Arena Season 18: The Heat is Rising!

[DrClick]

Congratulations to all participants and winners from the previous season!
 
But wait, what exactly is "the Arena?"
 
The Arena is the competitive mode on BGA. If you master a game and want to play it competitively, this is THE mode to use, so you can challenge the best players and get the most experience points.
 
The Arena is organized in seasons of 3 months each. Achievements are awarded to the best players at the end of each season.
 
To play in the Arena: select "Play" and then choose "Arena" instead of "Simple game."
 
Read more about Arena mode
 
Arena format and Gurus
 
In the previous seasons, it was you (more exactly the gurus) who chose the game formats for the Arena: player number, options used, ...
 
We are very happy to see that this way of doing things contributed to making the Arena more popular: thank you to all gurus for their smart suggestions and their votes!
 
Rules updates
 
No Arena rules are changing this season. It does not mean we are 100% satisfied with how the Arena is running, but you seem to appreciate the current rules so we want to keep them as they are for now.
 
Season 18 is NOW Launched.
 
The new Arena is now open for its new season.
 
Some Explanation About: Relegations
 
At the end of each season, after winners have been awarded, you are relegated.
 
Some custom relegation rules may have been applied to games for some reason (ex: we decided to update the number of leagues), but in general here is what happens:
 

• For games with 6 or 5 different leagues, all players are decreased by 3 leagues.
• For games with 4 different leagues, all players are decreased by 2 leagues.
• For games with 2 or 3 different leagues, all players are decreased by 1 league.
• For all games and all leagues, your number of Arena points is reset to 1, and your AES ("Arena Elo") is reset to 1500.

 
It's up to you to find the way to the elite!
 
May the odds be ever in your favor!
 
You'll find soon below the updated options for each game for this new arena season

[BROT42]

13 Clues:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "6")

8 Masters' Revenge:

• Master selection: "Player selection" (prev: "Random selection")
• Martial techniques (fury): "Play without fury" (prev: "Enable martial techniques (fury)")

99 (trick-taking card game):

• Scoring style: "9 hands" (prev: "1 Round per player (with end of round bonuses)")

A Feast for Odin:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Occupations: "A, B and C" (prev: "B and C")

Abalone:

• Initial setup: "German Daisy" (prev: "Belgian Daisy")

Agricola:

• Draft mode: "Draft 7 out of 8 cards, Occupations with Minors" (prev: "Draft 7 out of 9 cards, Occupations with Minors")

Amyitis:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Anachrony:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")
• Path selection: "Automatic" (prev: "Manual")

Apocalypse at the Zoo of Carson City:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")

Ark Nova:

• Alternative Maps: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Art Decko:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Astra:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Bag of Chips:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Balloon Pop!:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Barbu:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Game mode: "Geronimo" (prev: "Regular - 1 iteration")
• House rules: "No" (prev: "Yes")
• Must play higher trumps: "Yes" (prev: "No")
• Must play trumps if cannot follow suit: "Yes" (prev: "No")
• Take them all counts positive: "No" (prev: "Tricks, hearts and Queens")

Barrage:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• New officers (Simone and Tommaso): "Included" (prev: "Excluded")

Belote:

• Teams: "Random" (prev: "By table order: 1st/3rd vs. 2nd/4th")
• Turn order: "Counterclockwise" (prev: "Clockwise")
• All trumps / No trumps: "Disabled" (prev: "Enabled")

Beyond the Sun:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Bids:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")
• Color Bids: "No" (prev: "Yes")
• Highlight Winning Card: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Blood Rage:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

Canvas:

• Painting with Vincent: "disabled" (prev: "enabled")

Caravan:

• Game length: "Short game (remove 3 of each common goods and 1 of each rare good)" (prev: "Normal game (all cubes)")

Checkers:

• Variant: "Straight checkers" (prev: "International checkers")

Chicago Express:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

City of the Big Shoulders:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

Color Pop:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Variant: "Standard" (prev: "Two secret colors (2-player game)")

Colt Express:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Character selection: "Random selection" (prev: "Player selection")

Commander Chess:

• Engineer: "With Engineers" (prev: "Without Engineers")
• Checkmate by Commander only: "On" (prev: "Off")

Con Sonar!:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Connect Four:

• Board size: "8x9" (prev: "10x10")

Cosmos: Empires:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Variant: "Knight's Tournament" (prev: "Standard Game")

