Into the Artwork of Stroganov Across a Siberian Journey
Travel deep into Siberia to collect furs and write songs that tell the stories of a vast journey through the seasons in Stroganov.
With some of the most beautiful landscape artwork to admire, I was quite excited to find out what might be waiting in the quiet spots found in Stroganov! There were some unique elements that intrigued me, like sharing songs of my adventures. I wasn’t sure if everything was going to work for me, but it was time to set out on horseback to explore Siberia!
Game Overview
Game Name: Stroganov
Publication Year: 2021
Designer: Andreas Steding
Artist: Maciej Janik
Publisher: Game Brewer
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Over the course of several years, Siberia may be traversed to pick up furs to sell or complete objectives. Yurts and other areas offer options to stop in, often to help collect stories that will be turned into songs. The landscapes are stunning, evoking a feeling of exploring the great unknown!
First Play
April 19, 2026
Complexity
3
Latest Play
April 19, 2026
Expansions
1
Setup Time
15 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
2
Play Time
45 Minutes
High Score
16
Game Area
40" x 28"
Low Score
15
A Beautiful Table Space
As I got comfortable with the rules, the illustrations were almost breathtaking. Such a gorgeous set of art! The board had its own pre-printed regions, plus tons of tiles.
Every space felt like it was a unique area with little details to uncover in the art. Animals could often be spotted either in an obvious spot, or by looking just a little closer.
Now, I probably should have figured out that the animals were tied to the game’s hunting theme. I just liked the art!
The table presence was certainly eye-catching, yet I was also faced with a lot of iconography to understand.
Simple Player Boards
Each player board features its own asymmetric side, but I chose to start with the easiest option… As I always do. Ha!
It was nice to see that there wasn’t a lot to track, although I almost wished the huge art was better utilized to hold all of the other tokens and resources. Not exactly tidy.
The rules weren’t too hard to wrap my head around, luckily. I just wasn’t entirely certain about how to make the most of my action choices. That would become apparent with play.
I appreciated the resources in the rulebook to explain a lot of the icons, but I still felt a little overwhelmed at first.
Ivan and the Solo Mode
The standard solo opponent is represented by Ivan. I liked how simple most of the sequence was with the random assortment of cards. Not too much to think about!
However, I quickly felt like I had no idea what was going on. Some games don’t click with me, and I felt it right away.
That doesn’t mean I give up, yet I was already on the fence about what I might get out of this one. My preferences shift a lot, and some excellent games just aren’t right for me.
Still, I had some neat turns where I blocked Ivan or beat him to a certain tile or fur! Those were some fun moments.
Collecting Memories
I think what threw me off was how disconnected from the theme I felt. These beautiful views turned into scoring opportunities, rather than memorable journeys.
The songs were merely objective tiles that didn’t call back to the stories. There was never a time when I felt like I was telling a tale of my encounter with a bear or all the foxes.
Some of the decisions seemed like they were neat, but I didn’t feel like anything stood out in a meaningful way.
And I know it’s not necessarily presented in a terrible way, yet collecting furs from hunted animals wasn’t my favorite.
The Idea of Instincts Around Unplayed Games
I’ve often talked about how my first impressions of a new solo game aren’t necessarily accurate, although I’m now starting to pay more attention to what happens before that first play. Mainly, the decision around buying a new game. There have been times when I’ve taken a risk and found something really great, but that’s more often the outlier than the usual.
Had I dug deeper, I don’t know if I would have found a compelling solo mode. The artwork drew me in, but all of the animals represented the ones I theoretically hunted for their furs… Not at all my idea of fun! There was also a very small historical note in tiny print that I wished had more details. I knew nothing of this period in history, and learned very little.
I had to go out of my way to do some more research to enlighten myself. Looking at lesser-known elements can be done in an educational way. Instead, I felt like this historical theme was used in a way that was as disconnected from the game’s theme as the mechanics. Perhaps it’s good to have a game encourage seeking out historical information, though.
Traveling Further
Movement seemed like a neat mechanic most of the time, and it was a lot of fun to venture deeper into Siberia. Placing outposts and reaching new fur tokens first was great!
It seemed a bit difficult to parse the best way to use my actions, though. To do more, I spent furs left and right, but found myself without any to use several times.
Patience is, after all, a virtue… Right? Ha ha! I managed to play twice and came up with some embarrassing scores.
This is the sort of game I either want to invest the time into to improve, or move onto something else more enjoyable.
Into the Wetlands
There was a time when I thought I had an excellent scoring advantage as I focused on collecting wetlands, which tied into a special scoring condition I picked up. Very cool!
And yet, my final score was almost identical. I was looking at a huge deficit between my efforts and Ivan’s score.
Playing the solo mode moved along nicely and I can’t complain about the sequence of play. It just didn’t leave much of an impression as I moved through the phases.
Can’t complain about the art, though! I loved looking at the nearly endless horizons filled with the beauty of nature.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1 & 2
Accessory: Stroganov: Big Box
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Standard Difficulty Level
Outcome: 15-43, 16-42 (2 Losses)
I don’t think I meshed well with this one, which happens! There were some glimmers of joy with the various strategies, but I felt like I would always choose to play another game over this one. Hard to beat that art, though! Glad I gave it a chance, and now I know a little more about the mechanics that might not be for me in the future.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
5
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
8
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the artwork is absolutely beautiful, with landscapes that seem to go on forever and convey the joy of discovery.
- Following the sequence of play is straightforward with reminders and a clear process to go through on the board.
- There are multiple decisions to make every turn about how far to go into Siberia and when to utilize fur tokens.
- Although the main board is fairly large, most of the components fit on it to reduce any extra required table space.
- Play time is fairly quick for the strategic depth and complexity the game offers, often featuring minimal down time.
- The component quality is quite nice with the thick tiles and wooden components that stand out in bright colors.
– Cons (Negatives)
- A lot of iconography exists that isn’t always hard to understand, but doesn’t feel intuitive for a fair amount of time.
- It can be difficult to figure out the optimal strategies with the way the game flows without a lot of helpful feedback.
- The thematic elements seem to disappear pretty quickly and the focus on icons and victory points becomes central.
- Some mechanics provide interesting choices, but there isn’t a lot that makes the game feel joyful or memorable.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 0%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game at the standard difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about Stroganov? Have you tried out the expansion content? I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the right game for me before I played, so maybe the lesson here is to trust my instincts! There are some interesting elements that are likely going to align with some players, and I hope this one is fun for those who like it. As for me… Onto a new discovery!
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