Explore the lands after a mysterious meteorite crashes near the Tunguska River in Expeditions, the sequel to Scythe.
In two sentences, what do you do in the game: You collect cards to build an engine that drives your abilities as the game progresses. With each turn, you progress further and further into the lands, clearing corruption, completing quests, and improving your mechs.
Have we played any other titles by this publisher?: Yes. We have played many games by Stonemaier Games and we encourage you to read our many reviews on their games! (And play the games for yourself!)
What was surprising about this title: We know the edition we played was called the Ironclad Edition, but we were not expecting the metal cast mechs! They are gorgeous, each different in looks from a little spider-like mech with spindly legs to a viking-like boat.
How likely is this to return to the game table?: Not often. The game is a little lengthy when playing with multiple people and with us having a brand new baby, the game probably won’t hit the table often. That being said, the game offers a modular board and multiple characters with varying abilities for multiple replays.
Game length: At minimum, about an hour. The game can last well beyond that. Especially if you have players who don’t know how to play or players who know how to play and need their turn to be perfect.
Language Barrier Playability: Difficult. The game requires the ability to read basic English. But with some translation of cards, plus the symbols on the cards to represent different resources and goals, the game is not impossible to play with a language barrier.
Artwork: Gorgeous and eerie. Jakub Rozalski’s artwork is superb and sets the stage for an unknown land and makes the table feel like they’re exploring a mysterious new world.
Quality: As always, Stonemaier Games delivers an amazing quality game. The pieces will last forever, the storage of the pieces is easy, and the mechs are outstanding. The mechs can even be decorative pieces for your board game shelf. If you play any tabletop RPGs, they can even be used as nice, chonky minis!
Strategy: Very strategic. There are various ways to play, different goals to strive for and multiple avenues through which to reach those goals. This game is very strategic but is not decided from the first few moves.
Instruction Manual: Quick, in depth and concise. There is no space that is wasted, with a few pieces of flavor text to build the lore of the world and symbols to speed up reading.
Organization: Easy and quick. The box comes with multiple components that all fit easily into the box and there is even a handy layout on the side of the box to help you put away the mechs in their proper place!
Final thoughts: While Expeditions was a little lengthy for our tastes, it delivers a great experience for those who love strategy and for those who have been itching for more Scythe. This game is a bit grittier and feels a little more bleak than Scythe or My Little Scythe. Mechanically, it is not too far from it’s predecessors and it feels like an entirely different game.
Sushiball Games 