Arkon (2018)

In Arkon players assume the role of a mysterious outsider who claims to be a fabled mystic from long ago. As they wield their influence to amass support, players must choose….will they use that power to bring unity amongst the clans of the Wildlands... or will they seek domination.... All the while they must be wary of subterfuge from the other players, who they see as insidious imposters... Arkon is a fast paced strategy card game, played from one central deck of 52 cards. Players must win clans, either through a bidding process, that functions like an silent auction, or through using their cards as actions, to take other players clans. The first player to get each of the four clans, or four of one type of clan out into play, wins. Arkon hinges around a few central dynamics. First, cards can be played in multiple ways. Players will constantly be challenged to make tradeoffs, as they choose whether to use a card for some sort of advantage, keep it as a counter (all action cards can be countered by their matching action card) or use the card for its influence value to win a bid and move the player closer to winning the game. Because cards double as influence, and winning bids is a key component of your victory condition, Arkon reduces the "dead card in hand" phenomenon. Arkon pushes you to create a game plan but also to stay dynamic, as opponent's actions may force you down a different path. Because all players draw on each turn, you are constantly getting new cards in hand and new options to leverage. —description from the publisher