Sail the Franklin expedition into unknown Arctic waters, adding the map as you go.
In 1845, Sir John Franklin led two heavy Royal Navy ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, to find the last stretch of the Northwest Passage, with scientific gear, a thousand books, a crew of 128 and food for three years. They sailed into unknown waters and were never heard from again. Expedition: Northwest Passage – HMS Terror Edition (2013) turns that voyage into a game of exploring and mapping the arctic, with tile placement, set collection and action points. You sail on, add new map pieces, and pass turn order from one player to another. One to four players, about an hour, age fourteen and up.
Who it's for
You like exploration and history with a serious edge, and want a map-building game that also plays solo.
Not for you if…
You want a cheerful treasure hunt. The theme is a doomed polar expedition.
Vibe's take
Quiet and tense. You push into unmapped waters, add tiles and collect what you find, and the history behind it hangs over every move.
older than 70% of games
collected more than 39% of games
Best with 4 · publisher: 14+
longer than 62% of games · typical 30–90 min
Takes some learning · 2.7 out of 5 · heavier than 74%
A normal range of ratings
Playable without the language