Mission game in the world of Scythe in criticism, review and testing

Expeditions by Jamey Stegmeier take place for 1 to 5 players in a world sickle. I think this note on the box and in the German version of Tierra del Fuego is better resolved than the English version, where it says: “Sequel”. It may still be unclear to the uninitiated interested party whether this is an expansion game or a standalone game.

What are the expeditions about?

On the Tunguska River in Siberia In the summer of 1908, about 60 million trees were cut down over an area of ​​2,000 square kilometers. There is no impact crater, which is why those who suspect the meteorite are the cause assume that it exploded a few kilometers above Earth. It is also possible to imagine a gas eruption, but the mystery has not yet been clarified. The first expeditions to the area took place at the beginning and end of the 1920s.

This is where the board game comes into play. Each player begins an expedition in one sickle– Typical mechanics The stadium consists of 20 courts, two-thirds of which are hidden. Navigating, occasionally discovering objects, collecting rewards on site or playing card – these are the possible actions. Anyone who meets certain conditions four times results in the end of the game.

Dilemma: Actions fall short of demand

I always want to do all three, but usually I have to choose two of the three. This often forces you to rethink things and I love that.

As we both move, we barely step on each other's feet. It's a little tougher with five players, but it doesn't break the game. There is always something convenient to do.

Maps are important and add complexity

It's important to get a lot of new cards quickly. A collection campaign at certain locations is an option. On the one hand I can take up cards and up cards on the other. Unfortunately, this is often tedious because I then have to read all five cards and decide which one suits me. By exchanging these cards repeatedly, this time-consuming process starts over and brings a certain level of rigidity to the game for four to five players.

Cards add complexity. Example: Play “Rescuing the Lost Woodsman”. This card gives me a blue point. Once I collect enough blue points, I can exchange them for a victory point token. If I previously got a yellow shape that has five different colored shapes, it also gives me another blue point when placed on the card and the ability to play with the card that was already inserted. This card is important. If I'm in the right place, I can make it happen. If they are four, then one of the four conditions for reaching the end has been met.

The wire binding for my cards, which I had to painstakingly obtain, is the icing on the cake! Conditions are one of the four sources of victory points.

Expeditions into Criticism: Typical Scythe, but a bit of a loner

The game progresses very slowly. It takes a while for someone to collect victory points. That surprised me. What cards and when they are converted into victory points can be crucial.

The individual mechanics aren't really new, they became clear after a couple of games. Then it runs faster if you pursue a specific goal. Getting an overview is an important milestone.

Expeditions is a competitive racing game and is very much a solo game for me.

Interaction is limited to taking something from others or blocking fields. Getting other players to take expected actions is made more difficult by the fact that I have to regularly read and weigh possible actions on other players' cards. Hardly possible. I can only block terrain temporarily if recognizable conditions need to be converted to the satisfied state. Direct confrontation as in sickle, It is not here. This is even more surprising because the large figures look like fighting machines and the illustrations look very military. This may disappoint some expectations, but anyone who knows Scythe and chooses Expeditons because of him won't be surprised.

Expeditions are best done with two people

That's why I liked them more as a couple. The wait time is the shortest there, as we were 60-90 minutes. It can also be done in 150 minutes with five people, but it can also take 250 minutes, which is too long for me. The single version also works well!

Expeditions posit a meteorite impact as the cause of the Tunguska events, and player expeditions search for another lost expedition. However, that is not the point of the game. In general, all the events, discoveries and conflicts proposed on the terrain and game cards could certainly fill several novels. During the actual game, the color fades into the background and everyone focuses on the abstract mechanics.

Great article

The game material is great! Beautiful wooden figures, the playing cards are very good quality, and even the game rules have a paint finish which I like! The machines look great, and are designed with great attention to detail. There is a version of the game where it is made of metal, very impressive! The illustrations are in a typically Scythian style, and again very detailed, with borrowings from the worlds of Jules Verne and Cthulhu.

I've said what I didn't like, but the bottom line is I still like it, especially in a small group. Given the possibilities, it offers a lot of variety and makes you want to try something again and again!