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In Arkosa, you’ll be developing your bunker, recruiting unique new colonists and trying to keep your population happy, fed, rested and breathing.
However, the planet won’t make it easy for you. There’ll be regular attacks from the resident hostiles to contend with, plus a whole bunch of unique events that can occur to your intrepid explorers while they are out in the wastelands. In order to claim victory you’ll need a well organised, productive and happy bunker. But only one colony will win the grand prize… a ticket off the planet…
In the box:
1 Game Board • 6 Bunker Boards
7 Colony Leader Boards • 46 Bunker Room Tiles
1 Room Tile Bag • 94 Resource Tokens
60 Power Shard Pieces • 2 Six Sided Dice
16 Player Markers • 48 Unique Colonist Cards
112 Unique Event Cards • 20 Unique Bribe Cards
3 Game Board Markers • 2 Quick Guide Sheets
1 Rulebook
“So it begins...the race for salvation, the struggle to survive. Your bunker has the basic essentials to start this story and tackle the challenges that the great desert world of Arkosa will throw at you. Let me tell you friend, it’s a relentless world out there; the barren desert is a playground for the savage and skittering hostile host, they care not for your grand plans of progress and the promise of preservation from the stars.”
“Keep your wits about you, your schemes secret and reputation remarkable. Your colonists will need care and protection...traverse the outlands prudently, disturb as little as possible. Salesmen and Nerffles can be dealt with accordingly, but the hostiles are less amenable. They will rip you and your colony apart with as much interest as a Sandwurm shows the starlight. Be bold, be daring, be vigilant. Arkosa cares not for valor...but that is what it will take to survive its merciless grasp. Salvation is coming...fight to be first in line.”
Your path to salvation
Arkosa is primarily a strategic game, with a sprinkling of luck here and there to keep things spicy. You’ll need to make the most of the resources available to you and your decisions throughout the game will be key to whether your bunker is deemed worthy of departure into the skies.
Recruit Colonists Wisely
It’s no surprise that each bunker has limited space, so good decisions on which colonists to recruit could help you get that ticket off the planet. Each colonist has a unique set of useful skills but some can be more volatile than others. Explorer colonists will allow you to traverse the Arkosan desert, where tempting rewards lie in wait, but too many trips to the dunes could lead to an attack from the resident hostile critters.
You’ll need to be ruthless with which colonists get a precious space in your colony. If needs must, kicking someone out the airlock may be your only option. It will displease your people and may even cost you valuable reputation, but the benefits in the long run might be too good to pass up.
Combustible Joe is very reputable and can produce some serious resource, but there is that 1 in 3 chance he’ll explode…
Oran’s reputation is lacking, probably due to his tendency to thieve from other players. But he’s a veteran explorer who needs few resources to travel the Arkosan wastelands.
Chroldy Powash can’t contribute much in terms of resources but has the potential to add some serious reputation points at the end of the game.
Each player will get to add a unique room to their bunker. The Secret Meat Dispensary forces an opponent to remove a colonist from the game and then gains you food. We’ll leave it up to your imagination how that works…
Build Your Bunker
Your bunker is the engine of your colony. Build it from the top down and gain bonuses from clever room placements. Each round, your constructions will kick into gear, producing precious resources and triggering special abilities. But rooms will only activate with the aid of Arkosa’s most prized asset: the power shard.
Events and mischief will lead to tricky decisions about which rooms to power and which to switch off. Do you priortise the production of bugs to eat and nitrogen to breathe over construction resources? Do you continue running the rooms that will keep your colonists happy and healthy like the Med Lab and the Space Bar? What type of leader will you be and will it lead to your colony’s eventual rescue?
Each player will get to add a unique room to their bunker. The Secret Meat Dispensary forces an opponent to remove a colonist from the game and then gains you food. We’ll leave it up to your imagination how that works…
Keep Your Colony Smiling
The residents of your bunker will demand food to eat and nitrogen to breathe each round. I know, how dare they, eh? You can choose to appease these basic needs or distract them with entertainment. “I know it’s been moons since you had a decent bug meal but look over there! Zand Mori is juggling!”