Crypt:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")
• Collector Cards: "B side" (prev: "A or B side (random)")

Dark Agent:

• Playerboard: "SGRS (Belgium)" (prev: "SVR (Russia)")

Dice Hospital:

• Hard mode: "Opening crisis" (prev: "Disabled")

Dice Summoners:

• Deck: "Random deck set" (prev: "Balanced deck set")

Dungeon Petz:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• More Foresight: "Maximum Foresight" (prev: "Regular Foresight")

Dungeon Twister:

• Game Options: "Full Random Intelligent" (prev: "Janus")
• Cycles Setup: "4 Cycles" (prev: "unlimited")

EKONOS:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

El Grande:

• Number of players: "5" (prev: "4")
• Exclude Veto: "No" (prev: "Yes")

Eminent Domain:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Envelopes of Cash:

• Value Modifier Die: "Luckless variant" (prev: "Normal use")

Evolution:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Quick Play: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Farm Club:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Federation:

• Production structures: "Random" (prev: "Basic")

Florenza: The Card Game:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

For-Ex:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

French Tarot:

• Bonuses: "Poignées + Misères" (prev: "Poignées only")
• Goulash variant (when everybody passes): "No" (prev: "Yes")

Gaia Project:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Game Setup: "Random map" (prev: "Variable map")
• Map Size: "Reduced map size (recommended for 3 players)" (prev: "Normal")
• Faction Selection: "Draft random factions" (prev: "Draft selected factions")

Get on Board: New York & London:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Get the MacGuffin:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Ginkgopolis:

• Keep one card between turns: "Disabled" (prev: "Enabled")
• Natural Topology Variant: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Glow:

• Side: "The Archipelago of Darkness" (prev: "The Province of Shadows")

Go Goa:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Go Nuts for Donuts:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Great Western Trail:

• Game setup: "Standard game" (prev: "Customized")
• Bid for turn order: "Off" (prev: "On")
• Pair starting objectives with turn order: "Off" (prev: "On")
• Balance material quantity, unofficial variant (2/3p): "Off" (prev: "On")
• Player building selection: "Beginner (A sides)" (prev: "All random")

Guildes:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")
• Variants: "Event and Dirty Trick cards" (prev: "None")

Hadara:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Game type: "Advanced" (prev: "Basic")
• Marketplaces & Monuments expansion: "Yes" (prev: "No")

Hand and Foot:

• Number of jokers per deck: "2" (prev: "3")
• Automatically play red 3s: "After 5 seconds" (prev: "Always")
• Draw card timer: "Draw after 20 seconds" (prev: "Draw after 10 seconds")
• Early end of game: "Not allowed" (prev: "Allow only last-place players to end game early")

Hawaii:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Homesteaders:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

Homeworlds:

• Star names: "World names from popular fiction" (prev: "Real-world star names")

Icebreaker:

• Board size: "Size 5" (prev: "Size 7")

Illustori:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")
• Prohibition rule: "Prohibiting to repeat the same letter" (prev: "Nothing")

Innovation:

• Cities of Destiny expansion: "Disable" (prev: "Enable")
• Echoes of the Past expansion: "Disable" (prev: "Enable")

Isle of Trains: All Aboard:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Jump Gate:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Just Desserts:

• Better with bacon expansion: "No" (prev: "Yes")
• Just coffee expansion: "No" (prev: "Yes")

King of the Pitch:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Captain Cards: "enabled" (prev: "disabled")
• Expert Mode: "disabled" (prev: "enabled")

Klaverjassen:

• Game length: "8 rounds (Short)" (prev: "16 rounds (Classic)")
• Teams: "By table order: 1st/4th versus 2nd/3rd" (prev: "At random")
• Jokers in draw pile: "Include Jokers" (prev: "Exclude Jokers")

Koi-Koi:

• Game length: "Half a year (6 hands)" (prev: "Full year (12 hands)")
• Koi-Koi multiplier: "Soft Koi-Koi" (prev: "Hard Koi-Koi")
• Dueling Triads: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Krosmaster Arena:

• Format: " BGA Season 18" (prev: " BGA Season 17")

Kulami:

• Scoring variants: "Standard" (prev: "The Biggest Areas")

Las Vegan:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Lewis & Clark:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Rules: "Second Edition" (prev: "First Edition")

Libertalia:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Living Forest:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Looot:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Lost Explorers:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Love Letter:

