Trekking the World Game Review

The Basics:

• For ages 10 and up
• For 1 to 5 players
• Approximatly 60 minutes to complete

Geek Skills:

• Counting & Math
• Logical & Critical Decision Making
• Reading
• Strategy & Tactics
• Hand/Resource Management

Learning Curve:

• Child – Moderate
• Adult – Easy

Theme & Narrative:

• Travel the world and grow as a person

Endorsements:

• Child Geek approved!
• Parent Geek approved!
• Gamer Geek approved!

Overview

The Buddha said, “It is better to travel well than to arrive.” Or, if you like, the journey itself is the true purpose rather than the destination. In this game of traveling the globe, exploring exotic locations, and experiencing all our little planet has to offer, the players will focus first and foremost on their journey. By foot, boat, plane, train, or automobile, they will see sites that deepen their understanding of nature and our place on our planet.

Trekking the World, designed by Nick Bentley, Charlie Bink and published by Underdog Games, is comprised of one Map board (the game board), 48 Tour/Encounter cards, five Quick Guide cards, 45 Itinerary cards, five Trekker meeples, 140 wood cubes, five Suitcase boards, five Money-Tracker dials, 60 Itinerary tokens, one First-Player marker, and 28 Solo cards. The game components are excellent with thick cardboard throughout and durable cards. Illustrations by Csaba Bernáth, Marta Danecka, Sebastian Koziner, and Alexey Shirokikh are bright and stylized, giving the game a refreshing look while strengthening the theme. Of particular note is the game box insert that contains a specific place for all the components, including a tray for the wood cubes, which makes setting up and putting away the game fast and easy.

Please note that this is a review of the game’s second edition. We are unfamiliar with the game’s first edition and cannot comment on any improvements since the game’s last release. 

Packing Your Bags

To set up the game for two or more players, complete the following steps:

First, set the Map board in the middle of the playing area and within easy reach of all the players. This is where the players will move their Trekker meeples, representing their journey to foreign and exotic places worldwide.

Second, shuffle the Tour/Encounter cards. These cards are double-sided, with the “Tour” card on one side and the “Encounter” side on the other. Both sides are clearly labeled. Shuffle this deck of cards, ensuring that both sides face one direction in the entire deck. Split this deck roughly in half, placing one side with the “Tour” side face-up (it shows the image of a location) and the other half of the deck with the “Encounter” side face-up. Then, draw the top three cards from both decks and place them in a row without changing their facing.

Third, shuffle the Itinerary cards and place the deck face-up to create the Itinerary draw deck. Draw the top four cards and place them in a row face-up.

Fourth, give each player one Frequent Flyer token, Quik Guide card, Money-Tracker dial, Suitcase, and matching colored Trekker meeple. These are placed in front of their owning player.

Fifth, place the cubes and tokens off to one side of the game-playing area. The game comes with a handy tray to keep these bits in proper order.

This completes the game setup. Determine who will be the first player and give them the First-Player marker. Have a great trip!

ADVENTURE!

Trekking the World is played in rounds and turns with no set number of rounds per game. A player’s turn is summarized here.

Step One: Choose and Resolve an Itinerary Card

The visible Itinerary cards (including the topmost card on the Itinerary draw deck) are available for the player to select from. These cards describe three actions the player will take during their turn, from top to bottom, without deviating from this order of operations. The topmost portion of the card displays how many spaces the player’s Trekker meeple must move, the middle portion displays how much money the player earns, and the bottommost portion displays what souvenirs the player earns based on their final location at the end of their turn. Let’s use an Itinerary card as an example.

A) Move 2: The player must move their Trekker to multiple spaces on the game board. When traveling, a player may pass through and land on the same space as other meeples, but they may not return or pass through the space on the Map board where the meeple originated on their turn or on a space they moved through during their current turn. Players may also – optionally – “fly” from one airport space to another at the cost of one Dollar. If this is the player’s first turn, they may place their Trekker meeple in any “Airport” space on the map board as their starting location.

B) One Dollar: The player adjusts their Money-Traker dial by the amount shown on the Itinerary card. The dial tracks how much cash the player’s Trekker meeple has available at any given time during the game.

C) Gain Two Red Cubes: These cubes represent souvenirs that players collect on their travels, but only if their Trekker meeple ends their movement in the continent shown. In this example, the player’s meeple must be in South America. Souvenirs are placed in the player’s left-most open space of the Suitcase board of the matching the cube color. When they have collected enough cubes, they earn tokens. “Frequent Flyer” tokens allow for one free flight in an airplane (blue), “Move” tokens allow for extra movement (red), “Money” tokens provide additional cash (yellow), and a “Souvenir” token will enable you to obtain an equal number and color of cubes again as a bonus (black). Any tokens collected during the player’s turn may be used on their next turn.

Step Two: Take an Encounter Card

The player can now take an Encounter card visible in the row, but only if their Trekker meeple is located in the location noted on the Encounter card. Encounter cards provide the player with a one-time use bonus that they can resolve during their future turns. When the Encounter card’s bonus is activated and determined, the Encounter card is then discarded. The only limitation with Encounter cards is that they cannot be used in the same turn they were acquired. However, there is no limit to the number of Encounter cards the player may activate on their turn.

For example, the “Machu Picchu” Encounter card allows players to take additional Tours on the same continent as their Trekker meeple.

