Sand Castle Games Res Arcana

In a high tower, an Alchemist brews potions from otherworldly fluids. In a sacred grove, a Druid performs a mystical ritual. In the catacombs, a Necromancer calls forth a bone dragon. Welcome to the world of Res Arcana.

Life, Death, Elan, Calm, and Gold are the five essences that fuel the art of magic. Choose your mage, gather those essences, and craft powerful artifacts — then use them to summon dragons, seize Places of Power, and race your opponents to victory. 

Res Arcana is a fast, tight engine-building card game with high replay value. Each player receives a hand of artifact cards unique to their deck, and the gameplay is deep but can be picked up fairly quickly — with Setup, Rules, and Iconography reference cards keeping rules questions off the table. The game ends when at least one mage reaches 10 points, scored through Artifact cards, Places of Power, Monuments, and the first player marker

The game can be played non-aggressively or aggressively — certain artifacts such as Dragons and bows allow you to attack rival mages, who must defend or lose life essences.

At a glance:

• Players: 2–4
• Age: 14+
• Play time: 30–60 minutes
• Publisher: Sand Castle Games
• Designer: Tom Lehmann

Expansions available: Lux et Tenebrae (adds 5th player, demons, scrolls)