Arcanum

About this board game

Arcanum is a strategy and bluffing board game for 3–5 players, played in about 45 minutes. Using a regular Tarot deck, players guide the fate of four noble Houses competing for power and supremacy in a medieval city.

The Houses are named after the four Tarot suits: Pentacles, Chalices, Swords, and Wands. Each player represents a different path for Fate, seeking to shape the Houses’ destinies in ways that best support their own goals.

Over six or nine turns, players can hide cards beneath the board in front of them to influence the Houses. This hidden bet can help a player gain control of a House, while cards played for their effects can alter the ranking of the Houses in terms of prestige.

• Influence Houses with hidden cards beneath the board.
• Play cards to trigger effects and change House prestige rankings.
• Use Major Arcana cards for stronger effects; these cards cannot be hidden.
• Read opponents, conceal your intentions, and choose when to commit your cards.

Scoring rewards careful planning. Players must seek influence over the Houses likely to finish highest without spending too many cards, or affect lower-ranked Houses with minimal effort. Bluffing, intuition, and reading opponents’ moves are all essential to finding the best path to victory.

Arcanum was the first board game from the Tarot publisher Lo Scarabeo. The game includes a complete Tarot deck: a family-friendly version of the Initiatory Tarot of the Golden Dawn, featuring illustrations by artist Patrizio Evangelisti.