Exploring the Underworld – Faraway: People From Below review

Some expansions for games make huge changes to it, maybe fixing something from the base game or giving new avenues to win the game.

Maybe the Mask strategy is really weak and this expansion makes it stronger?

Some expansions just add a bit more stuff to the game, not making any major changes but instead just additional content.

Some companies (like Alderac) call those micro-expansions because they’re just a bunch of cards.

Other companies just label them “expansions” and put them out for retail sale like any other expansion.

Catch Up Games and Pandasaurus Games did the latter for their new expansion (it says 2024, so I assume it’s only 2025 in North America where Pandasaurus is finally able to distribute it) for the really popular (and awesome) game, Faraway.

The game (and expansion) were designed by Johannes Goupy, Corentin Lebrat with artwork by Maxime Morin.

Faraway: People From Below is simply a 17-card expansion that adds some content to the game as well as the ability to play with 7 players.

The expansion comes with 8 new Sanctuary cards and 9 new Region cards. Nine new regions, eight rounds in the game…hey, that’s enough for another player!

One fun aspect of these expansion cards is that finally the grey cards (newly named “Mystical Havens”) may actually get you something other than the symbols on them (or scoring opportunities).

In the base game, that was all they were good for. They didn’t contribute to any other card’s scoring (unless it had a map or a symbol that was scored by another card).

And none of the region cards were grey.

Now, if you get the right cards, they might actually be worth some points as well!

That’s right, who knew that grey was actually a colour?

The new regions also add a bit of fun, maybe even push your luck, to see if you can actually get a great high score.

Look at all those requirements to score!

But look how many points it gives you if you do manage it.

Getting that “Zero” card out there near the end would certainly help with that, having one of each symbol.

Playing the Zero card will also ensure that you are picking the first region that round.

The new sanctuaries continue this theme, also adding other scoring possibilities (like the “each set of symbols” in card 74 above).

I tried the big 28-point card above in my first play with the expansion.

It didn’t go well.

People From Below brings a bit more of a high risk/high reward element to the game, where you can either do extremely well or you can crash and burn.

One little concern I have with the new cards, considering there are only 9 of them and some of them really depend on you getting the right symbols and such, is the inability to get the right cards to actually make the new ones work.

They might get buried in the deck (decks, I guess, considering that Sanctuaries could be an issue too).

Right now I’d say that’s only a concern, as I haven’t played it enough to really know if it’s a problem yet.

Since I’m sure it was playtested, I’m assuming that it won’t be as much of an issue as it feels like it might.

Other than those two things (the grey scoring cards and some higher-end scoring), as well as the 7th player (for those rare times that you have 7 players willing to play the same game), the expansion doesn’t really add a whole bunch.

But what it does add is fun!

Is it a necessary expansion?

I don’t think I would suggest you try super-hard to obtain the expansion, but it’s worth a look around to see if you can get it.

The base game is well worth playing just as it is.

However, if it’s available, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t include the expansion.

It’s priced very reasonably, even less expensive than Alderac’s micro-expansions (though granted, those usually have more than 17 cards in them).

I’d say they’re worth getting and including in the game.

The overhead is not much, the couple of new rules are just part of the scoring mechanism that you’re explaining to new people anyway, so it’s easy to incorporate into the teach.

And while the cards are clearly marked as being expansion cards, it’s certainly easier to just leave them all mixed in.

Why wouldn’t you?

I do really recommend this expansion if you want a bit more of a Faraway experience, though.

Or if you find yourself with 7 players often.

I know I will always use it!

This review was written after 2 plays of the expansion