EVERDELL: PEARLBROOK Review: A Watery Descent Into More Everdell Excellence

Review product provided by Starling Games

Everdell: Pearlbrook is the first expansion released for the wildly-popular Everdell board game that I reviewed two weeks ago.

The worker-placement game has added substantial content in the last two years, and this is the first installment of three—so far. Pearlbrook adds complexity, depth, and even more nuanced play for gamers. It includes a river board and two board overlays that alter the state of the game with new areas to explore and the replacement of Basic Events with Wonders that players can build throughout the game for hefty victory-point values. Adorable wooden critters have been added for players to choose between, as well as Frog Ambassadors that are used to access the new map locations. As with the Ever Tree in the base game, the Wonders are three-dimensional cardboard constructs that lend verticality to the game for a special tabletop experience.

If that wasn’t enough, there are 54 new cards, split up between Special Events, Forest locations, Critters, Constructions, and the newly-introduced River Destination Cards and Adornments.

That means there’s extra content for everything in the game.

Also, the Pearlbrook expansion adds signs as visual markers for open locations available to all players. And a nifty scorepad to keep track of points at the end of games.

It’s a lot. So let’s dive in.

STORY

And then I saw it: something moving in the water not far from where I knelt. I watched transfixed as a spindly pink hand reached for a rock, followed by the strangest head I’ve ever seen with feathery spines, and a smooth pink body. We watched each other in nervous curiosity for several moments before the creature dove back into the water with a flourish, but not before he pulled something from his small pack and tossed it my way, where it landed with a splash. When I rose and gazed down through the clear water, there at my feet lay a perfect, shining pearl.

- Passage from the Gilded Book

The world of Everdell is growing beyond the forest! Now, the Meadow, the Forest, and the Ever Tree are not the only landmarks. A river, full of new discoveries and resources, awaits the travelers who dare to venture west.

I love the lore-building that takes place in the rulebook, on the cards, and throughout the Everdell universe. It’s innocent but adventurous, peaceful but expansive, and I’m excited to see how it continues to evolve over the course of future expansions and any other games that release in the same shared world.

The river transforms the land into an even bigger experience.

GAMEPLAY

It’s suggested that when using the Pearlbrook expansion to avoid using any other content. That means abstaining from the Legends expansion, as well as the two newer Spirecrest and Bellfaire expansions.

I’d agree with that recommendation because there is plenty of new ground to cover when you add the River board, Wonders, and all of the new cards. Whether that’s pirate ships invading other players’ woodland cities or collecting resources in order to build one of the four Wonders, Pearlbrook has enough to keep you plenty busy.

And, thankfully, it doesn’t really adjust the main mechanics of Everdell. You still have workers, you still play cards, and you still prepare for new seasons. The core is the same, but there are new intrusions or additional mechanics to consider. Pearls are a new resource required to build Wonders, but they also provide helpful bonuses through the use of Adornments—and they count for 2 VP at the end of the game. And cards are more valuable because they are frequently needed for the discard pile when visiting River Destination cards or when building Wonders.

It’s another layer, in a game that already was well-designed to promote both beginner play for those that aren’t used to strategy games while still scratching the strategy itch for gamers.

The variability has deepened… down into the water.

I love what Pearlbrook adds. Victory point totals leaped at the end of the game because of new ways to tally points while building a city. The Pirate Ship was another invasive element, like the Fool from the Fairgrounds. Everything ties together really well, in a way that makes Everdell one of my favorite games right now while avoiding being a game that will stultify my friends and family.

Twilight Imperium might hold my heart, but few people have the patience or the masochism to deal with something of that magnitude. Everdell hits a sweet spot, and Pearlbrook only makes it better.

VISUALS

As with the base game, Starling Games has continued to publish quality content, with high-end components and a darling aesthetic.

The game is whimsical, it’s memorable. Andrew Bosley, Dann May, and the other artists have really done well, and I look forward to other Everdell content that will broaden the scope of the game, the board, and what’s going on in the woods and beyond.

If you own Everdell, then this will fit right along with it.

I greatly appreciate the organized box insert that keeps all of the 3D pieces neatly stowed away, as well as all of the cards and other components. It makes game setup fast and easy, as well as clean-up after the game is finished.

A thorough index also gives detailed explanations of all the new cards. So the rulebook is useful and well-written as well.

REPLAYABILITY

With over 50 new cards, this expansion really adds a significant amount of replay. It creates a new version of Everdell, one with complications and considerations for players to weigh.

It achieves what most expansions should—a hefty addition that impacts gameplay in a positive way by introducing new concepts and more of what works in the base game.

The player cities will look different, but it’s a continuation of the success of Everdell.

WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

I had some loose cardboard pieces in the 3D constructions and the board pulled away from the bend a little after the first use, so some of the production was not in tip-top shape, but that’s expected sometimes with cardboard pieces.

For the most part, Pearlbrook is a fantastic addition to the Everdell world.

VERDICT

Everdell: Pearlbrook succeeds in creating another wonderful experience in tabletop gaming. Everdell, an already-superb game, is invigorated by this shiny, sparkly gem of an expansion.