Archeos Society

Simple set collection game. On your turn you either draw a card or play cards. The cards you play determine which track you move on. We loved it!

Ethnos is my favorite game, so I knew I had to get Archeos Society which is a reimagining of the original game. I prefer the area control aspects of Ethnos, but the advanced tracks (and the multiple combinations that can be used with all the tracks) offer a dynamic that’s tons of fun as well. The art on this game knocks Ethnos out of the water. My biggest complaint is the score track. Not only is it printed on a flimsier card stock than all other components, but the layout is unnecessarily awkward.

This game is like Ethnos (of course), keeps the great card play but avoids the area majority aspect, which is good for families, kids and people who do not like the player vs player confrontation. The 2nd side of the tracks is quite fun but might be too difficult to turn around more than a couple of them. In the end, don't expect a 2nd version of Ethnos but rather another game that takes advantage of the magnificent card play (and even makes slight improvements).

Good game, when compared to Ethnos it adds different boards/tracks that you can climb to get your bonuses. This allows people to be more in the game near the end. You could fall behind on area control in Ethnos and be out of it for an area at the end of the game. I like the Ethnos theme better but that appears to be just me. Not a complete replacement for me but I like the tracks enough that it's worth me having and playing.

Archeos Society improves on Ethnos in a few areas, with some minor trade-offs. Improvements - The artwork is very engaging. The continent boards allow for very quick set-up, and simple progression tracking. Continent boards all have an advanced side that provide each with a special ability. No precarious stacks of tokens crowding the board spaces. Trade-offs- The score track is very flimsy and takes up a lot of unnecessary space on the table. It looks cool, but could be condensed to save space. The continent boards also take up a lot of room, but they would be manageable were it not for the score track. Also, with everything so spread out, some boards will end up far away and it can be difficult to read the progression requirements and points earned. I like the updated artwork, but some of the colors and patterns on the cards are much more difficult to distinguish than they were in Ethnos. Also, the player tokens are mostly earth tones and tend to blend into some continent boards. Overall- The gameplay is still top-notch. The cosmetic upgrades are good. Personally, I really like the new artwork. Probably don't need to own both games, but if you don't have Ethnos, then Archeos Society would be a fantastic replacement option.

got rid of ethnos to make room for archeos society. while archeos society is ok, the changes to components, insert, removal of text on the cards etc lower the gameplay experience. may have liked it better if i hadnt owned ethnos first, and wish i kept it instead