Archaeology The Card Game

I've recently been purchasing a lot of short 'filler' games. I find that I don't get as much time to play games as I'd like to, so buying something that can be played in 30 mins. or less is working well for me at the moment. Archaeology: The Card Game is an example of a game that fits the bill perfectly.

It's a set collection game in which you are 'digging' for different artifacts. Basically the more of one type of artifact card that you collect, the more points you get for that set at the end of the game. You can lay down your sets of cards at any time in your turn. But, you might ask, why wouldn't you keep sets in your hand until the end of the game and then reveal how many points you have in a grand final flourish? Well, that's where the thieves and sandstorms come in. These cards will be a thorn in your side throughout the game. A thief card will allow an opponent to steal one of your cards (at random). A sandstorm card causes damage to all players, forcing everyone to discard half their cards. Although these cards might sound very random, the luck factor is mitigated by the fact that you know exactly how many thief and sandstorm cards there are in the deck at any one time. Therefore you can evaluate the odds of one being drawn, giving the game a slight 'push-your-luck' factor.

There are other interesting aspects of the game, like map cards which allow you to 'explore' a pyramid, gaining you extra cards. There is also a trading element, with a central marketplace that you can exchange cards with.

The short of it is though that I find Archaeology: The Card Game to be extremely enjoyable. It's short, with some strategy and just the right amount of luck for my tastes. Recommended!