- BGG rating
- 7.8
The Shipwreck Arcana: Stars Below
- 2–5 players
- 10–30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #841
- BGG rating
- 7.4
The Shipwreck Arcana
2017
Rules assistance for The Shipwreck Arcana
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 10–30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Shipwreck Arcana
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Shipwreck Arcana is a board game released in 2017 for 2–5 players, 10–30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Kevin Bishop and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Deduction, and Cooperative Game.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,857
- BGG rating
- 7.1
The Ravens of Thri Sahashri
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,514
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Beyond Baker Street
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,698
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Sherlock: Last Call
- 1–8 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,224
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Sherlock: The Tomb of the Archaeologist
- 1–8 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,498
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Sherlock: Death on the 4th of July
- 1–8 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,421
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Similo
- 2–8 players
- 10–15 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,042
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Urbion
- 1–2 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #463
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Mysterium
- 2–7 players
- 42 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,011
- BGG rating
- 7.3
ito
- 2–10 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #45
- BGG rating
- 8.0
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #97
- BGG rating
- 7.8
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,045
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Infiltraitors
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2023
About the game
Trapped in a drowned world, you and your allies are doomed -- or are you? Using a mystical deck and a healthy dose of logic, you can predict each others' fates and escape unscathed. The Shipwreck Arcana is a compact, co-operative game of deduction, evaluation, and logic. Each player's doom constantly changes as they draw numbered fate tiles from the bag. By choosing which fate to give up and which card to play it on, you can give your allies enough information to identify the fate you're holding - which is important, as the active player cannot communicate with their allies during their turn! Each card has strict rules governing what fates can be played on it. As doom builds up, the cards themselves fade, becoming one-time powers to help the players while new cards cycle in from the deck. Skilled play requires carefully rationing powers, hints, and cycling, while paying attention to not only where each fate was played -- but more importantly, where it wasn't. The rotating active player creates a different group dynamic each turn, preventing any one player from dominating the game. Inexperienced players can still use the group deduction phase to ask questions (while they are not the active player).
Designers
Publishers
- Meromorph Games
Questions and answers
The Shipwreck Arcana supports 2–5 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 The Shipwreck Arcana is 10–30 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.
The catalogue lists The Shipwreck Arcana for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Shipwreck Arcana has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
The Shipwreck Arcana belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Number. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Deduction, and Cooperative Game. 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 The Shipwreck Arcana are: Kevin Bishop. 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 The Shipwreck Arcana as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.