This is not the first time the Opinionated Gamers have weighed in on the wonder that is Everdell. Chris Wray did a marvelous job of writing about the charms of the base game and the various expansions available circa 2020 – and it was his series of reviews that convinced me to back The Complete Collection box in 2021 even though I’d never played the game.

Looking back, that impulsive purchase could have been a disaster – instead, it’s become a staple of both my solo gaming and gaming with my sons and others. As a long-time fan of the Mouse Guard and Usagi Yojimbo graphic novels, the setting of Everdell feels like a country I’ve been to before… which is aided by the tremendous art throughout the game. Rulebooks, cards, boards – all of them help immerse you in the stories of Everdell. 

The Complete Collection is exactly what it says – everything that has been published for the Everdell game system in a single box. (No, it doesn’t include the games in the Everdell universe created since 2022 – Welcome to Everdell, Everdell Duo, Farshore, and the upcoming Silverfrost.) In the course of this review, I’ll make sure you have a clear picture of the contents as well as my thoughts on how best to combine the various expansions.

COMPONENTS

The Box

Let’s just start with the box… it’s a monster.

 It’s possible that I have lived in apartments with less square footage than this box. 

And it’s heavy. Whatever wonderful things I say about the Complete Collection in the rest of the review, its portability is not optimal. (That said, it’s not impossible to take to a game night or convention – it just requires a bit of creativity and a couple of extra arm days added to your workout schedule.)

Breaking the Rules To Make A Point

Everdell is a bit of a table-eater even prior to adding an expansion to the game. Each player is building a 15 card tableau as well as dealing with physical resources (wood, resin, stones, berries) and a set of animal workers. That doesn’t even touch on the size of the board itself, or the impressive (but occasionally sightline-blocking) presence of the Evertree. 

The rules specifically recommend that you use only one of the major expansions (Pearlbrook, Spirecrest, or Newleaf) per game… but rules/suggestions are made to be broken, right?

There you go – all three major expansion boards out at one time. This is – in short – kind of cool to look at and a horribly bad idea to actually play. 

“Why, Mark? Why such a bad idea?” you ask. Well, here’s some thoughts:

• Both Pearlbrook and Newleaf add cards to the main deck – in the case of Newleaf, a lot of cards. (That’s the reason Newleaf has the “extended meadow” to create a larger display.) The dilution of the decks (both base game and expansions) impedes various tactics and strategies that are built into the game design.
• Multiple expansions radically extend the playing time of the game. A typical three player Everdell game is about an hour, with 15-30 minutes added with a major expansion. Add two more expansions and you’re adding another 30-60 minutes to the game.
• It’s the 50th anniversary of the film JAWS this summer – and I look at this set-up and am reminded of the classic line: “You’re going to need a bigger boat.” (Or a bigger table, as the case may be.)

Now, I’m pretty sure that there are a couple of you out there who are sure I’m wrong and play with all the expansions in the game on a regular basis. More power to you… just don’t ask me to join in.

Would You Say I Have a Plethora of Animals, Jefe?

Over the course of the various Everdell expansion releases, they kept adding different animeeples (I am amazed that my spell checker did not balk at the word “animeeples”). All of them are included in the Complete Collection.

And they’ve got stickers.

Now, you won’t use all of them at once – the game maxes out at five players – but having that variety to choose from is a lot of fun.

The collection also includes all of the large animeeples from the Spirecrest expansion… and stickers for them as well.

A word about the stickers – they are not required to enjoy the game, but I find they bring one more element of charm/theme that makes the whole Everdell experience better for me. On the other hand, stickering all of those animals was, as the kids say, “a lot”. 

• 2 stickers per animal
• 6 each of 21 small animals
  • 8 small spiders (Mistwood)
• 22 frogs (Pearlbrook)
• 22 rabbits (Spirecrest)
• 9 large animals (Spirecrest)

For those who don’t want to do the math, that’s 358 stickers. And these are not your garden variety stickers – they are complicated shapes (some with cutouts). I spent the better part of two weekend afternoons making this happen. The end result was worth it – but, again, it’s “a lot”.

