Zarcana
| Zarcana | ||
|---|---|---|
| John Cooper | ||
| territorial control on a board of Tarot cards, with CCG-like card effects | ||
| Players: | 2 - 4 | |
| Length: | Medium | |
| Complexity: | Medium | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 1 per player | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| deck of Tarot cards or playing cards | ||
| Setup time: | 5 minutes | |
| Playing time: | 30 minutes - 60 minutes | |
| Strategy depth: | Medium | |
| Random chance: | Medium | |
| Theme: | War, Mystical | |
| BGG Link: | Zarcana | |
| Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 1996 | ||
Zarcana was designed by John Cooper, circa 1996, one of the first games created for the pyramids beyond Icehouse. Pyramids are used to occupy territories on a board constructed out of cards. Players use the abilities of occupied cards or play cards from their hand in order to maintain territorial advantage; hand management is also a critical part of the strategy. Zarcana has been described as Pikemen meets Magic:the Gathering.
Zarcana was obsoleted by Gnostica, which was designed to be easier to learn and more strategically challenging.
External Links[edit | edit source]
- The rules are available online and updated in PA format
- Andy Looney likes Zarcana better.
- Zarf (Andrew Plotkin, world's biggest Zarcana fan) has made some custom Zarcana pieces and a handy-dandy rules reference.
- Cerulean's custom-built Tarot-less Zarcana deck: The Gallery, has all the game text on the cards.
- The current Zarcana page at Looney Labs.