The expedition to the Western Lands is the kind of honor that comes once in a lifetime for a royal cartographer. But these are dangerous times. War ravages the land, and you are sure to encounter Dragul forces determined to thwart Queen Gimnax’s plans for western expansion.
Fortunately, brave heroes have risen to the defense of Nalos. Chart their deeds alongside the queen's edicts and secure your place in history.
Cartographers Heroes is the sequel to the critically acclaimed map-drawing game Cartographers. It includes all-new map sheets, scoring cards, explore cards, and ambush cards with unique abilities.
Cartographers Heroes can be played on its own or mixed with components from the original game for a greater variety of gameplay possibilities.
-description from publisher
- adds interesting elements to the base game
- extends the cartographer theme with new twists
- unclear if it's worth purchasing as an expansion yet
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Picture Perfect is more of an experience than a board game
- my favorite thing about Picture Perfect was that it didn't feel like a board game
- this game felt like a great party game that was mixed with a memory game
- Cape May is a really interesting new city building game for one to four players
- Katara is a really interesting area control game for two to four players
References (from this video)
- adds variety and new tactical options
- layered scoring increases decision complexity
- pairs well with base Cartographers for a longer campaign feel
- may overwhelm new players due to added rules
- some cards/expansions can feel imbalanced without house rules
- adventure, mapping, hero-based challenges
- fantasy map-building with additional hero/monster elements
- abstract, puzzle-driven
- Cartographers Prime
- Cartographers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area control and scoring — points awarded for terrain coverage and special objectives tied to expansions.
- hero/monster interactions — new scoring conditions when monsters, heroes, or ruins come into play.
- map drafting with enhanced rules — similar to Cartographers Prime but with expanded scoring and monster/hero interactions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- prioritize goals that have yet to ring up twice
- get devious with monsters
- early game coins are big business
- start from the center of your board and work your way out
- preemptively cover up ruins
- it's so much easier to build outward from a central land mass
References (from this video)
- tidy polyomino tile-laying charm
- great expansion direction from base Cartographers
- fast and approachable
- shared components can be space-demanding
- some complexity with maps packs
- polyomino tiling on a grid with monsters and hero cards
- fantasy map-building with monsters and heroes
- adventure/strategy
- Cartographers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- monster/hero card dynamics — monsters provide unique scoring effects; heroes alter play
- polyomino tiling — players draw terrain shapes and place them on maps
- scoring via multiple scoring cards — rounds use seasonal scoring cards to shape strategy
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's terrific
- the central puzzle is so slight that it allows loads of scope to expand
- i've really enjoyed it
- the game is beautifully presented as always with osprey games
- this is the heaviest game i have in my entire board game collection
References (from this video)
- strong thematic flavor of fantasy cartography
- beautiful production and components
- expansion (Heroes) adds thematic depth with hero cards
- rule clarity can be improved for first-time players
- scoring can be intricate without careful tracking
- Cartography/territory exploration with monster encounters
- Fantasy map-drafting world with monsters
- Seasonal map-drafting with hero augments
- Cartographers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- drafting — players draft terrain/regions to fill a hex map
- map-drawing/placement — players place terrain onto a shared map to score points