THE GAME ITSELF… AND THE “CLASSIC” EXPANSIONS

As part of getting ready to write this review of the blinged-out Complete Collection, I went back and re-read Chris Wray’s reviews… and they hold up quite well. So, rather than try to paraphrase his reviews, I’m simply going to link them and add a couple of personal comments – then I’ll be back with more extensive reviews of the two expansions he didn’t cover (because they didn’t yet exist in 2020).

Everdell (the Base Game)

• Chris Wray: “This production value contributes nicely to the theme: players feel like they’re building a small city in a forest, giving their favorite woodland creatures a place to build a civilization.  Everything they need will be there — from a farm, to a post office, to a monastery — operated by various critters. But if players come for the production value and theme, they stay for the gameplay.  Everdell is an excellent balance of several mechanics, namely worker placement, card drafting, set collection, and resource conversation.  Nothing here is particularly groundbreaking (we’ve seen the individual pieces before), but all of it put together creates a fascinating game that is highly engaging.”
• Mark Jackson: Additionally, I like the need to time your worker placement along with the individual player choice to move to the next season, which removes your worker animals from the board (and opens up room for other players to send their workers out). I’ve also found over multiple plays that experience tends to win out. It’s not only learning the possible cards available, but also the ability to plan ahead (and adjust that plan when someone takes the resources or card you need).

Bellfaire

• Chris Wray: “Bellfaire is modular, meaning it comes with different pieces that can be mixed and matched.  While it changes gameplay less than Pearlbrook and Spirecrest, and is less thematic, I consider it the most functional of the expansions, since it has some cool elements that integrate nicely with the base game.”
• Mark Jackson: We haven’t done much with the Player Powers deck, but I think that the additional base goal, garlands, and market from the Bellfaire board (which replaces the Evertree) are all great ideas. I’ve permanently mixed in the new Special Events and Forest cards into their respective decks – the original Special Events are probably the weakest bit of the base game. This is the first appearance of a solo system using Rugwort – but a better solo system was in Everdell’s future (see: Mistwood).

Pearlbrook

• Chris Wray: “I’ve always said a good expansion highlights my favorite parts of the base game, and Pearlbrook does that.  This isn’t that much more burdensome to teach — I’d say you can explain it to experienced Everdell players in 2 minutes — and it adds some intriguing aspects. Pearlbrook does add some extra time to the base game — there are simply more actions to take now that you have an extra ambassador on your side — but I welcome the increased strategy that comes from the adornment cards and the river board.  Though it can be frustrating to not know what is in each river destination space — the first player to go there uncovers it — it does add a bit of mystery to the game, and players never hesitate to go there because earning the pearl is itself a nice reward. I like Pearlbrook so much that I have moved it into the base game box and have started teaching new players with it included.”
• Mark Jackson: In his series wrap-up, Chris notes that Pearlbrook is his favorite of the expansions. For me, it’s my least favorite – but I’m not opposed to playing it. I just like the things the other expansions do better. I’d encourage you to use the Bellfaire board when playing Pearlbrook – both for the easier access to the wonder spaces (which replace the Basic Events) and for the use of the Market to convert resources into things you need.

Spirecrest

• Chris Wray: “While I think Spirecrest is the most complex of the expansions, I don’t think it is that much more burdensome than Pearlbrook, and I wouldn’t say the additional complexity is substantial.  I think new players can learn Spirecrest in conjunction with the base game, and I think its mechanics integrate fluidly with the base game. I can see why this is the most popular of the expansions.  Thematically and mechanically, this beefs up the changing of the seasons, and makes those turns in the game more interesting. But ultimately, with the exception of the weather cards, this felt a bit like more of the same.  I think I’m in the minority on this — my family loves the big creatures, for instance — but this expansion didn’t capture my attention quite like Pearlbrook (where I love the wonders and the pearls as resources) and also doesn’t have the functionality of Bellfaire (which provides new components and 5th and 6th player pieces and rules). Nonetheless, I greatly enjoy the expansion…”
• Mark Jackson: Unlike Chris, my sons and I have found Spirecrest to be our favorite expansion… well, at least of the ones that were published prior to the Complete Collection release. It strongly connects with the seasons, offers more variety to the scoring possibilities, and increases the need to look ahead in the game. And there’s the cool “big” animals. Chris notes his concern about the cost of the Discovery cards based on their random position – we’ve found it wise to stock up on cards or resources going into the changing of seasons to prepare for that eventuality.

