Everdell did not take with Meg, but I liked it. I played the odd game solo, then shelved it for greener pastures.

My set is basic, being just the core game with the “Extra, Extra” and “Legends” expansions, but boy, is this thing deep.

You are lulled into a false sense of fun-through-simplicity by the cute art, the giant cardboard tree and thick rules pamphlet, that ends up only having a half dozen pages of actual rules, the rest being card explanations, which is where the magic is.

Basic concepts, with cards that add a huge number of variations and combinations.

We had friends over last night and I went this way to suit a gamer of similar tastes to mine and his daughter, who is an avid gamer (Queen of Ticket To Ride, Small World and Catan), but not as invested in heavier games like X Wing etc. There is a niceness to Everdell, something I want to embrace.

The first season (Winter), I was greeted with lots of blank looks and returned them with some of my own as my addled memory tried to explain partly forgotten concepts, but by the second (Spring) season, we were cooking, well I was cooking budget BBQ burgers, the others were going more French quisine.

My first season ended all to soon, which often happens when I am more concerned about getting others up to speed than winning myself (so he says), but Lee (dad) managed to milk Winter out for about a dozen turns and Kira (daughter) was just getting her game face on!

Short story short, my game ended far too early with only 17 points! I had a cunning late game plan of building the Palace, then the Queen then Callista Glistendew, but we cut the game short, ending on the Summer season as time was running out, so I could not quite swing it. Lee in the other hand did get the Queen and Glistendew and finished on 38, but his daughter, who kept going for a few more turns finished on 42.

They both finished their villages, which goes to show how quickly the game can move ahead, being more about quality of your builds over the four seasons, because quantity was easy for most (I only had 8).

This game allowed me to get excited about Everdell again.

Not enough to get too much more, because firstly, I am cautious of “expansionitis”, highlighted by having a games clear out now. Secondly I would need to be playing other than mostly solo to warrant it, so Bellfaire is the one addition now and the new Mistwood expansion on imminent release.

Bellfaire is the one of the first three expansions that does not try to change the game dynamic, just smooths and balances it. It is not the refresh that a very stale or curious player wants, but it does fix some issues with the game, especially for solo play and adds some modular extras;

• A small add-on board (optional) which can replace the Evertree. The board feels crowded with the tree on it and the event cards tend to get forgotten, plus I have bent the top of mine (sad face). We have found in our few games, that the tree tends to make all of the events less accessible physically. In our game the other night, I had to constantly remind my two debutant players to look above the river.

• Faction ability cards to differentiate the factions by more than just colour and cute shape, even the ones I do not have. Because I do not have the meeples for all of these, the ones I don’t have will play the role of “allies” to my existing factions. House rule may be to have your own and an ally card chosen from 2.

• The Market adds a new way of exchanging resources, something I have wanted from the beginning. We had a run-away berry collector last game, but with few options to spend them. As a Catan player, she felt frustrated that trades were not an Everdell standard.

• Other ways of scoring points, applied in a modular fashion.

• More forest and event cards and much more accessible ones, removing the “death by bad card draw” that can crop up especially in solo mode. In solo mode Rugwort is nearly guaranteed all or most of the events, as the smaller solo deck draw makes the needed combinations scarce and he gets the left overs.

• 2 more factions for bigger games (and the above extras provide the extra options a big game would need).

• Some handy bits like player boards, a Rugwort token etc.

• A box with harmonious art that looks like a compliment to the core one. No threat to the feel of the main game, this is a support element that I like.

The only other expansion I can see myself getting is Mistwood (pre-ordered today), which has an even better solo AI and just feels right to me. It changes the game to a “Root” like conflict game, but with an Everdell feel. Mistwood adds;

• Genuine low player count play with a fully developed AI who can participate as a player. Half of this expansion is dedicated to Solo or AI play, which is good becasue more than half of my games will be solo.

• More Legends and characters. I like the connection to Everdell immersion these add and the more i add, the more baanced the overall effect becomes. We have had a couple of games where a single Legend has been telling, but more makes for. a more interesting and equitable game.

• More factions with faction cards. Three normal factions and spiders. More is more here simple as that.

• Some variants of core cards, which like the Legends, adds variety.

• A new game dynamic, introducing an external enemy, but no more boards. I like Everdell pretty much as is, but an external threat gives me a feeling of closing the loop. Everdell is worth growing, loving and appreciating, so it makes sense it ia also worth defending from greedy outsiders, especially spiders channelling a Mirkwood or Harry Potter vibe.

This one also keeps the board size under control, leaving Everdell all about Everdell, but adds several nice card decks and some militancy, but not the all out scrap that is Root.

Root was hovering, but issues with solo and two player play without “Bots” and lower teach-ability for my occassional playing group are off putting. I also prefer the art style and less miltant feel of Everdell.

I really like the idea and reality of keeping the board as small as possible, sticking to just Everdell as a contained little world. Adding the Bellfaire sub-board in exchange for the cumbersome tree is a win, while still expanding the game within with or without it. Mistwood adds more harmonious elements (more factions, Legends, farms etc) without any more real estate and the whole spider thing is optional. The more dominant Pearlbrook, Newleaf and Spirecrest just don’t appeal on that level.

I did order the three Rugwort cards from the BGG store and some black rats from Etsy, so with “Extra Extra” and “Legends” I have the bulk of the better bits from the Glittergold deluxe option.

The Rugwort cards have a reputation for changing the game’s character, but it’s only three optional cards not a full expansion, diluted into the slightly extended content of the game I intend to build and with Mistwood loomng, possibly not that tough overall.

While I was there I added some Carcasonne tiles and the two Tiny Epic Western deluxe expansions.