• Number of players: "5" (prev: "4")

Maps of Misterra:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Maracaibo:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Mech A Dream:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Enlightened robots variation: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Mod Ten:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Mojo:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")
• Variant: "No variant" (prev: "Two discards")

Monster Factory:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Moon River:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Mode: "Advanced Game" (prev: "Base Game")
• Scenarios: "Outlaws" (prev: "Timber Rafting")

MOW:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

New York Zoo:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Board choice: "With 3 houses, faster" (prev: "With 4 houses, more squares to fill")

Next Station: Paris:

• Power module: "City Gates" (prev: "Pencil Powers")

Not Alone:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "5")

Number Drop:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

NXS:

• Game Type: "Medium Game-Single Merchant (10 pieces)" (prev: "Random Start Position (10 pieces)")

Obsession:

• Expansion: "Wessex" (prev: "Wessex & Upstairs Downstairs")
• Low VP Value Monuments: "Base" (prev: "Yes")

Oh Hell!:

• Scoring: "Positive/Vienna" (prev: "Blackout/Vienna")
• Hook: "On" (prev: "Only when 5 or more cards in hand")
• Minimum hand size: "3" (prev: "1")
• Trumps: "Random card" (prev: "Highest bidder decides")

ONE:

• Board size: "60 spaces" (prev: "180 spaces")
• Training labels: "Disabled" (prev: "Enabled (Display an icon with swords on stones with captures available)")

Orion Duel:

• Board Display: "Player Choice" (prev: "Random")

PARKS:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Nightfall Expansion: "Enabled" (prev: "Enabled, action-packed")
• Wildlife Expansion: "Enabled" (prev: "Enabled, stampede variant")

Planet Unknown:

• Corporations: "Asymmetric corporations" (prev: "Symmetric side only")

Pocket Cats:

• Clan selection: "City Experts" (prev: "Free choice")

Quirky Quarks:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Race for the Galaxy:

• Expansion: "Alien Artifacts (no Orb)" (prev: "Brink of War + Rebel vs. Imperium + The Gathering Storm")
• Takeover: "Random" (prev: "No takeover")

Railroad Ink:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Railways of the World:

• Game Map: "Railways of Mexico (Max 4 players)" (prev: "Railways of Western U.S.")
• Shinbashi Station Operation Card: "Exclude" (prev: "Include")
• Railways of Mexico Optional Railway Operation Cards: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")
• Regions of Australia: "Eastern Regions" (prev: "All Regions")
• Railways of Western US City Rotors: "Default" (prev: "Disabled")
• Empty City Marker count changes: "Super Slow +4" (prev: "No reduction")
• Initial Cube Reduction: "Yes Reduction" (prev: "Default for map")

Rauha:

• Board Side: "B-side" (prev: "A-side")

Redstone:

• Board size: "11x11 goban" (prev: "9x9 goban")

Roll for the Galaxy:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Roll Into Town:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Seasons:

• Difficulty level: "Archmage Level + All expansions + Promo cards (no ability tokens)" (prev: "Archmage Level + All expansions (no ability tokens)")

Seikatsu:

• Fountain: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")
• Solo difficulty: "Easy" (prev: "Medium")

Sensei:

• Arashi variant: "Expert Board" (prev: "Standard Board")

Skate Legend:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Small Islands:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

Space Empires: 4X:

• Scenarios: " - SMALL 2-PLAYER MAP" (prev: " - EXTRA LARGE 2-PLAYER MAP")

Space Station Phoenix:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")
• Game Setup: "Player choice (mixed hubs)" (prev: "Player choice (advanced hubs)")

Splash Down:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Spot it:

• Mini-games: "Well" (prev: "Towering inferno")

Star Fluxx:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Steam Works:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")
• Persona assignment: "Draft" (prev: "Random")

Stir Fry Eighteen:

• Bullseye Chef Variant: "On" (prev: "Off")
• Close the Kitchen: "Off" (prev: "On")

Stone Age:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "4")

Super Mega Lucky Box:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Sushi Go!:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")
• Soy sauce: "Off" (prev: "On")

Taluva:

• Tiles per player: "12" (prev: "24")

Terra Mystica:

• Fire and Ice - Final Scoring tiles: "Random" (prev: "Off")

Terra Nova:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• 2 players variants: "Planner Variant" (prev: "No")

Terraforming Mars:

• Corporate Era: "On" (prev: "Off")

