Cascadia

On your turn, you choose a habitat tile with an associated animal token and add it to your personal landscape. You place the tile adjacent to your existing area and place the animal on a suitable habitat. At the end of the game, you score points for large, contiguous habitats and for animals, each with its own unique scoring requirements. Nature tokens provide additional flexibility by allowing you to decouple choices when the supply isn't favorable.

Cascadia fully draws you into its rhythm: each turn feels simple, yet requires attention and foresight. The animal puzzles differ greatly from each other and constantly force you to weigh short-term against long-term goals. The game never punishes you severely but rewards careful planning and a good sense of balance. It's no coincidence that it won the Spiel des Jahres in 2022: that combination of accessibility, depth, and atmosphere is what makes Cascadia so strong.