Surviving the Solo Journey of Expedition: Northwest Passage
Set sail across the Atlantic to explore the icy waters of the Arctic to plot a course in Expedition: Northwest Passage.
I would be remiss to miss out on playing Expedition: Northwest Passage during the summer. Ha ha! This remains one of my favorite solo games, and its familiarity has only made it even more enjoyable. I know what the play space will look like, how long it will take to play, and the sorts of decisions I’ll make. Still throws me plenty of fun challenges to solve!
Game Overview
Game Name: Expedition: Northwest Passage
Publication Year: 2010
Designer: Yves Tourigny
Artist: Stéphane Poinsot and Yves Tourigny
Publisher: Matagot
Solo Mode: Official Solo Variant
A small crew splits up between a ship and sled to move across the treacherous terrain of the Arctic. Islands and water form paths, yet the seasons affect movement… It’s unwise to have a ship frozen in place! Exploring and making it home to Greenland offer a delightful puzzle.
First Play
January 26, 2018
Complexity
3
Latest Play
July 25, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
60
Play Time
25 Minutes
High Score
17
Game Area
26" x 24"
Low Score
-38
The Brave Crew
Since the beginning, I’ve used a mixed assortment of crew of all player colors, because this is how I roll solo. Ha ha!
Each action is tied to using 1-2 crew members. There is a tricky balancing act to best utilize everyone. Needing just one more action is a common feeling every round!
Another big decision revolves around splitting up the crew. All begin aboard the ship, but moving some over to the sled is typically crucial to mapping the region.
I forgot about a personal challenge I wanted to try to just use a sled crew… Keep that on the docket for next time!
Through the Ice
The variety in the way the map forms continues to amaze me after all this time. Islands form to block off some paths, while surprise tiles appear to open up channels.
I loved enclosing a single space to place a bonus tile! That always provides a very satisfying moment during play.
My first attempt wasn’t all that bad. The crew was within sight of the path to the Northwest Passage, but they had to turn back in order to survive the return journey.
Everyone made it back to Greenland! And I was happy with my map, which granted me a delightful victory.
Filling in Empty Spaces
Recall my early challenge to create a full map? I seem to always be in that mentality! The final result just looks too nice not to enjoy. And each map seems to tell a story.
Like how I used a sled crew for a lot of this play, and conveniently had the ship crew pick them up in the south when a large block of ice impeded westward progress.
And then the return journey was made possible due to the way I placed tiles throughout the center. Smooth sailing!
It might sound counterintuitive to classify this one as cozy and relaxing, yet that’s exactly what it is for me. Lovely!
Successful Voyages
As I quickly reset to play again, the tiles were in my favor! The journey was a success, even after I got the ship stuck in the ice during the winter. That sled flew west!
The crew even discovered the Northwest Passage, which is something I don’t accomplish all the time.
With careful planning, everyone met back up on the shore of an icy island and sailed home, towards warmer waters.
There are many reasons why I continue to love this one, and there are so many possibilities! I still ignore the tokens, but maybe it’s time to start collecting them…
By Definition: Not Defining Cozy or Relaxing
I mentioned how it might seem strange to call a game about surviving cruel winters cozy and relaxing… But it is, at least for me! Many times I’ve felt bad about losing the entire crew through poor planning or my desire for a complete map. Yet that’s not the part of the theme that I focus on. It’s about resilience and exploring the unknown on an empty map.
The definition of these sorts of delightful games spans a lot of elements, too, and will be different from player to player. Some so-called cozy games have been problematic for me over the years. Calico offered too many patterns and restricted ideas that gave me minor headaches. Tussie Mussie made me feel frustrated while playing it solo.
At the same time, these games are likely excellent cozy choices for many others! I think the bottom line is to find what “your” cozy looks like. And it may change without having a clear definition. The best thing to do? Go with it and enjoy!
Session Overview
Play Number: 59 & 60
Solo Mode: Official Solo Variant
Outcome: 8, 2 (2 Wins)
I left a little too much open space near the southeast, but that was courtesy of the ship being just shy of open water when winter hit. There was still a nearly complete map beyond this, and I did a nice job of planning the course home early on! Not every tile worked in my favor, and I had to resort to placing single tiles a little too much. Still, finding the Northwest Passage and making it home to Greenland was an accomplishment worth celebrating!
%
60 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
10
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
9
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each journey plays out a little differently with the way the islands and water pathways take shape.
- Decisions are meaningful without being easy, both in terms of using the crew and placing tiles each round.
- Creating the map has a lot of facets that aren’t overly complex, yet make the journey very challenging.
- The solo mode is easy to memorize and provides a foundation to create personal goals or other ways to play.
- Admiring the final map is a fun moment that helps tell a quick story about the crew and their discoveries.
- Changing seasons require careful planning ahead to make sure the ship and sled are able to make progress.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Keeping all of the tiles neatly aligned can be a little tricky without a raised edge around the map.
- It’s not clear where the first year ends on the season track, which is needed for the Northwest Passage token value.
- There aren’t enough small tiles for a nearly full map, leading to wild compasses that stand out from the art.
- Final scoring can take a little time if islands aren’t scored during play, as there is a fair amount of counting.
Victory Conditions
Find the Passage and Return
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Complete the map in at least 1 game.
Use only the ship to explore and win in at least 1 game.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like the most about Expedition: Northwest Passage? Do you have a custom way you play, like working towards a complete map? I play this one fairly consistently, and never have I felt like I’ve grown out of it. There are a lot of special elements that I absolutely love, and I’m so glad I have it in my collection to go on Arctic mapmaking voyages!
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