In Aridnyk, you will play as shepherds who take their flocks to the mountains in the spring and travel until the fall, looking for the best pastures, meeting the ancient spirits of the Carpathians, and implementing their intricate plots. You will decide how to avoid falling into the jaws of a Great Wolf, and how to outwit the Blackbird, who was ordered by God to shepherd all the sheep in the world. You will see how Aley, the God’s Spirit, splits the earth with a wave of a paw. You will exchange magical trinkets from Aridnyk, who at the beginning of times was the brother of God himself. And, of course, you will earn wisdom from the Holy God, who knows everything about everything.

The game is based on the mythology and legend of the Hutsuls – a Ukrainian ethnical group from the Carpathian mountains, who through the centuries developed a unique culture, the amazing blend of Christian and pagan traditions, together with the tough highlander customs.

During their turn, the player places a tile from their hand and activates its “when placed” abilities: move their Shepherd, move one of the Spirits, draw a Card (Plot of Trinket), or gain Sheep. After moving their Shepherd, the player can activate the “when moved on” abilities of the tile, and the shepherd has ended their movement on. Any time during their turn, the player may play 1 trinket card, receiving a buff or any number of plot cards, but only if their conditions are met in full. When the player completes their actions, they draw a new tile, and the turn passes to the next player.

The game lasts until all the tiles are placed, and after the last player completes their turn, all players count their sheep, and whoever has the largest flock is declared a winner!