Darwin's Journey: Oceania (2025)

Overview

In *Darwin's Journey: Oceania*, Charles Darwin embarks on a captivating journey through the Pacific islands, where the untamed beauty and unique life forms spark his curiosity. Amid groundbreaking discoveries, he faces numerous setbacks and challenges, from harsh environments to the unpredictability of uncharted territories. As he delves deeper into these natural wonders, his journey becomes a testament to the interconnectedness of life and the boundless curiosity that drives human exploration. This expansion introduces a freshly designed island map featuring sixteen unique specimens inspired by Oceania. Players will experience reimagined player boards with distinct bonuses and a revamped main board filled with exciting new features. One of these is the Post Office, where players can unlock a fourth correspondence tile as they navigate through the map. This tile evolves with each turn, adding dynamic strategic options. In addition, the University introduces a professor that players can employ to access a new scroll at the academy. This action grants one free wax seal placement per turn, offering additional academic advantages. The map also includes Village locations where players can perform the Establish Campsite action. Each player may place one Tent in each Village. These Tents function as Campsites but come with the restriction that they cannot be reactivated once placed. The game features Silver Villages, which are resolved immediately during gameplay, granting powerful bonuses, and Golden Villages, which are resolved during final scoring and contribute significantly to end-game strategies. New Lens locations on the map can only be accessed when a player’s Ship or Explorer lands on them, creating an exciting challenge as these spots remain inaccessible by other means. Additionally, the Hazard Track introduces a new mechanic that increases the difficulty of exploration and discovery. Players accumulate hazards, which may trigger penalties for all affected at the end of each round. However, the player with the highest hazard level receives a one-time bonus that can be strategically used, adding a risk-versus-reward dynamic to the gameplay.