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Cascadia, the 2022 Spiel des Jahres winner, has been one of the most popular board games of the last few years. I managed to eventually get my hands on a copy at this years UK Games Expo- a list minute buy after spending too long deliberating at the different stalls, which caused me to have to dash back like some sort of mad board game supermarket sweep throwback! Since then, Cascadia has been a staple of almost every board game gathering that we’ve been to, with numerous friends falling in love with the tile laying nature puzzle. So when I heard about the Cascadia Landmarks Expansion, I was super keen to continue exploring the Cascadia universe.
What more does Landmarks bring?
Landmarks really does bring more Cascadia to its fans. It brings more wildlife scorecards. It brings more habitat tiles, some of which are divided differently to the base set. And it brings more ways to score points, through the Landmark Tokens and Landmark Scoring Cards. However, you don’t have to play with this Landmark scoring module if you don’t want to- so if nothing else, the expansion just brings more variety, more of the Cascadia base game for those who want it.
How different is Landmarks?
Theres always a bit of intrigue when first playing a new expansion, to see how much it compliments and lifts up the existing gameplay, versus creating almost a new game. If you look at an expansion like Catan Knights and Cities, which implements such big rule changes that it changes the play entirely, you’ll see what I mean.
Landmarks doesn’t do this- it builds on the existing gameplay and makes subtle tweaks. At its most basic level, it introduces new habitat tiles with a three-way split of habitats, which also operate as Keystone tiles. It also introduces tiles that are not split evenly- for example a River and Forest tile where the Forest covers 4 of 6 sides (as opposed to a 50/50 split). As already mentioned, it also adds to the scoring- both from the perspective of adding more Wildlife Scoring Cards, and the Cascadia Landmarks Scoring Element.
And its this latter element, the Cascadia Landmarks Scoring, which (surprise surprise) is the biggest addition. The gist of this optional module is that, after creating a habitat of 5 or more tiles, you have the option of placing a wooden landmark token on the tile you have just placed (as you would an animal). When you place this token, you get the choice of a related scoring criteria, unique to you. So, for example- you place a Wetlands tile, which takes you up to 5 connected Wetland habitats. You take the Wetlands Landmark token, placing it on the tile you just laid, before selecting one of the Wetlands related scoring criteria available (there are the same number available as there are players in the game). This additional scoring criteria might just give you straight up points, or points per a certain animal on Wetlands tiles- as always with Cascadia, there are a number of options to keep each game fresh.
Another small aspect, which I can’t speak too much about as I haven’t tested them out, is the addition of ‘Fast Play’ version of the game, and a 5-6 Player version of the game. Like I say- I can’t speak as to how well either of these play, but I’m they will be of benefit to someone!
Overall, is it worth getting?
If you love Cascadia, and just want more of it, perhaps with a few subtle tweaks here and there- then yes, definitely. If you are looking for massive gameplay changes, and were hoping for a much more ‘crunchy’ or tactical version of the classic Cascadia game- then no, this is not that.
This game is very easy to learn, partly because it is so similar to the base game. It just gives more Cascadia, with the designers very much taking the approach of ‘If it ain’t broke, why fix it?’ It does all of the great things the base game does- nice tactile pieces, beautiful artwork, and thinky puzzles- and provides more of the same, without creating a new version of the game. And why not? It did it so well the first time, why reinvent the wheel?
But, if you do want something Cascadia-esque but different, why not take a look at the Roll & Write versions of Cascadia- Rolling Rivers and Rolling Hills? They may well help scratch the itch you are trying to scratch!
