost in the corner (this cost is ignored when buying the artifact). Other costs on the effect must be paid every time.
- Travel vs. Effect: A card in hand can be spent for its travel value OR played for its effect — not both. Fear cards have no effect but can be used for their travel value.
Research
- Cost: Pay the depicted cost to advance one research token to the next row of the research track.
- Effect: Choose which research token to move (if your notebook is below your magnifying glass, you may move either; your notebook must never move to a row above your magnifying glass). Choose a connected space to move into (multiple tokens can share a space). Gain the results: if the space has a face-up research bonus tile, immediately gain the depicted bonus and remove the tile from the game (only the first player to reach that space gets it). Always resolve the row's effect (depends on whether you moved your magnifying glass or notebook). Costs must be paid before any rewards are gained.
- Lost Temple: When your magnifying glass reaches the top row, you have discovered the Lost Temple — place it on the remaining empty space worth the most points, then take a bonus tile (look through the stack, choose one, return the others). Your notebook cannot move to the Lost Temple row.
- Exploring the Lost Temple: If you research with your magnifying glass when it is already in the Lost Temple, instead of paying to advance, pay the depicted cost to take 1 temple tile from any one stack (each stack has a particular combination of costs; the 11-point stack requires all three costs). You cannot buy from an empty stack.
Pass
- Passing counts as your main action. Use up any remaining free actions at this time. If you take no other main action, you must pass (it is not legal to take a turn with only free actions and no main action). Once passed, you get no more turns for the rest of the round; play skips over you. If you are the only player left who has not passed, you can take multiple turns in a row. The round ends when all players have passed.
Free Actions
- Effects marked with the free-action icon do not count as your main action. You can play as many free actions as you like on your turn, before, after, or during your main action.
- Idol Slots (free action): Move an idol from your supply crates to the leftmost unoccupied slot on your player board, then choose one effect from the five depicted options. An idol in a slot cannot be moved (each slot used only once per game, unless an artifact allows otherwise). Each of the four slots is worth a certain number of points if still empty at game end.
- Using Assistants: Turn the assistant sideways to use it (it becomes exhausted). Assistants with a free-action icon can be used as free actions; those without count as your main action. Assistants refresh at the end of the round (or when upgraded to gold).
- Hiring a Pilot: You can always spend two coins to generate a plane, which can be used to pay for any travel icon.
Travel Costs
- Pay a travel cost by spending a card with the matching icon from your hand — put it face up into your play area, ignoring its effect.
- You can pay with higher travel values (travel hierarchy).
- If a cost requires two icons, you can cover it with travel values from two sources. A card giving two icons can cover a one-icon cost, but the extra icon is wasted and does not carry over.
5. Scoring and Game End
At the end of the game, record everyone's points on the scoring sheet and add them up. Points come from:
- Research tokens: Each scores points based on its row. Magnifying glasses in the Lost Temple row score based on the order in which they reached the Lost Temple.
- Temple tiles: Each scores the amount shown on the tile.
- Idols: Each scores 3 points, even if in a slot. Also add points shown in empty idol slots.
- Guardians: Each guardian you overcame is worth 5 points, whether you used the boon or not.
- Cards: Each item and artifact card scores the points shown in the lower right corner.
- Fear cards: Score -1 point each. Fear tiles (if used) score -2 points each.
Winner: Whoever has the most points wins.
Tiebreakers: In favor of the player who reached the Lost Temple first. If no one reached the Lost Temple, in favor of the player with the highest research score. After that, tied players remain tied.
(1 later sections are omitted here; see the Chinese page for the rest.)
Rules Q&A
Questions below are real questions players asked cunlema about this game; answers are ours, translated into English.
In Lost Ruins of Arnak, there is a reward that can upgrade a stone tablet into a stone spear, or upgrade a stone spear into a ruby. What is this reward called?
Conclusion: The rulebook does not give this reward an official name. For the effect you mentioned, the original text only lists it as a type of icon effect in the effect quick-reference sheet, with the wording:
- Chinese version: "Choose one of these two trades:"
- English version:
Make one of these two trades:
In other words, it is simply called "one trade / two trades" (that is, an effect of "choosing one of two exchange options"), followed directly by two icons to represent the two available exchange options. When the rulebook needs to refer to it, it is also read according to this icon description.
