Overview
Released: 2016
Designer: Phil Walker-Harding
Version Publisher: Z-Man Games
Archaeology: The New Expedition is a 2-5 player game that puts players in the shoes of archaeologists who are digging up artifacts to sell to museums, trying to make the largest profit. By collecting sets of artifacts, players can maximize their points and lock in their profits before thieves or sandstorms disrupt their plans.
My Thoughts
Archaeology is a relatively light game with a whole lot of variance. The core action of the game (draw a card from the shared deck) can be the deciding factor in the game. If one player is drawing the least valuable treasures while another player keeps drawing the high value treasures, the latter player should win just about every time.
That said, the game is pretty quick and assuming the draws end up being comparable, packs some fun decisions into a small package. There is an interesting push and pull between trying to keep a small, strong hand that will discard minimally to sandstorms and a large, distributed value hand that is better against thieves.
Additionally, every game you play with a random monument (with several included in the box) and the rewards that monument provides can create different play patterns, which is always something I look for in a game asking for repeated plays.
If you like the sound of a pretty quick playing filler with set collection and constantly hoping you top deck something good, you should try Archaeology: The New Expedition.
Hits and Misses
+ This game is super approachable. As far as set collection games go, there wasn't anything in here that I wouldn't be comfortable teaching to someone completely new to the hobby. That might not be a positive for your specific gaming situation, but if you are looking to introduce people, this isn't a bad place to start.
+ Having a monument that changes from game to game meant that, even when we just finished a game, I was thinking about playing again with another random monument. I didn't necessarily feel "done" with the game.
I feel like my draws were noticeable better than the other players (at least at one or two specific points) and I never felt like I had a chance at losing. Sometimes variances gives, sometimes it takes, but if it's too far in one direction, the game is going to (somewhat) play itself.