In partnership with Game’s Up: Board Game Heroes, Cryptozoic Entertainment announced today the February 21st release of The Arrival. This acclaimed strategy board game, designed by Martin Wallace and previously released in limited quantities at the Essen Game Fair in 2016, will receive a wide-release with upgraded art and gameplay.
Of this announcement, Martin Wallace said, “I would like to thank Cryptozoic for supporting this game and bringing it to a wider audience. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the final product on gaming tables everywhere.”
The Arrival pits 2-4 Tribal Leaders against each other and a demon-like Fomori for control of ancient Ireland. The game uniquely includes two different victory conditions, determined by whether the Tribe Leaders or the Fomori control more of the map at the end of play. Each round is comprised of two phases of play, the Earning Phase and the Action Phase. In the Earning Phase, each player decides which row of earnings to acquire across all of their cards, regardless if all the cards are visible or not. They can try to earn either more Resources or Honor Points, but each strategy comes with a caveat: earn more resources to spread among the tribes, and players will accrue Corruption points and Fomori; Honor points earns players less Resources, putting them at risk of loosing ground to other tribes and Fomori.
The Action Phase is when players can Build or Shield their fortifications, Repel or Spread the Fomori, and more. Strategy is key, as the winner is either the one with the highest Honor or lowest Corruption, depending on whether the Tribes or the Fomori control more locations at the conclusion of play. Cryptozoic’s expanded version adds an Advanced Game variant that gives each player’s Tribe Leader a special ability: gaining extra actions, not paying the costs of some actions, or having extra-strong fortifications.
“Martin Wallace is one of our favorite designers at Cryptozoic, so we frequently play his games during our game nights,” commented Dekan Wheeler, Product Manager of Games at Cryptozoic. “When we saw the earlier version of The Arrival, we knew it was one of his best games yet. The innovative double score track and earning system are simply amazing gameplay ideas that we are thrilled to bring to a wider audience with beautiful updated art.”
If you like Ireland and Irish folklore, this is definitely the game for you. For more information, check out the Cryptozic website and mark your calendars for February 21st.
