Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Lead a learned society through early-twentieth-century expeditions, pair veteran and junior archaeologists, collect relics, and balance knowledge against prestige.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Worker Placement
Commit limited workers to action spaces before opponents occupy them.
Set Collection
Gather related items that become more valuable when scored together.
Highest-Lowest Scoring
Final scoring depends on balancing categories because the highest or lowest value matters.
Variable Player Powers
Each player has different abilities, restrictions, or strategic advantages.
End Game Bonuses
Earn additional points for meeting conditions evaluated when the game ends.
Turn Order: Stat-Based
Determine or change the order in which players take their turns.
Read the full game description
The Royal Society of Archeology is a worker-placement strategy game about organizing expeditions in the early twentieth century. Each archaeologist gains experience, and sending a less experienced specialist alongside a veteran can benefit both figures, so the placement puzzle evolves throughout the game. Excavate sites, collect relics, develop your society, and convert discoveries into knowledge and prestige across four years with four players or five years with two or three. At the end, your lower total between knowledge and prestige determines the result, rewarding societies that build a balanced scholarly reputation rather than chasing only one track.