Two points to note:
- In the main text of the rulebook, there is no written explanation of the two specific exchanges "stone tablet -> stone spear (arrow)" and "stone spear (arrow) -> ruby"; there are only icon images. I could not find corresponding textual explanations in the text portions I searched, so I cannot confirm from the text that the images depict these two exchange sets.
- There is also a similar but different entry in the quick-reference sheet: "Pay the cost on the left to choose and gain one of the tokens" (
Pay the cost to choose one of the two tokens.) - that is "pay to choose one of two tokens," and it is not the same entry as "one trade." Do not mix the two up when naming them.
This content is for reference only. If there is any conflict, the rulebook and the experienced players around you shall prevail.
# Rulebook Text ## Game Overview **Lost Ruins of Arnak** is a 1-4 player worker placement and engine building game. Players take on the role of explorers, investigating ancient ruins on a mysterious island, collecting artifacts, earning prestige points, and ultimately becoming the greatest explorer. ## Core Mechanisms - **Worker placement**: Dispatch explorers to various locations in the ruins to perform actions - **Engine building**: Establish efficient action chains through cards and artifacts - **Set collection**: Collect different types of artifacts to gain additional prestige points ## Game Components | Component | Quantity | |------|------| | Player boards | 4 | | Explorer markers | 8 | | Artifact cards | 60 | | Equipment cards | 40 | | Resource tokens | 120 | | Prestige point markers | 100 | | Ruins tiles | 20 | ## Setup 1. Place the board in the center of the table 2. Each player receives 1 player board and 2 explorer markers 3. Shuffle the artifact cards and reveal 6 cards, placing them on the board 4. Each player draws a hand of 5 cards 5. Place the resource tokens in the supply pile ## Gameplay The game is played over 4 rounds, each round consisting of the following phases: ### Round Structure #### Action Phase Players take turns performing actions, choosing one each time: - **Place Worker**: Place an explorer onto an empty space on the board - **Play Card**: Play a card from your hand to your play area - **Gather Resources**: Take resources from the supply - **Buy Artifact**: Pay resources to gain an artifact card #### Scoring Phase Resolve the prestige points gained this round and update scores. #### Next Round Preparation - Retrieve all workers - Refill cards on the board - Reveal new ruin tiles ## Key Rules & FAQ ### Commonly Misplayed Rules - Once a worker is placed, it cannot be retrieved this round - Artifact cards take effect immediately when played - Resources cannot be traded directly between players ### Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Can I place multiple workers at once?** A: No, each action allows you to place only 1 worker. **Q: When are card effects resolved?** A: Card effects are resolved immediately when played, unless otherwise stated. **Q: How are ties handled?** A: Compare the number of artifacts; the player with more wins. If still tied, the victory is shared. --- ⟦U0⟧
Based on the Rulebook Text of Lost Ruins of Arnak, here is the detailed rules introduction:
Game Overview
Players take on the role of expedition leaders, exploring the undiscovered island of Arnak and uncovering the secrets of a lost civilization. You must equip your expedition with useful items, search the jungle for mysterious artifacts and fascinating archaeological sites, overcome the guardians of these sites, and piece together fragments of the Lost Ruins of Arnak into coherent research to find the lost temple. Your expedition's various achievements in the game will translate into points, and the player with the highest total score at the end of the game wins.
Game Objective
The ultimate goal of the game is to achieve the highest victory score.
Points come from your achievements in the game, including:
* Artifacts: Precious treasures purchased with Compasses.
* Sites: Discovered archaeological locations and the value they generate.
* Research: Rewards gained by advancing on the research track.
* Other sources: Such as guardians overcome (5 points each), unused idol slots, etc.
The game lasts for 5 rounds. As the moon marker moves, the expedition delves deeper into the island, acquiring more resources, items, and research results. After the 5th round, all players' total scores are calculated, and the player with the highest score wins.
… (condensed here; full text on the cunleme Chinese page)
需要具体的规则?
Based on the rulebook text, here is the specific basic rules introduction for Lost Ruins of Arnak:
Game Overview
Players take on the role of expedition leaders, exploring the undiscovered island of Arnak and uncovering the secrets of a lost civilization. You must equip your expedition with useful items, search the jungle for mysterious artifacts and fascinating archaeological sites, overcome the site guardians, and piece together the fragments of the Lost Ruins of Arnak into a coherent research to find the lost temple. Your expedition's various achievements in the game will be converted into points.
