The game ends when the pool of habitat tiles runs out (which is, rather satisfyingly, exactly 20 turns per player). There is a slight variation in the scoring of corridors for solo mode: your corridors have to have at least 7 matching adjacent terrain tiles to get a 2 point bonus. But besides that, it is a standard BYOS affair (unless you are playing the Achievement/Campaign mode – see below) Curious Creatures Having said that, Cascadia is well made and well presented; and is a beautiful addition to our shelves. Final Thoughts I sit and look at the row of pairs, sometimes for a really long time. And a series of trade-offs and options run through my head. A Chinook Salmon swims around my brain suggesting this tile and pondering that objective. Everything about Cascadia feels calm. Methodical. Meditative. I almost feel like I am breathing in the fresh mountain air when playing. If, however, you want the most relaxing and accessible version of the game, a family variant is included which simplifies the scoring to just groups of animals. This is a great addition for young children and non-gamers playing for the first time who want a gentle introduction to Cascadia. What’s even better about this: some players can play the family rule alongside the normal game to allow people of different abilities to play together and still be complex enough for everyone to enjoy. I think this is such a good idea as it really makes the game suitable for every type of group. Design & Components As a family, we really enjoy animal themed tabletop games, so Cascadia was right up our street! It is the game equivalent of curling up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate- one of the cozy games you can go to after a long day and relax with. Gameplay

In Cascadia, players compete to create the most harmonious ecosystem by selecting and adding habitats and wildlife to their environment. The goal in placing habitat tiles is to create contiguous corridors by matching rivers, prairies, wetlands, forests, and mountains. Once habitats are placed, players populate them with the wildlife species that each habitat supports. Each species has their own spatial requirements and connections to one another and their ecosystem! After that stuff is sorted everyone playing gets a starter tile, made up of three normal tiles and you are just about ready to go. Cascadia, on the surface, feels and plays very simply, however, bubbling underneath is a puzzle that could be pondered for hours upon end. As I mentioned earlier, it’s two puzzles in one that must be navigated in conjunction, like a tandem being ridden in two separate directions. If that all seems a little overwhelming, fear not. There are family and intermediate variants that narrow down the scoring objectives. Animal Achievements And Rule RestrictionsCascadia 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. 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 Cascadia comes with a variety of spatial wildlife goals allowing you to mix and match new challenges each and every time you play! There are hundreds of unique puzzles to explore! Create stunningly beautiful terrain maps as you build your own personal environment, while competing with others for the habitats and wildlife you desire!

Now, that all sounds rather straightforward. So, here’s where the puzzle ramps up. Each game, there are 5 Wildlife Goals. One for each type of animal, and there are multiple sets (A, B, C, D which can be mixed and matched), such that no single game plays according to the same scoring conditions as another. 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. Then select your Wildlife Scoring Cards. There are 4 sets marked A, B, C, and D. Each one includes the 5 animals in the game: Bears, Elk, Salmon, Hawk, and Fox. They are spatially based, placement optimisation goals and you can play with a single set or mix and match (so long as you have one of each species). A is the simplest set which is good for your first few games. There’s also a Family variant Wildlife Scoring Card which replaces all 5 individual animal goals with a single objective which is great for younger or less experienced gamers. So far, I have been focussing on the standard game. But, when you feel like you have got your Cascadia wings, you can launch into campaign mode which takes you on a hike through the Cascadian landscape. In a similar vein to Calico, you will play the same game, but with progressively more difficult scoring criteria: 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.

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 And although I can sometimes be left feeling like a poor relation when solo modes are a simple BYOS, the added scenarios in Cascadia offer more. They bring a wonderful selection of challenges that don’t need an opponent to bring them to life. 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.

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. Cascadia is a puzzly tile-laying and token-drafting game featuring the habitats and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. Cascadia is a puzzly tile-laying game featuring the habitats and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest! In Cascadia, players take turns building their terrain and populating it with wildlife. Players must create a diverse and harmonious ecosystem - each animal species has a different spatial preference and each habitat must be placed to reduce fragmentation and create wildlife corridors.

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Cascadia is an accessible game that offers challenges suitable for all gamers, with approachable gameplay and strategic depth. It’s a great choice whether you’re searching for gateway games or in-depth strategy. You will find a great mix of long-term strategy and short-term tactics available as you work to solve each new puzzle. The team behind Cascadia knows that gamers love sharing their hobby and have worked hard to make Cascadia the perfect game to do just that. Cascadia is a beautiful strategy board game in which players compete to create the most harmonious ecosystem. Match rivers, prairies, wetlands, forests, and mountains and populate them with different wildlife species. Each species has its own unique traits to consider, such as its ecosystem, its spatial requirements, and its connections to other animals. 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! 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