Step Three: Pay for a Tour

The player can now take a Tour card visible in the row, but only if their Trekker meeple is located in the location noted on the  Encounter card and they have the funds to pay for it. Tour cards provide endgame victory points.

For example, the “Machu Picchu” Tour card costs seven dollars but awards 16 victory points at the end of the game! Now that’s a great tour!

Step Four: Ending the Turn

The last step before the player ends their turn is to draw new Itinerary, Encounter, and Tour cards to refill the rows. The player’s turn is over, and the next player in the turn order sequence goes on a journey. After all the players have had a turn, a new round begins with the player who has the First Player marker.

Unpacking and Scoring Your Trip

The endgame is triggered after a single player collects a certain number of Tour cards. For example, in a two- to three-player game, the endgame is triggered when any player takes their fifth Tour card. The game continues until all the players have taken a turn in the round.

Each player’s total victory points are then calculated. Victory points are earned from the following:

• Collected Tour cards
• Encounter cards that provide bonus victory points at the end of the game
• Points earned from each player’s Suitcase board (the total earned is determined by the value underneath the right-most filled vertical column)

The player with the most victory points wins the game!

Game Variants

If the game is too short, its overall length can be increased by increasing the number of Tour cards needed to trigger the endgame. The recommended number is six, which works great when only playing with two players.

Trekking the World can also be played solo. The player is competing against an automated opponent that is driven by cards. The player wins if they complete all the goals on the Difficulty Level card they selected.

To learn more about Trekking the World, visit the game’s webpage.

Final Word

The Child Geeks loved Trekking the World, finding it fascinating to move about that Map board, earn points by visiting cool places, and learning about new locations. The gameplay took a brief amount of time to teach, and each Child Geek immediately took control of their own meeple and travel itinerary once they understood how to manage their expectations with the Itinerary cards. According to one Child Geek, “I like that this is an entertaining game, and you learn many neat things as you play, too. I wish school could be this fun.” Another Child Geek said, “What I like best is going to different places worldwide and taking fun adventure tours. I know it is only a game, but I want to do everything I am doing in real life!” When the last of the Child Geeks arrived home, they all took a vote and agreed that Trekking the World was a great trip.

The Parent Geeks also found the game to be an absolute delight, remarking on how easy it was to learn and how deep the game was without feeling like they were being burdened by rules or endless choices. One Parent Geek said, “This is an entertaining game for my family. We learn about new things and pretend we are traveling around our wonderful world. And as if that wasn’t enough, I never felt bored. Each time I had to make a choice, I took my time because I wanted my little meeple to have the best trip possible.” Another Parent Geek said, “This game appeals to the logistical fanatic in me. I always plan vacations for my family, and this board game does exactly what I do in my head. I see what I want to do, make a plan to go there, and then get traveling! Even if I didn’t win the game, I still had a great time.” When the last Parent Geek mailed their postcards from abroad, they took a vote, and all agreed that Trekking the World was a fun adventure at their family gaming table.

After blowing their minds on highly complex games, the Gamer Geeks enjoyed Trekking the World, finding the complexity and the speed to match their requirements for a lighter game at the table. According to one Gamer Geek, “First, I think it is important to note that this is a good game. It is perfect for casual players and families. There’s real depth to this game, and it’s worth the player’s time to think about their moves, how much funds they want to spend, and what they hope to obtain. This game made me think, made me second guess myself, and made me smile.” Another Gamer Geek said, “I am surprised how much I enjoyed this game. I’ve played other games in the Trekking family and prefer a few more than this one, but the game is solid. You have to think ahead and move with a purpose if you hope to win. You cannot waste turns and must be willing to change your plans if a new opportunity suddenly presents itself. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.” When all the Gamer Geeks returned to their home gaming tables, this elitist group took a vote, and all decided that Trekking the World was a game that surprised and delighted them in equal measure.

Trekking the World isn’t light, but it isn’t heavy. It sits comfortably in the “middle of the road” regarding its level of depth and strategy. It challenged our younger and less experienced players to a higher degree than our more seasoned gaming veterans, but at no time did any player—regardless of age or experience—have the upper hand. The game is well-balanced, bright, and beautiful to play.

This is not to say you won’t find your frustrations. You’ll want to go to some places and cannot get the number of spaces. You’ll want to spend some cash but won’t have the funds. You’d love to leverage some of your Itinerary tokens but do not have the option. All of this is frustrating, and I think it works perfectly for the game’s theme: traveling isn’t easy but worth the trip. Players need to evaluate the available Itinerary cards and make the best choice based on what is available, not necessarily what they want to do. This irritated some more well-seasoned gamers who wished for higher control over their travel plans. Still, this same group also found it a delightful challenge to make each Itinerary card they selected maximize their reward.

The game’s only element of luck is based on the luck of the draw and the luck of not having opponents pick the cards you want. And that’s it. Everything else, from what card the players decide to select, how they move, and how they spend their money, is totally up to them, as is the level of strategic thinking they decide to bring to the table. The result was a game that was a real surprise to us and delighted us all. Pack your bags and plan to visit Trekking the World (second edition) as soon as your calendar allows. It’s worth the journey.

This game was given to Father Geek as a review copy. Father Geek was not paid, bribed, wined, dined, or threatened in vain hopes of influencing this review. Such is the statuesque and legendary integrity of Father Geek.