Expeditions

Played only 3-4p games so far. Successful sequel to Scythe, though it's really different game (except same graphics and the race elements still exist). I really enjoy to play card games and this is pretty blast. There is many cards, each of them have different art and multiple ways to use them. Still like many other card games, this game contains strong random elements in order to create combos (and that's fun part of the game), but the most skilled players usually success. The balance and versatility between mechs leaves me with questions. Especially Tatanka, if you can't make Meld combos at all. That's why I prefer to tweak the setup somehow like: deal 2 characters for each player and they choose one (now it's possible at up to 3p games, until more characters are released). Also I hope more player interactions, now it seems just blocking the map tiles. Hopefully future expansions add some more of that also.

Despite its weaknesses, I just want to play this more and more. It is easily one of best games from 2023.

I love the art and theme. Though I find the theme doesn't come in as strong on this as Scythe. It isn't Scythe, which is fine.

I like multi use cards, but the writing and interactions are small and I found easy to miss or misunderstand. For how big the game is, (it could have been so much smaller, and I absolutely love bling), the card production is too challenging.

The decision space is fine. Pacing is fine. I found it to be low on the memorable scale.

I need to play it a couple more times to settle in. I could possible see it going to a 7. Yet, in a crowded market of absolutely great games, I don't know if I will find the time to give this more chances.

Lovely production and generally fun, but marred by increasingly long downtime between turns coming round, and runaway loser syndrome.

New to the game, I soon realized my opening moves were poor choices. From then on it was apparent there would be no evading finishing last so spent the next 3 hours playing until the game end confirmed the inevitable coming last.

Good art, good concept, fun enough but I have difficulty with the engine building in a way I didn’t with Scyhte

Played only solo

Tomorrow the Expeditions expansion Gears of Corruption goes on sale in Australia and from reading the thoughts of others since buying the base game, the consensus is that it's essential for human-human play, but a bit of a wash for solitaire. Still, I wanted a copy even as a solitaire gamer. To be sure I just took the base game out for a solo spin after a break of about a week. And half way through, I decided, no. I wouldn't be buying Gears. I've reached the point where the engine builder has been done to death. And Expeditions, that needed an expansion to fix some of its engine flaws, isn't innovative enough to stand out in a very filled Euro pack.