Cascadia Review: Nature's Perfect Board Game
A full review of Cascadia — the tile-laying wildlife puzzle that won the Spiel des Jahres and deserves a spot in every collection.
Cascadia ($30) earns a strong recommendation because every turn presents one deceptively simple choice -- pick a habitat tile and a wildlife token -- that creates genuine strategic depth without overwhelming anyone at the table. It won the 2022 Spiel des Jahres for good reason: it works for families, couples, solo players, and seasoned hobbyists, plays in 30-45 minutes, and leaves everyone wanting another round.
A beautifully simple tile-laying game about building Pacific Northwest habitats — the 2022 Spiel des Jahres winner.
- Teaches in 5 minutes, plays in 30-45 minutes
- Excellent solo mode with escalating difficulty scenarios
- Gorgeous art and satisfying wooden animal tokens
- Virtually zero conflict — peaceful, meditative gameplay
- Light strategy may not satisfy heavy gamers
- Scoring can be fiddly on first play (five different animal patterns)
Prices checked Mar 2026
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