For those unfamiliar with it, the Spiel des Jahres is one of the most coveted awards in board gaming. It’s the annual Game of the Year from Germany and is typically given out to light/accessible games. Why is it so coveted? Because the winner tends to go on to sell piles and piles of games. This year, the winner was the excellent Sky Team from Scorpion Masqué.
Close behind in my own personal voting (which doesn’t really count for anything, but there you go) is the subject of today’s review. In the Footsteps of Darwin, published by the excellently named “Sorry We Are French,” tasks players with helping Charles Darwin finish his book On the Origin of Species. Get ready to study animals, carry out cartographic surveys, publish your findings, and develop theories as we set sail for… wherever Darwin went to study animals.
Gameplay Overview:
On a player’s turn, they first start by selecting an animal from the row/column facing the HMS Beagle. After claiming the tile, they move the Beagle around the grid a number of spaces equal to the distance the tile was from the ship.
The tile is then added to a player’s board in the appropriate location. The player board is divided into columns by continents, and rows by species type. Players can draft animal types they don’t have, or duplicate a species type, which allows them to publish a theory (earning them a way to score end game VPs). Each animal also provides a benefit when added to their board in the form of victory points, guides, or icons used in set collection.
Once all players have drafted 12 tiles, the game ends and points are tallied. There are a variety of ways to score points, and the player with the most points is the king naturalist… or something.
Game Experience:
I first played In the Footsteps of Darwin with my gaming group. While I lost, everyone really enjoyed the game. It was light and cozy, being very easy to get to the table. I later tried it with my wife who prefers light games. She beat me as well but also thought it was pretty great. Not to be dissuaded, I tried playing it with my 6-year-old daughter to see if she could handle the rules. She could… and I also lost to her. You know, I’m starting to think I’m not very good at this game. But hey, at least I was able to confirm a 6 year old can play and enjoy the game.
But despite these losses, I actually enjoy the game quite a bit. It’s a tile drafting game with multiple paths to victory. At least I assume, I still haven’t won yet, but I have reached second place. But I like that you can focus on just collecting lots of animals for victory points, or eschewing variety for going heavy on theory tiles. You can also try and chart a lot of courses to earn that multiplier and just go for a few animals. The many ways to score points create an interesting decision space on each turn.
The nature of the game itself is going to lead your strategy a little bit as not every tile is used in the game. So if you have a theory tile that earns you a point for each lizard you collect, but if the lizards aren’t showing up often enough, then you may need to pivot to something else. It pays to be flexible and adapt your strategy in this game.
If there is a knock against In the Footsteps of Darwin, it might be that it’s missing a solo mode for a game that seems like having one would be a natural fit. The player interaction is fairly minimal, so the lack of some kind of automated opponent feels like a missed opportunity. I’m sure some enterprising fan will come up with a variant, but I’m definitely surprised that the designer didn’t create one.
Final Thoughts:
For many light games, I feel like my enjoyment has diminished after subsequent plays. Something like Redwood, which was a game I really enjoyed it at first, and then the shine wore down after each additional play. Yet every time I play In the Footsteps of Darwin, I enjoy myself (even if I consistently lose), and I find myself thinking about it when it’s sitting in the pile of games waiting to be played. It’s very accessible, you can play it with your kids or non-gamer friends, and even my gaming group has enjoyed this one. In fact, after playing it the first time, fellow reviewer Brian B offered to “handle the review” for me for this game so he could keep it. A kind gesture, but I declined as I was excited to try it again.
In the Footsteps of Darwin was a pleasant surprise for me, and one that’s going to be staying in my collection for quite a while. Maybe someday I’ll even be able to beat my daughter at it.
Final Score: 4.5 Stars – It’s light, accessible, easy to get to the table, and looks wonderful. It well earned its honor as a Spiel des Jahres nominee.
Hits:
• Very accessible
• Great art and production values
• Multiple ways to score points
• Quick turns with minimal downtime
Misses:
• No solo mode
