Museums are hungry for mysterious and exotic artifacts, are you up to the adventure?
I am on a mission to collect all of Ryan Laukat’s games, especially the out-of-print ones such as Artifact Inc. Worried about price spikes, I was able to snatch a used copy in pretty good condition! With very brief research, this game looked simple enough, and it had dice rolling, so I was sold. After my first play, I can say this is right up my alley!
In Artifacts Inc, you are an archaeological corporation exploring the deserts, rainforests, mountains, and beyond to unearth ancient relics, scrolls, gems, and fossils to sell to prospering museums worldwide.
Players strive to be the founders of the most artifacts in each museum to be victorious! Will your corporation be the best of them all? Which artifacts will you deem the most worthy? Will you dive into the depths for sunken city remains or scale the mountains for precious gemstones?
Though it does not have an official solo-play mode, some users designed their own. I immediately thought of this game as a great solo play for myself where I can purely try to optimize each of my actions. It feels rewarding to create an engine of cards that can easily discover artifacts, sell them to museums, and then use that money to purchase a new addition to that engine.
This game is relatively light but can satiate your strategy and optimization urges. You want to figure out the best way to make the most money faster than others. Sounds like real life, right? Let’s dive in.
Mechanics & Categories: Resource management, Worker placement, Dice rolling, Card, Economic
ART: 10/10
I will admit, I am biased. Almost every review of a Ryan Laukat game will score a ten for me. He creates these breathtakingly beautiful, painted landscapes and characters and fully immerses you in the world he has designed.
No matter which game I play, I can see myself in the world of “Above and Below” (my first-ever game of his). His strong usage of golds and browns gives off this warmth expressing that these lands are safe and wholesome. A beautiful community built on exploration and innovation.
STORYTELLING: 6/10
The world Ryan Laukat has created is believable and consistent throughout all of his games. So the story is already there just from raw experience playing the others. Artifacts Inc may not have a specific story, but how the gameplay progresses clearly expresses the path to victory.
If you want to discover an artifact, you must have a card that allows you to explore jungles, deserts, canyons, or mountains. Finding relics in jungles makes as much sense as fossils in canyons. Diving into the sea slowly costs you more and more workers to get to the bottom. Selling more valuable artifacts to prestigious museums earns you more money. All of the flavor is there without the strict presence of a story.
COMPONENTS: 6/10
I’ve always liked the texture of the cards in his games. After researching it, It’s called an “air-cushioned finish.” This adds a layer of quality that I don’t see many games offer as most cards are just smooth finish and feel like they might wear faster. Especially since there is minimal shuffling and moving of cards, these will retain their quality for quite some time.
The money tokens are cardboard punch-outs, but you could always upgrade these to metal if you wish. The player cubes are tiny wooden cubes in attractive colors that are different from what you often see, which is also a nice touch. The scoreboard is only cardstock, but it’s such a small aspect of the game it doesn’t matter much.
Lastly, there are mini brown dice that fit the theme, but nothing unique or decorative about them. The box did not come with an insert, not that there is a lot to fit in there anyway, but it still feels disorganized.
COMPLEXITY: 5/10
I give this score a lot. After playing so many games, many are quick to look at and know how to play right away, but learning the strategy takes many playthroughs. Artifacts Inc was clear on how to play just from a glance, with minor other rules to understand fully.
That being said, finding and selling artifacts sounds like minimal actions to take in the game, but the constraints in the rules make this much more challenging than it sounds. This is perfect for gamers like me; I love problem-solving and finding the most optimal way to earn the most money, all while racing my opponents (I will touch on this aspect more in the “innovation” section).
Money is hard to earn in this game, so every decision you make is essential. The age suggestion seems high, but it makes sense because not everyone will be good at this game. If planning ahead is not your thing, I don’t feel you will do well and, therefore, not enjoy it.
TRAVEL-FRIENDLY: 4/10
A very small box that can easily fit all of its components. However, the real estate the game takes up is a fair amount. A coffee table should suffice for at least two players, but if you play with four, you need an entire table.
You also need to roll dice, so you don’t want to take this out where there’s a chance of dice falling on the floor and getting lost. Dice rolling also means you can’t play it on a hotel bed.
A deceivingly small box, but not a game for quick, traveling fun. I would bring this to an Airbnb, but not a hotel or a trip where I would have to bring this to play on a larger table outside my living space.
UNIQUENESS: 2/10
After my first and only play, I genuinely do love this game. It’s a lot of my favorite mechanics in one with straightforward gameplay. But these mechanics are my favorite for a reason; I have played them all before.
Castles of Burgundy was my first game where the dice I rolled impacted the actions I could take. Obtaining resources and cashing them in to buy other buildings is done in who knows how many games. Exploring lands to uncover artifacts, as well as archaeology, are prevalent genres in the world of games. Just look at the hit game Lost Ruins of Arnak or Clank.
Innovation:
Worker placement and resource management are tales as old as time. But the piece that makes Artifacts Inc exciting for me is the concept of “racing.” There are limited slots in the museums to sell your artifacts. For example, if a player sells three of an artifact to the museum, the “3” slot has been fulfilled. No other player can sell three of that particular resource for the remainder of the game.
Ouch. That’s pretty tough. I finally got two gems, but my opponent beat me to the chase. I guess I have to wait another turn to try and get another to sell three instead. Another strategic option is to wait until I have a bunch, sell them, make a lot more money, and buy a higher-point value card.
Racing mechanics in games forces you to think hard about your choices and choose your battles wisely. Without racing, you are just playing for personal records. Yes, in worker placement games where you go back and forth, someone can steal an action from you, but in this game, you have wide-open choices of actions, but the main objective is the race.
Final Comments
I am a person who likes doing Sudoku from time to time, one who always tries to get in my daily Octordle and Wordle before the end of the day. This game, for whatever reason, gives me that same, similar itch. After only playing once, I want to play a few more times already. I want to see what cards are available to choose from in the next game and figure out how to do better the next time.
Owning a bunch of Ryan Laukat’s games now, I think this game is probably my third favorite. I already love the world, and the simplicity of these rules lets me focus on pure strategy. Is it a must-have in your collection? Probably not, but if you love Ryan Laukat, I highly recommend trying to get your hands on a copy since it is out of print.
Gameplay felt great with two players, and I’m sure it would feel even more complicated with more players, and I look forward to trying it out! Overall, this isn’t a casual game to pick up, nor a family game. I would only consider buying this if you are a deep thinker looking for something to challenge you and your friends.
Similar To: Lost Ruins of Arnak, Dice City, Mint Works, The Castles of Burgundy
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Publisher: Red Raven Games
Game(s) Pictured: Artifacts Inc.
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