THE “NEW” EXPANSIONS

Now we’re moving on to the two new expansions that were released at the same time as the Complete Collection.

Newleaf

The train brings visitors to Everdell – as well as more resources. Additionally, the cities of Everdell are growing with new Critters and Constructions that have been added to the main deck.

The Newleaf expansion is probably the one that changes the game to the greatest extent. It adds 59 cards to the 128 card base deck – which necessitates the three extra meadow spaces next to the railway station. The visitors are a deck of possible point bonuses that players can recruit and fulfill. Additionally, there is a new kind of golden occupied tokens that players can use in conjunction with certain Newleaf Constructions to put Critters in their city. Add in 2 new basic events, some more special events, and even a few Forest locations. 

There are two other optional pieces of the Newleaf expansion – train tickets and reservations. Each player receives one of each. The train ticket allows you to move one of your animals to a new location. (Correctly used, you’ll get this power twice before the end of the game.) The reservation token lets you reserve a card from the Meadow without buying it… and when you finally purchase it, you do so at a one resource discount. (The token resets at every change of season unless it is used to keep the reserved card.) Both of these can be used when playing with other Everdell expansions.

For me, Newleaf is neck-and-neck with Spirecrest as my favorite expansion for multiplayer games – but I would not recommend it for players who are just learning the game. The plethora of extra options (visitors, basic events, extra meadow cards, train resources, etc.) are catnip for players with some experience but are likely to freeze new players in their tracks. 

I would strongly suggest that the train tickets & reservation tokens are worth using if you’re adding any of the major expansions to the game (Pearlbrook, Spirecrest, Newleaf). They open up the game a bit and enable more chances to plan ahead.

Mistwood

Finally, we reach the expansion I’ve played the most – the solo mode against Nightweave the spider queen and her minions. (Mistwood will also work as a co-op game with 2 human players against Nightweave, but I haven’t tried that format.)

Unlike Rugwort (the previous solo solution for Everdell), Mistwood is a fully fleshed out system that plays a smart game with a simple card deck of instructions. You can adjust the difficulty level easily (I’ve found that “Tricky” seems to be able to best me about 50% of the time). 

The expansion also includes three modules to change up the way Nightweave plays: Personalities (which affect Meadow cards adjacent to her when she’s placed in the Meadow), Plans (game effects which last the entire game), and Plots (short term schemes that show up at each change of season). The amount of variety for a solo system is impressive. 

Honestly, even with 10+ games against Nightweave under my belt, I feel like I’m still just scratching the surface of how well the system can handle various configurations. I’ll be the first to admit that it is a lot to set up (think “normal Everdell set-up + solo system set-up”) and there are some tricky rules bits to deal with the variety of expansions, but I really appreciate that it “feels” like you’re struggling against another player rather than simply shooting for a high score.

THE EXTRA STUFF

There were a number of extra goodies added to the Everdell line along the way – and all of them are part of the Complete Collection.

Extra! Extra! Extra!

Fifteen cards that can be added to the main deck to up the complexity level of game play. I’ve started using them in every game thanks to a recommendation from Ryan here on the O.G. 

Legends

Each player receives a Legendary Critter and a Legendary Construction at the beginning of the game. These powerful cards do not count as part of your hand. This is another interesting mini-expansion that works best with players with a couple of games of Everdell under their belts.

Rugwort

Rugwort is a floor wax AND a desert topping. He’s not only the original solo mode, he’s also three “mean” cards that can be shuffled into the deck and used to mess with other players. I don’t particularly like them, so they sit in the box all pristine and unused.

Corrin Evertail

In the lore of Everdell (yes, we’ll get to that in a minute), Corrin is the founding hero of the story. This mini-expansion adds five cards that tell his story to the main deck. They are pretty powerful and are recommended for experienced players. I have not used them yet.

