In Aridnyk, players are shepherds who lead their flocks up into the Carpathian mountains in spring and travel until autumn. Along the way they search for the best pastures, meet the ancient spirits of the mountains and carry out their intricate plots.

You'll need to keep clear of the Great Wolf, outwit the Blackbird (charged by God with shepherding every sheep in the world), watch Aley, the God's Spirit, split the earth with a wave of a paw, and trade magical trinkets from Aridnyk, who was once the brother of God himself. You can also earn wisdom from the Holy God, who knows everything about everything.

The game draws on the mythology and legends of the Hutsuls, a Ukrainian ethnic group from the Carpathian mountains whose culture blends Christian and pagan traditions with tough highlander customs.

How it plays

• On your turn, place a tile from your hand and trigger its "when placed" abilities: move your Shepherd, move one of the Spirits, draw a card (Plot or Trinket), or gain Sheep.
• After moving your Shepherd, you can trigger the "when moved on" abilities of the tile where it ends its movement.
• At any point in your turn, you may play one Trinket card for a buff, or any number of Plot cards, provided their conditions are fully met.
• When you finish, draw a new tile and pass the turn.

The game ends once all the tiles are placed and the last player has taken their turn. Everyone then counts their sheep, and the player with the largest flock wins.

For 1-4 players, ages 10 and up, with play times of 45-60 minutes. Published by Boardova.