Keystone: North America and the Simple Joys of Nature
Work through a series of charming assignments to build ecosystems of plants and animals in Keystone: North America.
There have been times when I’ve been exploring solo games that I want to fly through as many as possible. Lots of fun! Yet I knew I had to slow down when I first played Keystone: North America. The artwork was amazing, and creating little ecosystems with some simple puzzle mechanics was everything I needed. And more! Onto another assignment!
Game Overview
Game Name: Keystone: North America
Publication Year: 2022
Designers: Jeffrey Joyce and Isaac Vega
Artists: Irem Erbilir, Alyssa Menold, and Yan Tamba
Publisher: Rose Gauntlet Entertainment
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
On a 4×4 grid, ecosystems are built in rows and columns. Cards feature prominent numbers from 1 to 5, yet there are many clever ways to work towards victory points. And with a solo booklet of 20 unique scenarios, everything is all about the charm and beauty of exploring nature!
First Play
August 24, 2022
Complexity
2
Latest Play
December 13, 2023
Expansions
0
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
22
Play Time
20 Minutes
High Score
174
Game Area
26" x 26"
Low Score
50
Simply Adorable
I wasn’t lying when I said I could have played through the first, simple assignment over and over again. There was something so fun and relaxing about the gameplay!
Yet I happily turned the page, to be greeted with all the cuteness! This was ready to compete with the Calico Critters for cuteness overloads… Don’t tell them. Ha!
No worries: If there are any really unique elements, I’ll add a spoiler warning. This was merely a new challenge.
There were some new parameters, though, and it looked like this was going to add some even trickier decisions.
Beautiful and Cute
Not every animal might be classified in the category of cute or endearing, but I found a reason to love every piece of art. Don’t even ask me for a favorite… I couldn’t choose!
Even the trees and handful of plants fit right in. None felt boring: They all flowed together nicely.
I loved this simple scene with the Piping Plover. Just a nice day at the beach with a slightly fluffy bird. Perfect!
Artwork won’t make a bad game great, but pairing the right illustrations with the right mechanics will always complement each other. Case in point: Right here!
Clever Action Tiles
The game includes 10 different action tiles, and from what I’ve seen so far, the solo assignments use 3 set options.
Front sides typically offer a bigger sort of action in exchange for discarding available cards. This can be great for cycling through the deck and looking for certain cards.
A used action tile flips over. This doesn’t take it out of commission, though. Instead, the opposite side features a simpler action that can still be excellent. And…
The opposite sides activate together for an action chain. Yet this can only happen a few times per play. Timing!
Where are the Perfectly Paired Calico Critters?!
Oh, I know! These nature-themed games are the best opportunity for me to pair my collection of Calico Critters with the illustrations. They’re all still here, neatly organized and ready to go. It’s all me! Taking additional photos takes more time, and with my spare time rather limited lately, I’ve been trying to play solo games as much as possible.
There are plans for lots of adorable photos coming up in the near future, so no worries! Just like how my preferences in solo games go through phases, I sometimes need a little break from the Calico Critters. That only makes their return even more exciting, and it’s probably only a couple of posts away. Then, you’ll wonder why you asked for them. Ha ha!
In other semi-related news, I’ve had the entire village in storage for years. Before winter rolls through, I’m hoping to have that moved over and set up again. So we might even have additional props, or even complete buildings with the Calico Critters! They’re my other beloved hobby, and they’ll be encroaching on my board game photos soon!
Difficult Decisions
What an assignment! I needed to focus on adding keystone species to my ecosystems. However, I also had to discard a keystone species card from the field. Very tricky!
As usual, I played twice in a row and had wildly different results. That was a positive for me, though: It wasn’t just over-the-top randomness, but different choices.
It should be evident how much I struggled with a lot of partial ecosystems. Not many 1-2-3-4 instances this time!
Still, I made it with some careful choices. Cycling through the deck with the action tiles also helped me out a lot!
Session Overview
Play Number: 3 and 4
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Assignment 2
Outcome: 127 and 95 (2 Wins)
I soared past the victory conditions once, and felt like this Swallow-Tailed Kite! Did I mention how beautiful this artwork is? And sure, I might have won handily in the second play, too, but it felt a lot closer. I didn’t expect the first few assignments to be super difficult: I wanted a relaxing nature experience, and I got it. No surprise here: I’m continuing on with the next assignment right away!
%
20 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
8
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each assignment has different parameters and centers around a cheerful narrative about preserving ecosystems.
- Plants and animals all have their places, and each card can be useful in its own way depending on the situation.
- With so much variety, every play feels a little bit different with the way the puzzle and decisions come to life.
- The artwork, theme, and mechanics flow together perfectly to create a very comfortable and relaxing space.
- Even counting the space for the deluxe central mat, the amount of table space is relatively compact and static.
- Choices feel very open near the beginning, but slowly become harder and harder in the final few rounds.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Waiting for the perfect card to show up isn’t always possible, especially with the number of cards in the deck.
- Double-sided synergy tokens make sense, but it can be a little awkward to flip between 1s and 3s at times.
- It’s a small nitpick, but the secret objective cards all use the same patterns with different icons.
- Some of the iconography isn’t clearly explained in the rulebook, although it’s easy to understand after playing.
Victory Conditions
Complete the Assignment
- Overall Goal Progress 88%
Goals and Milestones
Complete Assignment 1.
Complete Assignment 2.
Complete Assignment 3.
Complete Assignment 4.
Complete Assignment 5.
Complete Assignment 6.
Complete Assignment 7.
Complete Assignment 8.
Continue the Conversation
Have you played Keystone: North America? I’m still absolutely in love with what the game offers! It’s not complex and doesn’t try to be anything beyond a charming, peaceful nature game. Are there any other games that give you that same feeling? I can’t wait to continue on with the assignments! Simply put, this is easily one of my favorite games right now.
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