The Castles of Burgundy:

• Setup (player boards): "Random board without board 8" (prev: "Identical (random) board for all players")
• Edition: "2019 edition" (prev: "First edition")

The Isle of Cats:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

The Palaces of Carrara:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

The Voyages of Marco Polo:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Thurn and Taxis:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")

Tic-Tac Match:

• Matches: "First to win 2 matches" (prev: "Single Match")

Ticket Gagnant:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")
• Meeting length: "Short" (prev: "Long")

Tinners' Trail:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

Tiny Farms:

• Number of players: "2" (prev: "3")
• Barn Wheel: "Random" (prev: "Original")

Tock:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "2")
• Game type: "2 vs 2 (if possible)" (prev: "Free-for-all")

Trio:

• Game temperature: "Simple" (prev: "Spicy")

Turncoats:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Twin Tin Bots:

• Rocks: "None" (prev: "Many")
• Blobs: "None" (prev: "Many")
• Mud: "None" (prev: "Much")

Uncle Chestnut's Table Gype:

• Variant: "Rule of Chaos" (prev: "Classic game")

Unconditional Surrender! World War 2 in Europe:

• Scenarios: "USSR 1941" (prev: "Germany 1945")

Uptown:

• Number of players: "4" (prev: "3")

Vault: A Den of Thieves:

• Bonus Points: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Villagers:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

Vulture Culture:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "4")

Wingspan:

• Swift Start Birds: "Shuffle into deck" (prev: "Do not use")

Yahtzee:

• Simultaneous mode: "Enabled" (prev: "Disabled")

Yokohama:

• Number of players: "3" (prev: "2")

[kvarclovag]

How many leagues does a game have? Why are there only four at Azul when there are more than ten thousand players?

[pabula]

Why do I start with 0 in Arena in Praga Caput Regni?
Shouldn't we all start with 1 point (out of 10)

edit: I think I know why - the game was added this season so it was not reset.

[Ninolia]

I have not played Arena yet, but is interested and looking for more info but cannot find any in the Forum.
So many unanswered questions, here's a few:
0) Is there a Forum section for Arena in general? Link/path please?
1) The list above only slows changed rules. Where are the unchanged/full rules, e.g. #players for Agricola?
2) For turn-based (and in general) Arena, what is the tempo? I only want slow paced games, max 1 move/day. Already annoying I cannot filter out 90%+ of games in my regular lobby that are too fast. I do not want to blindly join a game w/o knowing the tempo, possibly unable to keep up.
3) What happens if you click the Arena lobby icon for a game? Do I get some Arena/game specific lobby where I can see more or do I end up in a game or queue for a game immediately?
Thanks, curious.

[Root308]

1) The list above only slows changed rules. Where are the unchanged/full rules, e.g. #players for Agricola?

In the "Play now" section, you can select arena and the gear next to a game to change settings. If you selected arena, all the rules settings will be locked to the Arena defined settings.

2) For turn-based (and in general) Arena, what is the tempo? I only want slow paced games, max 1 move/day. Already annoying I cannot filter out 90%+ of games in my regular lobby that are too fast. I do not want to blindly join a game w/o knowing the tempo, possibly unable to keep up.

In the same spot, you can also select your prefered game speed. If you select "I never want to play with..." for anything 2 moves/day and faster, the matchmaking shouldn't put you in those games.

[nov17th]

I like the new look for the Graphic User Interface.

[ReiN0re]

No awards given for That time you killed me. Is it because of small number of players?

[pabula]

No awards given for That time you killed me. Is it because of small number of players?

Is the game new on BGA?
If so, all games played score for next season.

[hiltonda]

2) For turn-based (and in general) Arena, what is the tempo? I only want slow paced games, max 1 move/day. Already annoying I cannot filter out 90%+ of games in my regular lobby that are too fast. I do not want to blindly join a game w/o knowing the tempo, possibly unable to keep up.
3) What happens if you click the Arena lobby icon for a game? Do I get some Arena/game specific lobby where I can see more or do I end up in a game or queue for a game immediately?
Thanks, curious.

Hi and welcome to Arena! I'm just a player, but from my understanding, you should go for turn-based instead of real-time in order to ensure you can do one move per day. Games like Ark Nova will be good for this. And in order to join a game, you have to select Arena in general and then if you click on the "Play now!" icon, you will then queue up for a game. Hope that helps.