
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,715
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Pocket Dragon
- 2 players
- 5–7 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2018

Rules assistance for Excavation Earth: Second Wave
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Excavation Earth: Second Wave is an expansion for Excavation Earth released in 2021 for 1–4 players and 30–120 minutes per game. It was designed by Dávid Turczi, Gordon Calleja, and Wai Yee and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Point to Point Movement.
Second Wave is the first expansion for Excavation Earth, introducing two new races - the Collectors and the Influencers - along with new game-play elements and ways of scoring. The Observation Barge, which lets you further manipulate the market demand for artifacts and score points at the end of the game. Achievements add a whole new way of scoring by completing set goals and Racial Wildcards give each race their own, more powerful action card to boost their round! —description from the publisher
Excavation Earth: Second Wave supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Excavation Earth: Second Wave is 30–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Excavation Earth: Second Wave has a complexity rating of 3.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Excavation Earth: Second Wave belongs to these categories: Economic, Science Fiction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Point to Point Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Excavation Earth: Second Wave are: Dávid Turczi, Gordon Calleja, and Wai Yee. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Excavation Earth: Second Wave as an expansion for Excavation Earth. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Excavation Earth to use it. Check that your edition of Excavation Earth is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.