Timing can also work in your favour, a well timed morale boost can see you switch places with an opponent on the morale track. Your opponents’ colonies won’t like to see yours celebrating, there is only space for one group on the rescue ship after all.
If All Else Fails… Bribes!
The resources you accumulate will fetch you a few reputation points at the end of the game. But if you use them as bribes they can go even further. Careful though, fail to live up to your grand promises and you will see these points snatched away instead.
Get Involved
If you’re interested in getting involved with the project in any way (reviewing, playtesting, promotion etc.) then please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you:
Or join our Facebook development group, The Toon Hammer Lab…
Learn and Play Arkosa
Watch this how to play video and download the full rulebook. Arkosa is also free to play on Tabletopia and Tabletop Simulator.
Playthroughs
2 Player – Regular Setup
2 Player – Regular Setup
2 Player – Starter Setup
3 Player – Regular Setup
Video Preview / Reviews
Written Preview / Reviews
Ann Jones – Cards Or Die
While this game is on a different planet, the familiar text, tone and character that I love so much are present. I absolutely love the artwork and the way the theme has been executed.
The Offline Gamer
I really enjoyed the interactions between all the different mechanisms in the game, and the strategic thinking they encouraged: do I send my colonist out to collect resources and trigger an event card – or, worse still, a raid? Or do I play it safe and generate resources from the safety of the bunker, or exchange them in the trade pool, but lose out on the quantity or value I would be guaranteed if I instead manage to dodge all the various dangers outside the bunker? And what if Rival Leader #682 decides to visit The Crash Site before my next turn and poaches the colonist with that super morale boost that I really need to stop my reputation plummeting further?!!
Matthew Thomasson – Zatu Games
From the asymmetric setup to the three different variants currently included in the rulebook, from the large event decks to the tightness of the resource management, there is a lot to like in Arkosa. I have been having a blast playing it for this review and each game is always different.
Kickstart Gaming Magazine
For fans of survival genre who like the light hearted concept of Fallout Shelter and are open to something slightly odd, quirky, spicy and with plenty of humour then this is something you’d want to bring to the table.
Northern Dice
Arkosa is a great game. I don’t want to dress it up with over-egging one element to compensate for another because I don’t feel I need to. No part of this game lacks, it delivers how it should. The game flows well, is excellently fun and has so many unique components that it results in great enjoyment for replaying the game.
What folks are saying…
Arkosa is a really fun mix of base building, hand management, and resource conversion; tight mechanisms with a sprinkling of chance spicing things up. I loved the setting – alien colonists trying to survive and explore, with a liberal dose of humour and beautifully whacky art!
Gavin Jones
We loved Arkosa. Absolutely loved it. We found it to be such a calm, paced but still competitive experience. There was a lot of scope to plan one’s own moves and manage one’s own base, whilst also considering how it would impact your competitors.
Northern Dice
I really enjoyed the combination of hand management, building my little base and making difficult choices about what to do with each colonist I had. It really did feel like I was surviving on this planet with very limited resources and time to do the things that needed to get done whilst Arkosa made it very clear that we were not at all welcome.
The Giant Brain
Arkosa is a quirky colourful game of bunker building and colonist collection with thoughtful planning and wild events. The setting is full of humour and the world feels like it’s always existed, I’ve really enjoyed it!
Tom Heath, Slickerdrips
If you’re in the mood for some kooky and fun sci-fi antics, this is the place to start! Arkosa is a wild and wacky ride that’s incredibly charming!
Antoinette Mason, BoardGame Inquisition
While this game is on a different planet, the familiar text, tone and character that I love so much are present. I absolutely love the artwork and the way the theme has been executed.
Ann Jones, Cards or Die
I love the bunker building theme. Limited resources make Arkosa a tight game with interesting decision making.
Stella Jahja, Meeple University