Chachapoya

About this board game

Chachapoya is a 2019 bluffing and bidding game for 2–4 players, played in about 45 minutes. Set in South America in 1930, it follows famous archeologists who must divide a collection of valuable Chachapoya artifacts.

Each round, the starting player selects three treasure cards and reveals them to everyone. One card is secretly discarded, while the other two are placed face down and face up. The players then compete in an auction, trying to judge the right moment to commit their resources and claim both remaining treasures.

Bids use adventurer cards of the same value, but players may choose how many cards to play. This creates a sharp balance between strength and restraint: spending too much may secure a valuable artifact now, while leaving too little for future opportunities can be equally dangerous. At the end of each round, every player receives only one adventurer card.

• Bluff and outsmart opponents during tense treasure auctions.
• Use matching-value adventurer cards with flexible bid sizes.
• Manage collections carefully, since gathering too many treasures of one kind eliminates a player.
• Watch for the disruptive presence of the Triad and the Secret Service.

Greed can turn a promising haul into a fatal mistake: in Chachapoya, grasping for everything can mean losing everything. The winner is the player with the highest score who has not been eliminated, making timing, card management, and the choice of artifact crucial to victory.