Cartographers: Heroes (NL) - Card game

Cartographers: Heroes

Venture into the Western Lands as a royal cartographer in time of war; monsters loom, but brave heroes have risen to assist, making your maps come alive.

Key Features:

• Players & Play Time: 1 to 100 players, about 30-45 minutes per game.

• Age Range: Around 10 years and up.

• Mechanisms: paper-and-pencil map drawing, polyomino shapes, simultaneous action selection, varied scoring goal cards, grid coverage, bingo-style reveal cards, monsters & hero mechanics.

• Theme / Setting: Fantasy maps where players fill in terrain (forest, water, village etc.), face threats from monsters, and use heroes to defend; you explore the land for Queen Gimnax.

• Seasons & Scoring: The game unfolds over four seasons; each season you reveal, draw, and score; monsters cause penalties if left uncontained; heroes can destroy monsters.

• Standalone + Mixability: Can be played on its own, or components combined with the original Cartographers game to increase replayability.

• Components: new map sheets, explore cards, ambush cards with special abilities, hero cards, destroyed spaces etc.

• Difficulty & Accessibility: rules are fairly accessible, not overly complex, but with strategic depth to engage players.

Why Choose Cartographers: Heroes?

If you enjoy games that combine drawing, puzzle-like placement, strategy and variable goals, Heroes adds just enough twist to keep the formula fresh. The inclusion of monsters and hero cards introduces new tension and decision points without overcomplicating the game. Great for groups, solo play, or mixed rounds where you want consistent variety. Also, because it's compatible with the original Cartographers, you get more options without needing entirely separate games—good value and high replayability.