Artifacts of History is an expansion of Innovation. Currently I am playing it online with younger daughter Chen Rui on BoardGameArena.com. The implementation on BGA is based on an older version of the game. Innovation is also available on Yucata.de for free, and there it is based on the latest edition released in 2025. However Chen Rui and I are used to playing on BGA. I have other games in progress with other friends on BGA too. So we just do BGA even though it is not the latest.
Artifacts comes with a whole set of cards, and most (probably all) of them are very powerful. However you don't get to draw artifact cards easily, and usually you will only have one artifact card. Normally there are only two ways you can draw an artifact card. First, by covering an existing card with another of the same or an earlier age. Second, by covering an existing card with another which has the hexagonal icon in the exact same position. When you draw an artifact card, you must reveal it to everyone and place it on an imaginary pedestal. From your next turn onwards, you have an additional choice at the start of your turn. You may use the artifact card (dogma it) then return it, or you may return it without using it, or you may do nothing and keep it. You can only ever have one artifact card on your pedestal. Artifacts are powerful, but everyone knows what you have, so they can try to prepare for when you use it.
I still think the best way to play Innovation with expansions is to use only one expansion at a time. With two or more the game feels a little tedious to me. Too many aspects to juggle. The fun part of Artifacts is how overpowered the cards feel. Since you will only use a small number of artifact cards every game, this expansion will last you many plays.
This is one of the artifacts. This can end the game by Age 4! Chen Rui won one game using this. At the time I had more coins than her, and I smugly told her I didn't need to fear her. However I was sloppy and forgot to collect the five colours. Since I had more coins, if she used this artifact, I would execute the dogma ability first. If I fulfilled the winning condition, I would win the game. She saw that I didn't even have five cards in hand at the time, which meant it was not possible for me to have fulfilled the condition. Since she had fulfilled the condition, she could safely activate the artifact and win the game.
This is another powerful artifact. You get to claim an achievement even if you don't have the required points. Artifacts can be turned into normal cards. This way, you don't need to return it after using the dogma power. You meld it like a normal card. After that you can use the dogma power multiple times.
Artifacts comes with an optional module - the relics. This is a special type of achievement. There are relics only for Ages 3 to 7. When you claim an artifact, you get to also claim a relic of the same age. If that relic has already been claimed by an opponent, you steal it from them. This aspect is different from regular achievements. Normally your achievements are protected and cannot be stolen. Relics are a quick way you can push for a win, but you have to remember they are vulnerable. Relics can be turned into normal cards. When you do this, they are no longer achievements, and they can no longer be stolen as achievements.
Innovation is becoming an ongoing game between Chen Rui and I. When one game ends, we start another. On BGA there are several expansions. We play expansions one by one, so this means we can rotate.
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