Explore the Wild Beauty of Cascadia
Welcome to the breathtaking landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. In Cascadia players build a flourishing ecosystem where majestic wildlife and diverse habitats live in perfect harmony. Designed by Randy Flynn with stunning illustrations by Beth Sobel, this game feels like both a peaceful retreat and a clever puzzle for players of all skill levels. And it won the prestigious 2022 Spiel des Jahres for its accessibility and deep replayability.
Your journey begins with a small starter territory which you will expand into a vast wilderness. Each round, you choose a pair consisting of one habitat tile and one wildlife token from a shared market. The magic of this game lies in its two layers of strategy:
- Habitat Corridors: You earn points for creating large, connected areas of the same terrain, such as forests, wetlands, or prairies. The player with the largest corridor for each type even earns a special end game bonus.
- Wildlife Patterns: Five iconic species—bears, elk, salmon, hawks, and foxes—each have unique ways they like to be arranged. Perhaps your hawks want to be solitary observers, while your bears prefer to wander in pairs. Because these goals change every time you play, no two games ever feel the same.
The game plays in about thirty minutes and you will find a satisfying challenge that rewards careful planning without overwhelming you with complex rules.