DiceaBoard Game Awards ArchiveThe four major international awards, year by year.
Dicea Français

Res Arcana: every award it has won

As d'Or 2020

Box art for Res Arcana
As d'Or

2019Thomas Lehmann

7.6

Rating BoardGameGeek

26,041 ratings

Players
2–4
Duration
60 min30–60 min
Complexity
2.7/5Medium
Age
12+
  • Card Game
  • Fantasy

1 award

All of its awards

BoardGameGeek

About the game

Prepare Your Place of Power!

In a high tower, an Alchemist prepares potions, using vials filled with otherworldly fluids. In a sacred grove, a Druid grinds herbs for a mystical ritual. In the catacombs, a Necromancer summons a bone dragon... Welcome to the world of Res Arcana!

In it, Life, Death, Elan, Calm, and Gold are the essences that fuel the art of magic. Choose your mage, gather essences, craft unique artifacts, and use them to summon dragons, conquer places of power, and achieve victory!

A game typically lasts 4-6 rounds. In each round, players do these steps:

Collect essences: performs any Collect abilities, and may take essences from components.
Do actions, 1 per turn, clockwise from the First Player: place an artifact, claim a monument or Place of Power, discard a card for 1 Gold or any 2 other essences, use a power on a straightened component, or pass: exchange magic items and draw 1 card. Play continues until all players have passed.
Pass procedure: If you are first to pass, take the First Player token, swap your magic item for a different magic item, draw 1 card.
Check victory points (10+ VPs). If no one has won: straighten all turned components, and begin the next round.

Mechanics

  • Hand Management
  • Income
  • Multi-Use Cards
  • Open Drafting
  • Race
  • Score-and-Reset Game
  • Take That
  • Turn Order: Pass Order
  • Variable Player Powers