Expeditions Board Game | Solo Mode First Impressions

Thumbnail art based on the Expeditions cover by artist Jakub Rozalski.

#totallytabled #boardgames #tabletop #solo #firstimpressions

[gobot]

This is an awfully kind and generous interpretation of what the commenters meant by “boring.” I was meh on Scythe and had very low expectations for this one. I got it anyway, played it solo 4-5 times and have to concur with those other folks. If a game is good its good; doesnt matter what the title or expectations or component quality. You could have Uwe Rosenberg design a game using nothing but scraps of paper and driftwood and call it Beige- A Game and it would probably be awesome.

[browe]

I closely followed Jamey's designer diaries prior to release and felt like my expectations lined up closely with the game I received. I bought it for solo/two-player specifically. Like you, I find it interesting, fun, and I enjoy the dilemma of choices it presents a solo player. AI is indeed a breeze to operate, with a nice balance between the effort to execute its turns and how it pushes things forward.

I might be in the minority though... I appreciate Scythe but no longer have it in my collection, yet I enjoy Tapestry (also fun solo!) which seemed to be so polarizing for others. I'm keeping Expeditions and look forward to what will be added to it in future.

[manic]

I'm a solo player, and honestly I was never tempted by Scythe, it seemed to me that it had the style and looks of a wargame game with meks but as you say was actually a euro game.. it just didnt gel for me from watching playthroughs. Expeditions looks much more my kind of thing, lighter and slim lined maybe but with the exploring, quests, curing corruption etc it looks a great lil game I can see me picking this one up.

[laurencesingh]

Great video and spot-on first impressions. I feel pretty much exactly as you do, Shaggi. This is going to shine for solo and even two player games where Scythe will continue to be my choice for 3+. I do feel that Jaime did a lot to set expectations for the game. It honestly is a sequel in that it continues the story that was introduced in Scythe and its expansions. But it is not the same gameplay and has a very different feel. Jaime released his design diaries and many videos about the gameplay and design process. There's even a video comparing and contrasting it to Scythe. I think following all of that closely helped temper my expectations. I will never love this game as much as I love Scythe but it will stay in my collection as a fun and challenging and SIMPLE-TO-OPERATE solo game that allows me to further explore this world that I love. Also, I think that expansions for this game will further elevate it.

[thesolitairegambit]

I was waiting for your review on this one.
I agree with you on some of the things you mentioned.
1. Overproduced - tiles could’ve been smaller along with the cards but I guess they want to highlight the artwork.
2. The whole “sequel” is kinda misleading. Almost like Everdell Farshore.

I got this game excepting a good, smooth and easy to manage solo mode and that is what I got! ❤
The title doesn’t bother me at all since you are actually going on an expedition to find out about the corruption.
One thing I don’t understand is why there’s two types of colors for the corruptions?

Overall, I’d be playing this game solo more than Scythe. 😊

[tomaszednik]

Hi! 😄
Firstly, I’ve been watching your channel for the last year or so, and I have to say, you have some of the BEST solo gameplay videos on YouTube. I love your energy, your humour and your voice. 😅
Anyway, on topic. It is exactly as you say. I played Expedition in four players and it was awful. Too long, too solitary, and yes, boring. But after your gameplay, I can see this as quite good solo game. However, for this price tag you can get 4 small also really good maybe even better games. It’s just not really worth it in my opinion.
Last thing, I want to ask you if there is any chance of your take on Arkham Horror LCG. I know you’ve talked about it once or twice, and I would love to watch that gameplay. Thank you for doing this and keep it up 😁

[shinjial]

Jaime came out and said he knows it's too big, but the game is what he envisioned it to be. I agree that leaning on the Scythe-sequel aspect really hurts this game.
It seems like a cool game. I specially think the solo mode is great, specially because the multiplayer game itself is very low interaction. It has very little components and the upkeep is super easy, right, which I always look for in a solo game. Like, am I playing the game or running the system? This one is so fast that you're just flying through the game.
Personally, I wish it came in a normal sized square box, scaled down size and production wise.

[TheZiggylives]

I agree with your sentiments on size completely. Why is it so big? Maybe to highlight the art, but truthfully, it's too big for what it is.
My solo plays were pretty good. My two player games were meh in comparison.
If I didn't have better solo games in my collection, I would've held on to it. But there are far superior options for me out there (and in my collection).
I feel as if this will not be talked about much in the future unless some kind of support is put into it, and I just don't even know what that would look like.

[donnakeferlis]

3:26 - bc of built-in sales from Scythe fans.

I'm glad to hear the AI turn is quick & smooth. I love Scythe but the AI movement tied my brain into a pretzel!

I was gonna blow this one off, but you said it's different and more streamlined than Scythe. So a definite maybe!

[tonybowers]

Thanks for sharing. Watched your solo play through and really enjoyed it. You're very correct. Expectations. That is a very important aspect about everything in life. Expectations about Expeditions! He He
Don't have my copy yet, but excited about it, mainly due to the solo play.
Unfortunately, I've heard from some other reviewers the mechs are unbalanced. Also unfortunate, Stonemaier has a track record of having unbalance in their games. Errr.. looking at my Scythe box. There may be an errata later for Expeditions which tweaks the mech powers a bit?

[Edu-qvlq]

Great video.
Please do a solo playthrough of Paladins of the West Kingdom or Hadrian’s wall.

[ThePhoenixSlayer]

Hey Shaggy! How are you? I just wanted to tell you that I finally got to play Klask at our LGS and now I need it so bad! I know why you put it in your top 50.

[michaelhill]

I enjoyed your play through, I always do. I also found the game to be a bit dull but also devoid of atmosphere. Completing a quest is nothing more than matching icons. I would have expected more.

[-_-DAVe]

Any thoughts on S.T.A.L.K.E.R board game?

[thesolitairegambit]

Ohh yeah, i do not find it boring either! Lol