Claire thought she would be an active historian/archaeologist. Instead of going on adventures to exotic locations, though, she spent most of her time absorbed in books. All of that changed when she discovered the secrets of the lost Tonauak tribe. …
Claire thought she would be an active historian/archaeologist. Instead of going on adventures to exotic locations, though, she spent most of her time absorbed in books. All of that changed when she discovered the secrets of the lost Tonauak tribe. Claire didn’t hesitate to grab her things and dash out to the jungle. What she didn’t count on was a nefarious high priest who wasn’t keen on having his plans for immortality ruined by some meddling adventurers.
Lost Artifacts is a casual resource management game with a simple plan and a no-surprises kind of story. And you know what? That’s exactly what makes it fun. As with most path clearing time management games, Lost Artifacts has you sending out workers to move things out of the way so you can progress to the end of the stage. Logs blocking the trail? No problem. Pointy spears in the way? Just give ’em a click and you’re good to go.
Resources come in a few basic flavors: food, wood, metal, and gold. You’ll get a few freebies in each stage, but the bulk of the good stuff comes from repairing buildings like sawmills and farms. Most actions will consume a few of these resources, making Lost Artifacts a game of strategic clicking and thoughtful spending. You can upgrade most buildings to produce even more goodies, including huts that give you an additional worker. No matter what you do, keep an eye on the level goals at the bottom of the screen. That’s what you’re here to accomplish, and that’s what lets you unlock new stages.
Some levels introduce new resource-type additions that make things a little more complicated. For example, you might need to restore sets of statues around the island in order to proceed. But you can’t just slap some stone up there and call it a day. No, you need a priest, and they only come around when you fix up their temple. Extras like this are what keep the Lost Artifacts experience fresh from level to level. Not a lot of other stuff changes, but you always feel like you’re doing something new.
Most resource management games pour on the complexity in an attempt to make things interesting. Why have four resources when you can have eight? And how about flashing icons to click, mini-games in-between levels, mad monsters to chase off, and a dozen other distractions? Instead of going that route, Lost Artifacts focuses on the basics, and it does them extraordinarily well. You’ve got clicking and queueing, resource management, building upgrades, and a handful of achievements. You always feel like there’s more to do but you never feel overwhelmed, making this an enjoyable and relaxing game you’ll be happy to come home to.
