Board Games: The Arrival

Check out the latest game from Martin Wallace — The Arrival.

Alright, I’m calling dibs on playing Amy Adams. Oh wait. This game is called The Arrival. Sorry folks. Guess my dream boardgame of translating alien languages and figuring out bizarre intricate grammar and sigils will have to wait.

One day…

The Arrival on the other hand is a strategy game that casts players as the heads of tribes who must contend with the mysterious, demonic Fomori who govern the land of Erin aka ancient Ireland. The game itself is pretty cool–it plays quickly and offers meaningful choices for strategy during each round. The goal is to gain power and control over Erin–but spread to fast and you risk too much Corruption, which strengthens the Fomori. But you need to spread your tribe out to gain resources–it’s a devious game of risk/reward from a renowned game designer. And definitely worth checking out.

via Cryptozooic

The Arrival – $40.00

Famed game designer Martin Wallace’s (Age of Steam, Brass) acclaimed new game transforms players into tribe leaders in ancient Ireland―back when it was known as Erin―who have arrived to fight the demon-like Fomori that rule the island. As they vie for control over territories with the other tribes, players utilize actions that let them build and protect fortifications and repel and spread the Fomori, choosing how ruthless they wish to be.

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The unique mechanics of the game include two different tracks that will determine victory: the Fame Point Track and the Corruption Track. Players must make decisions on how to gain resources, either gaining more resources (spreading their tribes more quickly) and more Corruption Points or gaining fewer resources (risking losing ground to the other tribes and the Fomori) and more Fame Points. The winner is either the one with the highest amount of Fame Points or the one with the fewest Corruption Points, the path to victory depending on whether the tribes or the Fomori control more locations at the end of the game.

After an initial release at Spiel 2016 in Essen, Cryptozoic is releasing The Arrival to a wider audience with updated art and game components, rule refinements, and additional new content.

Wondering who the Fomori are? They Might Be Giants…

Author: J.R. Zambrano

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and on occasion eats sandwiches. You can ask him about either at [email protected]