Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Note that if 4 Wildlife Tokens are all the same, this is known as “ overpopulation“, and they are removed and replaced with 4 new randomly selected ones. It can also happen when there are 3 matching animals on offer. But in that case, it is the active player’s choice (aka yours in solo mode) as to whether those 3 are replaced or not. Simple to learn, but hard to master – Cascadia is a dual-layer puzzle. There are a variety of goals that you can mix and match, creating a brand-new experience every time you play. Explore hundreds of unique puzzles and build beautiful terrain maps in competitive, solo, and family modes. The game’s simple yet strategic tile-laying mechanics make it accessible to players of all skill levels, while its intricate puzzle-like nature provides a gratifying challenge.
Use Animal Tokens Wisely: Be mindful of the scarcity of Animal Tokens, especially for rarer animals. Don’t spend them on habitats that offer minimal points. Reserve them for habitats with higher scoring potential. Place all of the wildlife tokens into the bag and mix well. Then deal out 4 face up habitat tiles and pair each of them with a face up wildlife token. Set the nature tokens to the side (more on that later). Finally, select the A, B, or C wildlife cards and place them to the side where all players can see them. When you’re done, your setup should look something like this. What makes Cascadia’s components pop is the art by well-known game artist Beth Sobel. The animal art on the box and cards is first rate stuff, evoking the splendor of the natural wilderness. Even the small animal art on the counters and the tiny terrain on the hexes manages to stir the heartstrings a little. Rules and How to Play
Cascadia
Finally set the Nature Tokens (pine cones) off to one side but within easy reach and give everybody a 3 hex Habitat Starter tile. This is a combo tile showing a random selection of 3 out of 5 terrain types (Mountains, Forests, Prairies, Wetlands, and Rivers). There’s also one or more animals on each hex ready to buddy up or keep its distance from other indigenous species! Take A Turn Adapt to Habitat Cards: Don’t be afraid to change your strategy during the game if you draw new Habitat Cards that offer better scoring opportunities. Flexibility is key to success. If you counted 65 points you’re right on the nose. Only time will tell if that’s enough to win you the game! Final Thoughts on Cascadia Each round you begin with a set of numbered tokens that represent your spell strengths. These tokens are used to cast spells and bid on a grid of items (and special actions) on the forest floor. Once you cast a spell, your rival mystics will have an opportunity to cast a more powerful spell onto an adjacent item, hoping to compel it towards them and prevent you from collecting what you need! As the forest is explored, different conditions of magical control will restrict pathways, leading to strategic situations where players can ‘corner cast’ and secure multiple items with less powerful spells. If your spell casting comes up short on the forest floor, you can always make an offering to the forest sprites - magical mice that have their own cache of treasures they may share with you, giving you further options to expand your collection.
The graphic design on the tiles, cards and discs is very attractive. The animal photos are gorgeous, the terrain tiles are bright, bold and very clear and the animal discs are also very bold and clean looking. Cascadia leaves no option for confusion in the components with very little symbology, clear, precise art and high-quality design. It’s all rather elegant, in a classically simple way. Note: Achievements and Rule Restrictions aren’t intended for solo play, but I can’t see why not and I use them for added crunch sometimes! Final Thoughts The accompanying Wildlife Token can be placed on any tile (new or existing) showing that animal. Only one Wildlife Token can be placed on each tile, and once it has settled there, no uprooting it to somewhere else!
The premise of Cascadia is simple- collect hexes of different terrain that can support different animals, and score accordingly. The foxes, eagles, elk, bears and salmon all score in a different way depending on how you place them on your board; and with four different scoring cards for each animal, Cascadia has enough variety from play to play to keep interest. In addition, you also score depending on how large an area of one terrain is, with bonus points awarded for the person with the largest and second largest of each type. Each hex, with the exception of special ‘Keystone’ tiles, has two terrains printed on it so placement is crucial to your score at endgame.
Winning in “Cascadia” requires a balance of tile placement, habitat completion, and strategic use of Animal Tokens. Here are some winning strategies to help you maximize your score: Calico is a puzzly tile-laying game of quilts and cats. In Calico, players compete to sew the coziest quilt as they collect and place patches of different colors and patterns. Each quilt has a special pattern that must be adhered to, and players are also trying to create color and pattern combinations that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also able to attract the cuddliest cats. Cascadia was my #3 new game of 2021 thanks to a combination of easy-to-learn rules and variable scoring methods, making it a solid family game that is meaty enough to satisfy more experienced gamers as well. It’s a game that not only rewards replaying, but makes you want to do so immediately because you realize all the other strategies you didn’t get to try the last time around.
Dollars to Donuts
Cascadia runs very smoothly with little conflict as playing competitively will prevent you from scoring big. If you play only to stop someone else from getting a scoring group, you are more likely to lose as you will likely place hexes that do not add value to your own board. Replayability Fit to Print late pledges are open here HERE: https://gamefound.com/projects/flatout-games/2023-releases Each carefully placed tile contributes to the growth and balance of your personal wilderness, and as your landscape evolves, you’ll find a deep sense of fulfillment in watching it flourish. The combination of gorgeous artwork, thoughtful gameplay, and the opportunity to create your own natural haven makes Cascadia a game that not only engages the mind but also nourishes the soul, leaving players with a tranquil sense of contentment after each playthrough. What’s included in Cascadia? Cascadia is a tile and token drafting game for 1-4 players. It involves a dual-layer puzzle that progresses over time as more habitats and wildlife are added to each player’s individual ecosystem. Players score points by creating the most harmonious spatial arrangements of wildlife, and also by creating the largest contiguous habitat corridors.
Balance Expansion and Optimization: While expanding your wilderness grid is important, ensure that you’re optimizing your existing habitats as well. Completing additional habitats often yields more points than simply adding terrain tiles. Complete Habitats Efficiently: Try to complete habitats as soon as possible to earn immediate points. Look for opportunities to place terrain tiles that fulfill multiple habitat requirements in one move. If you are playing with children, or you wish to simplify the gameplay for yourself or other players, the game includes variant scoring. There are two extra options, presented as an easy mode and an intermediate mode. The easy mode makes each animal score in a similar way, reducing the number of scoring conditions the player must learn. Intermediate mode increases the challenge of the spatial puzzle, without adding complex scoring conditions. Thistleville is the world’s most bustling little town — it’s a challenge to keep up with everything going on, from who took home first prize for their baked goods at the community fair to who has been digging in Mrs. Brambleberry’s carrot patch. The active player draws tiles from the draw pile based on the number of players (2 tiles in a 2-player game, 3 tiles in a 3-4 player game).
Point Salad
The setup of the forest grid and twilight and moonlight goals along with concoction cards and special player abilities in each game provide great variability so that no two games of Nocturne will play out the same. Different spatial goals and situations will necessitate different strategies and tactics to outwit your opponents in this highly interactive and unique spatial bidding game! Hall, Charlie; Johnson, Sarah; Theel, Charles (2021-11-05). "The 22 best board games". Polygon . Retrieved 2022-07-22. As long as the turns keep coming fast enough there’s a certain pleasure in wondering what you’ll get to select from during your turn. Maybe it’ll be that last salmon you need for a big score, maybe it won’t. While the tactical focus means you can’t plan ahead, it does keep everyone constantly on their toes. You’ll often be rewarded for keeping your map flexible enough to pivot to different scoring chances if the ones you’re chasing don’t come off. It results in a surprising amount of excitement for such a low interaction game.
Great Deal 
New Comment