Whenever we start working on a new Clank! adventure, we look for a new story to tell, a new atmosphere to explore and bring to fans of the game. Last year, we visited the underwater caverns of Sunken Treasures, but now we’re traveling elsewhere – to the scorching sands of The Mummy’s Curse! Inspired by epic tales from both history and popular culture, along with the daring explorers who headlined them, we set out to build an experience that players will love. There are new trials and treasures to be discovered, and we’re very excited to finally get to share them with everyone!

Beneath the Sands

One of the first things you may notice about The Mummy’s Curse is the new board. Like its predecessor, this expansion has an all-new double-sided board to play on, and there are some new elements to take in. For one, the “pyramid” side is laid out with a twist, sitting at a 45-degree angle to better show the towering tomb in all its glory. This puts the top of the board even further away from the deepest parts of the dungeon, so the most ambitious players will need to be very confident about making it down and back in one piece. The reverse side displays the massive stone Whiskersphinx, a landmark sure to make any prospective thief’s fingers itch.

Another new element is found with the four different zones of the board – three in the Depths, plus the area above the Depths. The symbols found in each zone indicate where the titular Mummy can be found during the game. Every time the Mummy activates, the players roll the custom four-sided die (appropriately shaped like a pyramid), and the Mummy figure is placed on the matching symbol. We’ll talk more about what that means later, but rest assured that players will want to keep an eye on where it pops up!

Curses!

Many of the most valuable treasures in this expansion come with Curse tokens attached. These tokens subtract points from their owner’s score, weighing players down even as they pile their loot higher. Curses can come from cards, from particular passages on the map, or even from the Mummy itself. Anyone who attempts to plunder these new locations should expect to pick up at least a little corruption, but those who can find a way to cleanse themselves will get to reap the benefits without sacrificing their souls!

As you might expect, the Mummy itself is a powerful entity in the Curse game; players can fight it to either claim its loot at the cost of even more Curses, or redeem themselves and remove half of their Curses in one fell swoop! However, the Mummy is not a monster to be hunted easily. It lurches around the board throughout the game – including every time it is confronted by a player – cursing those it stumbles upon and making it difficult to track down. Those who plan to hunt the Mummy had better come ready for a chase!

Risk and Reward

Pushing your luck has always been an important part of the Clank! experience – choosing the right moment to take out a Belcher or buy the Scepter of the Ape Lords, deciding whether to go for a more valuable artifact, or even just eyeing that last secret that you’re not sure you have time to pick up. Curses are one new form of risk, but this expansion brings a few other new ways to reach for that little bit extra.

Several of the new cards that The Mummy’s Curse brings to the dungeon deck produce a bonus effect if the player has any Clank! cubes on the board when they are played. These are especially powerful early in the game when Stumbles are still coming up frequently, but as the game goes along, players may find they actually want to add a little extra Clank! to their deck to keep the bonuses humming along. (Hey, what could go wrong?)

For speedy or daring players (or just big fans of big tokens), the 10-point Supreme Monkey Idol is waiting to be found, while more conservative thieves can invest in a little extra health with Ankhs from the Market. Whether in search of new angles for a preferred strategy or just looking for the flexibility to choose their risk level as they go, the desert of The Mummy’s Curse has something to offer every Clank! player.

The Mummy Awaits

We’ve really enjoyed creating The Mummy’s Curse, and we hope that you all enjoy it just as much. The desert can be dangerous, but it holds many treasures for those who know its secrets. Good luck!

Paul Dennen is the creative director for Dire Wolf Digital, and is a long-time developer and designer of digital CCGs.  He has led or helped with the design for such games as Star Chamber, Legends of Norrath, Star Wars Galaxies CCG, Free Realms CCG, and most recently the strategy card game Eternal, and The Elder Scrolls: Legends.  Clank! is his first published board game.  He likes cats.