Darwin’s Journey
- Designers: Simone Luciani, Nestore Mangone
- Solo Designer: David Turczi
- Developer: Pierpaolo Paoletti
- Artist: Paolo Voto
- Publisher: ThunderGryph Games
- Players: 1-4
- Age: 12+
- Time: 60-150 minutes
- Times Played: 5, with review copy
Let me start this review by sending a big shout-out to a fellow OGer, Steph Hodge. My buddy Ben got to go to his first Gathering of Friends this year and naturally was on the lookout for new things to try. One of those was Darwin’s Journey. Fortunately, Steph had her review copy of the game there. Ben played it with her and loved it. He asked if he could borrow the game and she not only agreed, but told him to keep it for a few months if he liked. As a result, I, and the other members of our group, got the chance to try this much anticipated game out prior to its release. Thanks, Steph—you’re not only a good gamer, but a great gaming citizen!
That generosity allows me to write a review that also serves as a preview, as the game isn’t scheduled to hit the streets until early next year. So you’re getting two articles in one!
The reason we were so looking forward to checking out Darwin’s Journey (heretofore abbreviated DJ) was primarily the name on the box cover. We’re all huge fans of Simone Luciani’s previous designs, so we were hoping for more of the same. This time, his co-designer is Nestore Mangone, with whom he previously collaborated on Newton and Masters of Renaissance, two other successful designs.
The theme of DJ is a little unusual. It’s based on the momentous voyage that a young Charles Darwin took aboard the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos; his findings there were the basis for his eventual theory of evolution. It’s a very attractive theme, but for some reason, the game is based on Darwin’s recollections of the voyage (as you can see, the box cover shows Darwin in his later years). Thus, things are based on Darwin’s diaries, and not the active cataloging work he did. I’m not sure why they felt this was necessary—maybe they realized that there weren’t actually competing scientists on board the Beagle!—but all the trappings of the initial voyage are there and it’s easy to immerse yourself in the expedition itself and ignore the peculiar sidestepping. Continue reading →
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