Borealis: Arctic Expeditions

Borealis is a good game. The decisions are interesting and the components are very nice. The main issue is that even though everything works, it lacks any "wow" moments

The simplicity is what drew me in. The game can be taught in under 5 minutes. The information load isn't overwhelming yet the decisions are still challenging. It's difficult to plan out more than 1 turn ahead.

Thinky players who want to puzzle out their strategy will find Borealis satisfying and relaxing. Players seeking interaction will feel lonely.

The scoring design needs improvement to properly reward players. Pushing in sets and flags can fall flat when it's only a matter of 1 or 2 points each time.

Overall Borealis is cool but could use some fire to bring it to life.

At first glance this would seem like a simple game, but it does have depth when you get into it. It's fun and it does make you think, trying to plan your future card acquisitions. For the price, it's very good.