Cover art for Zarcana

Zarcana

1996 · BGG
Avg rating
6.62
Bayes rating
5.53
Weight
2.82 (Medium)
Players
2-4
Playtime
45 min
Ratings count
49

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Description

Zarcana is a game played with Icehouse Pieces on tarot cards.

"Zarcana is a game of war, journeys, growth, life, and death. Icehouse pieces are your minions, spreading out across a world composed of tarot cards. You move these minions across the board, trying to occupy valuable cards. The board can change, grow and shrink, so be prepared to defend your holdings, invade enemy territory, and colonize new lands. You will also have a hand of cards, drawn from the tarot deck. Each card has a power, and you can make use of the cards you occupy on the board in addition to the cards in your hand. Use them wisely. Whoever occupies the most valuable set of cards on the board will be the winner, when the end of the game is finally declared."

Its rules were included in Icehouse: The Martian Chess Set.

Zarcana was redeveloped into Gnostica.

Zarcana has also been re-implemented by Zark City and Dectana. The former is much simpler and uses a poker deck, while the latter is more complex and uses the Decktet.



Mechanics

Area Majority / Influence Modular Board Tile Placement

Themes

None recorded

Publishers

Looney Labs

Designers

John Cooper