‘Build your bucket list of destinations and take a whirlwind tour to visit them all - but hurry, your fellow travelers might just beat you there!’
‘In Trekking the World players compete to be the ultimate globetrotter by racing to visit world - renowned locations and collect rare souvenirs along the way. This game spotlights 48 real-world destinations, each beautifully illustrated and accompanied with educational passages to inspire your next getaway’
The beauty of the box
When this game was delivered, we were thrilled because it was a game that we had not heard about and it looked intriguing - it did not disappoint! Every detail of this game is beautiful. The artwork on the front is striking and immediately makes you want to delve in. The box itself is designed to look like a suitcase with visa stamps visible on each side - but wait there’s more - open the lid and its even more impressive inside. My heart melted as I read the inscription on the inside of the box - ‘ A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles - we made this games so friends and family can gather and have fun while celebrating the joy of travel.’ A lovely sentiment and such a true wisdom. I was hooked right there. It promises enjoyment with friends and family and exploration of the world - pure joy!
I love the way this game has been thought about at every level from the outside of the box, to the inner inscription and then as you lift off the game board , you find an insert, perfect for this game with its own plastic lid to keep all the components safe and in place which is removable for instant game play. This is so special, in this day and age where often inserts to make the setup quicker are an optional add on you can pay for at a later date but this comes with it and its the first game we have in our collection that does this in this particular way. It just has all been aesthetically thought about and it makes the game feel like one made with love and thought in mind.
The Components
The Board - The board is designed in the shape of a map and is bigger than your regular game board, reminds me of a pandemic size board. Again, thought has been taken to consider the board and how it fits with the rest of the game. The board has slightly rounded ages on the left and right giving it the authentic feel of a rounded world map. It is a sturdy board of a good thickness and feels like it's meant to withstand heavy traffic - my guess is that we will be playing quite a few games of this in the upcoming weeks and months.
Player boards - These are in the shape of suitcases in which you collect coloured bricks (souvenirs) from your travels. In keeping with the theme, these player pieces add to the overall design of the game although it seems a shame that they also weren’t made of a thicker material like the board.
There is a cloth bag included in the game for you to place your souvenir cubes in before you draw them at random placing them on the board. A nice touch - it serves no other purpose other than for initial set up but it’s good quality.
Map tokens - add a secret element to the game, because you choose a number of these at random to place on the board. They look cute while on the board and they add a fun element to the gameplay which keeps you guessing who has the most victory points right until the end.
Destination cards - are visually stunning. They really do entice you to visit some of these places in real life and with the write ups on the back - it feels like this game also offers you the chance to learn more about the world as you play. We read these cards out , each time we bought one from the deck (you don’t have to!) but it's a nice touch and something unique that this game offers above others,
Other components and score pad are all of a similar quality and feel and tie the game together.
I was impressed as I had never played the game and it had me sold on just the set-up because ultimately it looked so good before we had even started playing.
Gameplay
What I loved about the way the game played was the fact that it was so simple to set up and learn. Essentially, you go around the board on a series of connections through destinations across the world. The amount you are able to move is determined by the cards you choose to play on your turn, although you won’t want to play them all at once because the colours of the cards can also be used to complete tours of destinations. These will earn you extra victory points depending on the destination and also where it is placed next to the board. The right most destination, of 4, is worth 5 points and the one next to that 3 points. You also gain souvenirs if you end on a destination that has a coloured cube on it, these will also stack up to earn victory points at the end of the game. The other way of gaining victory points is to pick up the final souvenir from a coloured region of the board and you can then take the mystery map token. Remember to keep this hidden from the other players - the score for this area will be revealed at the end of the game.
Overall rating
I love this game for so many reasons. It is beautiful, all the components fit together perfectly and the game play is simple but effective and culminates in just a lovely pleasant experience. Played with friends or family, this game is sure not to disappoint. We love it even after just one play and I am sure it will be a firm favourite amongst our gaming community. This is definitely one to play over and over again.
Thank you again to the incredible People over at Underdog Games who gifted us this copy for review.