2023 · Travel
Darwin's Journey: Collector's Edition
Play as naturalists traveling the 19th-century oceans and islands to observe species, collect specimens and advance scientific theories. The game uses worker-placement and action-selection across multiple locations; players commit crew and resources to expeditions, gather cards and tokens representing animals, experiments and discoveries, and manage time and funding to score points. This collector’s edition combines the base game with an expansion that adds a new map, alternative board layout and extra scenarios, plus numerous deluxe components and mini-expansions — additional ships, crew, objective tiles, special actions, decorative coins and seals, expanded card decks, and upgraded player aids and storage.
- Players
- 1–4 best 1
- Playing time
- 60–120 min
- Age
- 14+
- Complexity
- 3.9 / 5
About the game
- Art
Expansions
See them in Ludoya
Photos from Ludoya tables
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On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 342
- Plays logged
- 349
- Players
- 1h 52m
- Average play
- 79
- In collections
- 5
- On wishlists
- 2
- Pre-ordered
9.0/10
from 31 Ludoya reviews
- Base -
Played it 4 times
Marco Russo9.4 Divertimento 5/5 · Interazione 4/5 · Attrattiva 5/5 · Originalità 4/5 · Rigiocabilità 5/5 · Accessibilità 5/5
No plays logged
Diversió 4/5 · Interacció 4/5 · Atractiu 4/5 · Originalitat 4/5 · Rejugabilitat 4/5 · Accessibilitat 4/5
Played it 5 times
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Can I use coins or other things I gain from one action to pay for another action on the same turn?
Yes. Actions happen immediately, and benefits you gain can be used to pay for later actions during the same turn (p. 8).
Do I need the exact Wax Seal colors to place a worker, and can I use Temporary Knowledge?
The worker must meet the location’s Wax Seal requirements; purple Special Wax Seals count as any color, and you may spend Temporary Knowledge during placement as any color. Temporary Knowledge is not a permanent seal and cannot be used to meet Crew card requirements (pp. 10, 22).
Do I pay extra to place a worker in a Diary section where someone has already placed one?
Yes. If any worker is already in that Diary section, pay the placement penalty: 3 Coins in a two-player game or 2 Coins in a three- or four-player game. The penalty is the same regardless of how many workers are there; square or rectangular magnifying-glass locations never have this penalty (pp. 8–9).
When can I achieve an Objective, and do I have to spend anything to do it?
You can achieve one whenever you meet its requirements during the Action or Reward Phase, and meeting the requirements itself costs nothing. However, if you place an Objective from your reserve onto a personal-board location marked with a Coin penalty, you must pay that penalty (p. 20).
Can I deliver two Specimens to the Museum in one action, and what does the second one cost?
Yes. The first delivery is free, and the second costs 3 Coins; you may use Coins gained from the first delivery to pay for the second (p. 16).
Score sheet by Ludoya
Darwin's Journey: Collector's Edition score sheet
Every scoring category, from the Ludoya kit. On your phone the totals add up by themselves.
Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Darwin's Journey: Collector's Edition with Ludoya
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.