Game Objective
The ultimate goal of the game is to achieve the highest victory score.
Points come from your achievements in the game, including:
* Discovered Artifacts
* Established Sites
* Research progress
* Effects of purchased cards, etc.
The game lasts for 5 rounds. As the moon marker moves, the expedition delves deeper into the island, acquiring more resources, items, and research results. After the 5th round, all players' total scores are calculated, and the player with the highest score wins.
… (condensed here; full text on the cunleme Chinese page)
## Frequently Asked Questions **What does it mean to activate a location?** Activating a location means placing one of your workers onto that location to perform the action it provides.
Conclusion
"Activating a site" means: directly using the effect on that site (ruin). It does not require you to send an archaeologist there, nor does it require paying travel costs — it is a way of "using a ruin's effect remotely" triggered by a card effect.
How It Works
When you are asked to activate a site:
- You do not need an archaeologist on that site;
- Other players' archaeologists do not block you from activating that site (unless a card states otherwise);
- You do not pay any travel costs;
- Directly resolve the effect shown on that site;
- You cannot activate a site that has not yet been discovered.
Exceptions & Additions
Activate a Site Tile: The rulebook states that two cards allow you to activate the ruin tile on top of a certain stack. The handling is the same as activating a site — simply resolve that tile's effect.
Distinctions from Related Concepts
- Excavating a site: Requires sending an archaeologist from the board to an unoccupied site space, paying the travel cost indicated on that space, then resolving the site effect;
- Activating a site: No archaeologist needed, no travel cost — use the effect directly;
- Moving: Moving an archaeologist already on a site to another discovered and unoccupied site, without paying travel costs, but this changes the meeple's position.
Restrictions
- You can only activate discovered sites; undiscovered (not yet placed / not yet flipped) sites cannot be activated.
This content is for reference only; in case of any conflict, the rulebook and the experts around you take precedence.
In Lost Ruins of Arnak, when you gain the upgrade reward of the Stone Spear Ruby, can you choose not to upgrade?
Conclusion: Based on the rulebook text I was able to find, there is no statement that you "may choose not to upgrade." The text phrases this type of effect as a directive: "When you move your notebook to a row bearing that symbol, upgrade one of your assistants to its golden side (flip the assistant tile to its golden side)," and it specifically notes "if you have two silver assistants, you may (freely) choose one of them to upgrade." The assistant is also refreshed when upgraded.
So according to the rulebook text:
- The content of the effect is "upgrade one of assistant" — performing the effect itself, not an "optional to skip" option.
- The only point of choice is: if you have two (or more than one) silver assistants, which one to upgrade; the rulebook text does not offer an option to "decline the upgrade and take something else instead."
- The rulebook text also does not state that the upgrade can be substituted or converted into other rewards (such as resources like tablets/arrows/gems).
Additionally, regarding the "upgrade rewards of tablets, spears (arrows), and rubies" you mentioned in your question: no corresponding clause was found in the rulebook text I was able to find — the text only describes the effect itself of "upgrading an assistant (silver side → golden side, and refreshing that assistant)." So regarding the question of "not upgrading," the only answer is: no rule permitting you to decline the upgrade was found in the rulebook text; if the rulebook or the cards/tiles separately print optional wording, then the physical text takes precedence.
This content is for reference only; in case of any conflict, defer to the rulebook and experienced players around you.
Where do you put cards bought in Arnak?
Conclusion: Where a purchased card goes depends on whether you bought an item or an artifact.
- Buying an item: After paying the cost, place the item card face down on the bottom of your deck. Because it goes to the bottom of the deck, it will typically become part of your hand at the start of the next round (when the deck is shuffled at the end of this round, it will be on top of the shuffled pile).
- Buying an artifact: After paying the cost, place the artifact card in your play area, and you may choose to resolve its effect immediately (in this case, ignore the cost shown in the card's corner). It does not go to the bottom of your deck.
Conditions and exceptions:
- Regardless of which type you buy, after purchasing you must refill the card row: move the existing cards toward the Scepter of the Moon so that the empty space is at the end of the row, then refill with cards of the same type; if that type's deck is empty, do not move and do not refill.
