Stats:
No. of players: 1-4
Amount of time to play: 30-120 min
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 5-10 min

The Missing Expedition is the second expansion for the Lost Ruins of Arnak board game. It adds two new leaders, two new research tracks, and new artifacts, items, and assistants. Plus you now have the option for a solo/cooperative campaign mode.

Lost Ruins of Arnak The Missing Expedition Expansion Rules Description:

Lost Ruins of Arnak combines worker placement and deck building to create a fun, thematic, medium-weight, boardgaming experience. You can read my full review of it here. This post is going to focus on the elements introduced in The Missing Expedition expansion.

The first expansion, Expedition Leaders, introduced leaders that added asymmetrical starting decks and player specific boards and powers. The Missing Expedition expansion adds two additional leaders, the Journalist and Mechanic.

The Journalist is able to move his notebook one level higher than his magnifying glass on the research track. When traveling to sites, he can write articles, by paying an extra travel icon. Those articles are added to his newspaper board and earn him bonus resources.

While the Mechanic has a machine that shows different resources or game actions. It can be rotated and she gains those bonuses after the rotation. She adds tiles to the machine as the game goes on and also gains an assistant, Rusty. Rusty is a monkey that will help rotate the machine and help her gain its benefits more often.

Other elements include more items, artifacts, and locations. The new locations tie into the campaign encounter cards. They give you a choice in rewards. One that you gain instantly and another that is gained at a later time. There are two new research tracks: the waterfall and the tree temple. The waterfall contains hidden locations that you activate when you view them with your magnifying glass and a secret passage that moves you higher up the track but costs an unused idol. The tree temple has two spots that allow you to spend an unused idol for a bonus.

Also included are the elements for the campaign. It takes place over six games and may be played solitaire or with two players. Unlike the base game’s solo mode, winning campaign scenarios requires more than scoring a lot of points. Each scenario has a goal you need to accomplish to win. There are also achievements you may earn the previously mentioned encounter cards.

Quick Review of Lost Ruins of Arnak The Missing Expedition Expansion:

The Missing Expedition adds more content to Lost Ruins of Arnak. The new leaders and campaign mode especially stand out. I am happy when a competitive board game has the option for cooperative play, (when done well) and this expansion does that.

The components for this game are in line with the rest from the series. Everything looks good and is well made. The rules are easy to follow and provide useful examples. The campaign mode’s components are organized to help expedite set up which is nice.

Like I said above the new leaders and campaign mode make this expansion. The new leaders give players more options and add to the asymmetry introduced in The Leaders expansion. These new leaders are unique and fun to play though I must admit I enjoy the mechanic more than the journalist. Who doesn’t like having an animal companion?

Not only does the campaign mode give you an opportunity to play alone or together with one other player, its objectives will require you to adjust how you play. This wrinkle creates new experiences and problem-solving. It isn’t just Lost Ruins of Arnak for two.

Should you buy the Missing Expedition expansion? That depends. I’d buy The Leaders expansion first, unless I was only interested in the solo/cooperative gameplay. If you already own The Leaders Expansion and are looking for more, buy this. If you are not a fan of Lost Ruins of Arnak, this expansion will not change your mind.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 4 out of 6
Player Interaction 5 of 6 (NA if playing solo or cooperative)
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 5 out of 6
Fun 5 out of 6
Overall 5 out of 6