Through the Seasons

These eight farm cards with additional effects replace the original farm cards in the main deck. I like the variety and haven’t played a game without them.

Rulebooks

There are two rulebooks included: the Gilded Book, which is a perfect-bound comprehensive rulebook, and The Archive, which contains clarifications and rulings for every card in the game. With over thirty plays, I haven’t had any trouble with missing rules or clarifications when needed.

THE REALLY EXTRA STUFF

The pictures included in this article show the sculpted bit holders for resources and coins – these are not included in the Complete Collection box (though the box is designed to hold them). The wooden Evertree is part of the collection.

I also sprung for the hardcover book, Tales from the Green Acorn – which is a lovely hardcover book filled with art from the Everdell game series as well as lore and story, including the aforementioned history of Corrin Evertail and the founding of Everdell.

It struck me as I wrote about the Green Acorn book that one of the commonalities of the “big” games I love is the sense of participating in a larger story. That true of the three biggest boxes in my game collection: Everdell, Voidfall, and Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread. (It’s also true of the long and complicated mythology behind Heroscape – which I continue to enjoy to this day.)

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I noted at the beginning, the Complete Collection has been an excellent purchase for me. It enabled me to get all of the various expansions in one package (albeit one that can generate gravitational pull) and did so with high quality and an excellent storage system. While I’m not sure it would be a great decision for those who already have much of the Everdell system, I’d suggest that new players give the game a try with a friend. If you find yourself smitten, then the Complete Collection is worth searching the couch cushions (ok, a lot of couch cushions) for the $ to purchase this behemoth.

THOUGHTS FROM OTHER OPINIONATED GAMERS

Dale Yu: As someone who never has owned a previous copy of Everdell, the components here are really pretty awesome.  While, like Mark, I’m likely to play the base game alone most of the time – everything Everdell that I could possibly want is included here in this compendium box.  I’m glad to have it all in one place, and without the hassle of having to track everything down. This is the perfect way (and one-stop to boot) to jump into the world of Everdell.

Ryan Post: I am a big fan of the Everdell system, which is a surprise to even myself, as it’s not my typical weight/style of game. But after trying the expansion content, I think the game has reached the point of having everything I could want from it. I will say it can take a lot of trial and error to find your own sweet spot – I doubt you will use most of the pieces from the Complete Collection in most plays. But it does afford you the ability to try them all and cater the game to your preferences, as there is a ton of modularity at this point. There are some elements I’ll never use (Pearlbrook), some I’ll never leave out (Newleaf), and some I might throw in on occasions when I want to mix it up (Spirecrest). But what that perfect combination is for you, I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own.

Patrick Korner: I’ve enjoyed many a game of Everdell, and found that the ability to mix up the expansions and play a similar but quite different game each run through has really added to the staying power. I have the same small quibble I do with most ‘special power card games’ – not all cards are evenly weighted, and not all cards are useful to you to the same level, which can occasionally lead to blowouts where you live a charmed existence and find what you want while your opponents flounder about. Thankfully there are enough ways to score points in Everdell to make that a rarer experience, but if you play with people who get annoyed at having their odds of victory trimmed without their consent, well, caveat emptor.

Alison Brennan: The base game is simply building a card engine, shooting to complete milestones and awards. No board presence, just a hunt for partner-card synergies. But I love this kind of stuff. I’ve always liked how each player could declare their own timing on when to retrieve their workers and activate cards. It’s such an easy game to pull out, teach, and play. Funnily enough, now that I own the big box it doesn’t get played as much. I love having the capability to explore the new modules in different combinations but in practice it’s a lot more time-consuming and daunting to pull everything out, find the right pieces, build the deck correctly, teach the new rules. But I’ll get there. The components are gorgeous after all.

RATINGS FROM THE OPINIONATED GAMERS

The ratings below are for the Everdell game system and not necessarily the Complete Collection box set.

• I love it! Mark Jackson, Ryan Post, Alison
• I like it.  Dale Y, Patrick Korner
• Neutral. 
• Not for me…