Zarcana
| Zarcana | ||
|---|---|---|
| John Cooper | ||
| territorial control on a board of cards, with CCG-like card effects | ||
| Players: | ||
| Length: | unknown | |
| Complexity: | High | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 1 single-color stash per player | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| deck of Tarot cards | ||
| Setup time: | 5 minutes | |
| Strategy depth: | High | |
| Random chance: | Medium | |
| Theme: | Mystical | |
| BGG Link: | 10996 | |
| 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
- The rules are available online.
- 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.