Review product received by Starling Games
Bellfaire is the most recent addition to the world of Everdell, releasing in a Kickstarter campaign last year—the same one that produced Spirecrest, the trail-blazing expansion that I reviewed earlier this week.
The River and Mountain boards, as well as the Frog Ambassadors and Rabbit travelers, make way for the centennial celebration in Everdell, replete with a trader’s Market, Flower Festival, and Garland Awards. Two expansions that introduced new locations and critters are followed by a smorgasbord of components and options for gameplay.
Bellfaire can vary gameplay with different modules and pieces that adjust how Everdell works in small but meaningful ways. If you’re trying to give the Ever Tree a break from assembling and disassembling, you can use the flat board. If you want a physical space to store resources and unused workers, then the player boards offer some permanence on the table. Introduce some asymmetry to the game with unique player powers that affect the different species of critters. Incorporate more Special Events or use the Garland Award Tiles to add more strategy and scoring potential.
There’s something for everyone in this box, and it’s a mixed bag—but in a good way.
Let’s start with the narrative in the background and move into what to expect from Bellfaire.
STORY
It’s been one hundred years since Everdell was founded. It may have only released in 2018, but this game has a lot of history.
The world-building has been enjoyable to experience as I worked through the base game and its expansions. A natural place of wonder and exploration, the critters and woodland cities have grown from something small but special into something quite large and impressive. Just as the Pearlbrook and Spirecrest expansions enlarged the Everdell universe, so too has the lore grown into a pretty detailed affair.
Corrin Evertail founded Everdell 100 years ago.
The ceiling of the Pristine Chapel was painted 72 years ago.
Queen Amilla Glistendew rose to power 56 years ago.
Rugwort, the antagonist of many a solo game, attempted to overthrow the throne 27 years ago.
And, today, King North celebrates the centennial of Everdell’s founding.
There’s a lot that happened during those years, and many of the locations and critters, especially from the Legends expansion, feature in the history.
So there’s a story. Now let’s check out the game.
GAMEPLAY
How does Everdell change when using what comes in the Bellfaire box? We’ll start with components that don’t adjust the gameplay and then progress to the ones that do.
Player boards are a visual marker for players and physical space that holds collected resources and workers yet to be appointed. It doesn’t affect much, but it’s a nice addition because it gives some structure to where the players’ cities start and gets loose resources off the table. As someone who likes to stay organized, I appreciate what the player boards add to Everdell.
Four new Forest Locations give additional variety when dealing out those cards for player use. More cards mean more options, so I’m happy about this.
Nine new Special Events help to mix up what players work toward, with simpler requirements than some of the other cards that appear in the base game and other expansions. I like the idea of shuffling these in with the other decks, interspersing more straightforward Special Events with other ones that require some nimble gameplay.
Now we push onward, to a component that both adds more of the same and introduces a new mechanic. The Bellfaire Board, which fits on the northern border of the Everdell map, can be used to replace the three-dimensional Ever Tree, but it also adds the Flower Festival basic event, the Garland Awards, and the Market location. The Basic Event is no different than the original four from the base game—this one requires one type of each card in your city. And the Garland Awards are endgame bonuses that go out to the top players who incorporate specific types of cards in their city—might be the most Production or the most Critters. One (or more, if tied) player will get six points. The second-highest player will get three points. And, finally, the Market.
The Market is interesting because it brings in an alternating gain-or-trade system where four tiles allow players to either gain a considerable amount of resources or trade those same resources for points and other resources. It’s a curious mechanic that will definitely have players determining the best times to visit. Early-game will be a good time to go gain resources. Mid- to late-game might be more advantageous to trade for points and specific resources. I like what the Market has to offer and it’s another layer of strategy that elevates Everdell beyond the traditional gameplay.
Other than that, there are two big changes in Bellfaire that you’ll want to know about.
#1 It’s now possible to play with five or six players. Originally, the game had a four-player maximum, but there are rule changes that can make this possible for a higher player count. Different seasonal preparation, hand limits, event numbers, and starting cards. All of that will help you manage the five or six players in the game. There are also some rules regarding shuffling cards and running out of cards, but it’s a pretty simple adjustment to the core rules.
#2 Player powers are now a thing. This is one of the coolest parts of Bellfaire. Each player gets a unique ability for the critter they choose. Asymmetry can be a lot of fun in board games. Having a special power that no one else possesses can lend an air of excitement to a game. Especially if you’ve played a lot of Everdell, this will definitely spice things up.
All of the changes aren’t bundled into one coherent narrative like Pearlbrook and Spirecrest, but it’s all good. I enjoy what this can add to the game and it only emboldens me in my desire to play with all of the expansions together.
VISUALS
The art and the box design are similar if you own any other Everdell content. I like what there is here, and it’s got the same delightful aesthetic as the other boxes.
REPLAYABILITY
Two big bonuses for me—the increased player count and the unique critter powers. These two things should really improve the accessibility of the game.
I like Everdell a lot, so now that it’s an option for five or six players—and since there are ways to distinguish each playable critter with abilities that last throughout the game—I envision bringing this to the table even more.
Pearlbrook and Spirecrest add different content. I like that. But Bellfaire adds the likelihood of playing the game more. Which is an excellent reason to pick this expansion up.
WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER
Some more unique critters and constructions, like in the Legends expansion, would have been nice. They really help to broaden the variability of a player’s woodland city, and it’s always exciting to see the world continue to develop with a sense of history and place.
Also, there isn’t much of a thematic connection here, not like the previous two expansions. Yes, there’s a 100-year celebration, but it’s really an assorted box of additional components.
I like what’s in the box, but there isn’t much tying it all together. A little more work doing that would have been appreciated, and I think it would have made Bellfaire just as special as Pearlbrook and Spirecrest.
VERDICT
Bellfaire is a joyous encore in tabletop gaming. Everdell gets bigger and bigger. So, naturally, there is cause for celebration. Come grab a seat and enjoy this expansion that bulges with even more content for the family-friendly strategy game.
