Games

Everdell Board Game Buying Guide and Expansions

August 13, 2024

Chris Reed

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Live out your 100-Acre Wood fantasy with Everdell, a whimsical and immersive resource management, tableau-building, and worker placement board game where you and up to four players gather and spend countless resources, build cities, deploy Meeples, and meet other forest critters. The Everdell board game takes place over a whole year (winter to winter), and whoever has the most points at the end of the season wins. The beautiful pastel art style by Andrew Bosley will draw you in immediately, but Everdell’s accessibility for board game beginners and easy-to-learn ruleset will keep you coming back for numerous sessions. Just make sure you have plenty of room on your board game table.

The base game is available in a few different editions, and a hefty number of expansions are available that feature new cards, mechanics, critters, and rules, as well as accessory packs to better store your game pieces and immerse yourself further into the Everdell experience. This buying guide is the perfect place to start as you embark on your Everdell journey.

Getting Started

Everdell

Price: $60 (-20%, MSRP $75)
Players: 1-4 players
Age Range: 10+
Play Time: 40-80 minutes

Just as the title says, this is the base, entry level version of the Everdell board game. This includes everything you’ll need to get started: the (admittedly large) game board and 3D buildable tree, over 100 playable cards, about as many resources, 30 points tokens, and an expansive rulebook. The game can be enjoyed as a solo board game, or with up to four players, so be sure to consult the rulebook – some tiles and mechanics can only be used with a certain number of players.

Everdell Collectors Edition

As well as containing the base game, the Collector’s Edition of Everdell comes with the 10-card Legends expansion, fifteen Extra! Extra! cards, metal coins, wooden occupy tokens, and an upgraded deluxe die for solo play. Shelling out the extra dough is worth it, as the expansion cards add a ton of variety to the game.

My Lil’ Everdell

Price: $45
Players: 1-4 players
Age Range: 6+
Play Time: 30 minutes

This kid-friendly version of Everdell simplifies the mechanics of the original, while still maintaining that whimsical spirit. Great for first-time board gamers and younger children to help hone their decision making skills and focus!

Everdell Expansions

It’s important to note that most of these expansions require a base copy of Everdell to play.

Everdell Pearlbrook Expansion

The first of many expansions, Pearlbrook lets players take a dive into a new underwater society to collect a new resource – pearls! This watery expansion integrates with the base game and comes with over 50 new cards, new constructions, and four new 3D Wonders.

Everdell Spirecrest Expansion

The Spirecrest expansion sees players climbing an impressive new Mountain board and adds some challenge to the mix. The added mechanical complexity shows in this expansion’s change to the Prepare for Season step, as players will now reveal Discovery and Weather cards that affect their game.

Everdell Bellfaire Expansion

Everdell’s third expansion is interesting, as its modular Market board can increase the player cap to six players. However, this means you don’t get an extra worker in Spring and your hand count is reduced to seven. Player Powers for every type of critter also change how you approach the game, and endgame rewards really make it anyone’s game once you finish out the year.

Everdell Newleaf Expansion

The train station board is an exciting new addition that includes four new critter types – cats, bats, snails, and bees, as well as over 100 new cards and game pieces. It wouldn’t be an Everdell expansion without a game-altering twist: using the Tickets module, you can redeploy your Meeple instead of taking a regular game action.

Everdell Mistwood Expansion

Introducing the villainous Nightweave, the Mistwood expansion is a great addition for players who enjoy solo sessions or playing Everdell with only two players. Three and four player modulations are still here to add to the base game. This set also includes new Legends cards, such as the powerful Corrin Evertail.

Everdell Farshore

Released in 2023, Farshore is Everdell’s first (and so far only) standalone expansion. This game is played using mostly the same mechanics as the base game, with some new parameters. Everdell Farshore replaces occupy tokens with golden anchors, comes with new critter types, and has you riding around on a ship as you collect nautical-themed resources.

Everdell Complete Collection

Looking for a one-stop shop? The Everdell Complete Collection has you covered. This oversized treasure trove of endless Everdell entertainment contains all content from the Collector’s Edition, all of the expansions listed above, and special trays, dividers, and storage options for the hundreds of different cards, boards, and game pieces, as well as a gorgeously illustrated card reference guide and rulebook. A bit overwhelming due to its size, this edition is best for Everdell veterans looking to consolidate instead of newcomers.

Everdell Accessories

Upgrade Packs

Do you only have the Standard Edition of Everdell but want all the content from the Collector’s and Complete Editions? The Glimmergold Upgrade Pack expands your base set to the Collector’s Edition, while the Click Clacks Upgrade Pack gives you all of the exclusive Complete Collection content.

Deluxe Resource Vessels

Everdell Deluxe Resource Vessels

With a game like Everdell, actually finding space for resources on the board can be a major pain in the tail. Enter this super handy set of resource vessels, or “bowls” for each of the game’s available resources, occupy tokens, and card holders each for their own convenient, clutter-free locations on the game board.

Big Ol Box of Storage

Everdell Big Ol Box of Storage

This storage container lives up to its name by allowing you to store the base game, its expansions, and the Deluxe Resource Vessels into one single location, which is helpful if you haven’t purchased the Complete Collection, which has its own storage box.

Everdell Card Sleeve Set

Protect your cards in style with the Everdell-themed card sleeves accessory. This pack comes with 600 sleeves, enough for every card in the base game and all the expansions. Featuring more art from the game’s artist Andrew Bosley.

Extra Resources Pack

Everdell Extra Resources Pack

The resources in Everdell were not designed to be finite, but when playing with the maximum number of players, sometimes you run out and need to improvise. This extra resource pack has 30 berries, 30 twigs, 25 resin, and 20 pebbles to add to your collection.

Deluxe Point Tokens

Everdell Deluxe Point Tokens

This box upgrades your cardboard point tokens into awesome, shiny gold ones instead. Includes 20 1-point coins and 1-3-point coins.

Other Everdell Goodies

Looking for a gift for your Everdell-enthused loved one, or looking to spruce up your game room? Check out these fun supplemental products, separate from the board game.

Everdell Playing Cards

A regular 52-card playing card deck featuring new art from the Everdell artist Andrew Bosley. Comes in a sturdy carrying case.

Everdell Puzzles

Everdell Tales from the Green Acorn

With art from Andrew Bosley and new lore from Everdell designer James A. Wilson, the Tales from the Green Acorn companion book is perfect for those looking to immerse themselves deeper into the world of Everdell, and makes a great coffee table decoration.

How to Play Everdell Online

Everdell (PC Game)

Price: $19.99 on Steam and Nintendo eShop, $9.99 on Google Play and App Store

Finding the time, space, and people to get a board game night going is tough (doubly so with the big boards Everdell uses), but fear not; Dire Wolf Digital has you covered with an online version of Everdell. You play the game as normal, but without the clutter, and wherever you want! Available on Steam, Nintendo eShop, Google Play, and the App Store.

Bottom Line

Everdell is clearly one of the most popular contemporary board games around, with a handful of iterations of the base game and its expansions selling millions of units. If that isn’t enough, it’s also sitting pretty at number 35 on boardgamegeek.com’s best board games. Set up is a breeze, until you start adding expansions that take a ridiculous amount of space. But adding these expansions truly helps with the game’s longevity, and will keep you coming back for more.

Myles Obenza is a freelance commerce writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @Myles Obenza.

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