Carnuta Board Game Review by Dale Yu

Designers: Yohan Goh, Hope S. Hwang, Gary Kim
Publisher: Repos Production
Players: 2-4
Age: 10 and up
Time: 25 minutes
Played with a copy from the publisher

Welcome to the yearly event where druids come from far-off places. Eight hidden ingredients are picked. In Carnuta, you mix them right and build your runes to make a top-notch potion.

Each player gets a board, one random start card, and four runes, two sun and two moon. In the middle, set up a market with four cards from the day ingredients deck and four from the night deck. Note the backs show the four kinds of items in each deck. Put bonus tokens nearby, plus extra runes in supply. Players start with two sickles.

On your turn, pick two actions from these choices:

1. Get a card. Pick one of the eight open cards from the market and add to your hand. You can hold only three cards max at turn’s end. Refill the market.

2. Play a card. Use a card from hand, pay the cost at the top. This may mean flipping runes or tossing some. Place the card in your spot, stack with same ingredients. Move your marker ahead one spot to match cards played. Hit a bonus on the track, take that reward.

3. Grab runes. Take as many of one kind from supply to fill your board. No flipping them.

4. Turn runes. Flip runes on your board so only one kind shows up.

You can do actions in any order. Do the same one twice if you want. Free action: toss a sickle to swap one row of ingredient cards.

At turn end, check hand has three or fewer cards. Discard extra if needed. Make sure your marker matches cards played.

Game ends when one player plays their 11th card. Finish the round so all get same turns. Score cards by ingredient type. Some give points direct, others for matching items or sets.

Highest score wins. Ties go to best single ingredient score.

My thoughts on the game

Carnuta is about handling resources well. It pays off smart use and cards that fit together from the market. Just two re

Start card pushes two ingredient types. Helps first buys. But many cards need mixes to score, so needs change. Get cards that link or share needs, pile up points.

Big payoff cards cost more, meaning toss more runes. But not too bad, one action refills one type full.

Players switch light to dark items often. Cards flip runes. Start four suns, buy card, end with four moons. Next, buy dark, maybe toss two moons, left with two suns. Good market lets buy again with those, three cards from one rune set.

Don’t buy just to buy. Cards must help score, own or others. Max 11 cards, no room for duds.

Game picks up speed later. Unlock two more hand spots. Helps chains: buy, flip, repeat. Race for bonus tokens, pick wanted ingredients first.

Nice touch: magnifying bead on player board. Card art fits theme. Backs show deck ingredients.

Carnuta is easy starter game. Simple rules, but smart choices matter. Buy better cards, play improves. Try on Board Game Arena.

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers