Expedition: Northwest Passage

Fit

Teach 2.3

Teaching signal

Replay 4.0

High replayability

Interaction 3.7

Highly interactive

Scaling 4.0

Scales well

Strategy 4.5

Deep strategy

Control 2.7

Luck-sensitive

Table feel

Moderate level of interaction with a good balance between direct confrontation and strategic depth.

Replay value

Expedition: Northwest Passage has a high replayability score due to its high variability gameboard, expansions available, strategic depth, scalability, and moderate easiness to learn. The game offers different experiences each time it is played, with multiple paths to victory and variable setups. The presence of expansions adds new content and gameplay elements, enhancing the replay value. There is room for players to improve their strategy over time, discovering new tactics and strategies. The game adapts well to different player counts without compromising its appeal or balance. While it may take some time to learn, it offers a rewarding and engaging experience for those willing to invest the effort.

Luck profile

Expedition: Northwest Passage has a moderate level of luck influence. Random elements have a notable but not exclusive impact on the game outcome. Players have substantial ability to mitigate randomness through strategic decisions and planning. The game outcome is primarily determined by player strategy and decisions, with luck playing a minor role.

Overview

In 1845, Sir John Franklin led an expedition on behalf of the British Royal Navy to find and explore the last portion of the Northwest Passage, regardless of the cost. The Royal Navy gave Franklin two heavy Ships (HMS Terror and HMS Erebus) filled with scientific equipment, 1000 books, a crew of 128 men, and enough food to last for three years. They left England in May and encountered whalers along the west coast of Greenland in August. There, they waited for more favorable weather conditions for the crossing of the Lancaster Sound. Once the weather improved, they sailed into unknown waters, and no one ever heard from them again... Their disappearance provoked a great deal of turmoil in public opinion, and numerous British and American expeditions attempted to find their trail. As leaders of these expeditions in Expedition: Northwest Passage, players must venture into these hazardous Arctic waters in order to discover Franklin's fate and succeed where he failed – by finding the Northwest Passage. Players allocate their crewmen in their ship or in their sled to perform various actions such as exploring, moving, or gathering clues on the whereabouts of the Franklin expedition. As the game progresses, the seasons will pass and parts of the sea will be frozen, blocking the way for the ships. Players acquire victory points by gathering clues, mapping the area, and – of course – discovering the Northwest Passage. However, in order to claim victory, one has to come back home to the Greenland on time!

Mechanism

4

Action Points Map Addition Set Collection Tile Placement

Family

5

Country: Canada Digital Implementations: Board Game Arena Organizations: Forgenext Organizations: The Game Artisans of Canada Region: Arctic

Type

1

Strategy

Media