- If your deck is empty, the purchased item is placed on the empty deck space — it is simultaneously the bottom and the top of the deck.
- Effects resolved when buying an artifact (such as sending an archaeologist to excavate a site) count as part of your main action for that turn.
- A purchased item can potentially be used within the same round: a specific draw effect may allow you to draw it, and once it is in your hand, it can be used on any turn.
This content is for reference only; in case of any conflict, the rulebook and experienced players take precedence.
No, the "pass" in that artifact's ability does not mean skipping the entire round. It means you choose to **pass** (end your turn without taking an action) as part of resolving that artifact's effect — specifically, you pass in order to gain the rubies (红宝石) instead of taking a normal action. The round continues normally for the other players.
Yes, this pass means skipping all remaining actions for this round (this major round), not skipping the entire game.
Specific methods and conditions:
- Effects of the "pass to gain" type require you to perform the "pass" main action in order to gain that benefit. After passing, you cannot perform any actions for the remainder of the round.
- Passing is your main action for the round. When you pass, you may still perform any currently available free actions (quick actions), but after that your participation in the round is completely over.
- Passing only affects the current round: the other players continue taking actions in clockwise order, and your action turn is skipped directly; if you are the only player who has not passed, you may take actions multiple times in a row. Once all players have passed, the round ends, setup for the next round begins, and you take actions as normal in the next round.
- So for artifacts like "take two tablets" or "pass to gain a ruby," the cost is forfeiting your remaining turns in this round, not forfeiting the entire game.
Regarding the specific artifact you mentioned, "take two tablets": I could not find a description of that card's specific effect in the Rulebook Text, so I cannot confirm whether it is of the "pass to gain" type; please refer to the card text itself.
This content is for reference only; in case of any conflict, the rulebook and experienced players nearby take precedence.
我的意思是大轮还是小轮?
Conclusion: you skip the round (the entire "cycle"), not a single turn.
In Lost Ruins of Arnak, "round" refers to the entire cycle from drawing cards until all players have passed; "turn" is your individual action. The Rulebook Text states:
- Pass: when it is your turn you may choose to pass, meaning you take no further actions this round; the remaining players continue taking turns in order until all players have passed.
- Once you have passed, you cannot take any further actions for the rest of this round; the other players continue taking turns clockwise as normal, but your turn is skipped.
- The definition of "pass to gain": you must pass to gain that benefit, and for the rest of this round you cannot take any further actions.
So for artifacts like "take two tablets" or "pass to gain a ruby," the cost is giving up all remaining turns in the current round, not just a single turn, and not the entire game; after setup for the next round you act as normal.
Regarding the specific card effect of the "take two tablets" artifact, no specific description of that card was found in the Rulebook Text; please refer to the card text itself.
This content is for reference only; in case of any conflict, refer to the rulebook and experienced players nearby.
一扩的石钥匙改动?
Regarding the "Stone Key" in the first expansion Expedition Leaders:
Clear conclusion: The first expansion does provide a new version of the Stone Key, replacing the old one. The rulebook text states — when playing with Expedition Leaders, use the new Stone Key artifact and the new Miner assistant to replace the original Stone Key artifact and Miner assistant; if you prefer, the old versions may still be used for the base game.
Specific details:
- The components in the first expansion that "should be immediately added to the base game" include new versions of the Stone Key artifact and the Miner assistant.
- When you add Expedition Leaders to your play: both the Stone Key artifact and the Miner assistant use the new version, with the old versions replaced.
- The old versions are not obsolete: they may still be used as before when playing only the base game.
One point to note: The rulebook text only states the act of "replacing" (replace), and does not provide the specific effect values/text of the new Stone Key in the relevant paragraph. Therefore, "what the specific effect of the Stone Key is after the change" — this content was not found in the rulebook text retrieved so far. The specific effect is determined by the card face itself; no written description was found in the rulebook.
This content is for reference only. In case of any conflict, the rulebook and experienced players take precedence.
Rules, cards and Q&A (Chinese)
The rules, card data and player questions for this game are written in Chinese. Open the Chinese page to read them.
Where to find full rules
Full rules and card lookup are available in the cunlema app at cunlema.cn — pick this game and ask about any rule, card or turn you are unsure about.