Caverna: Frantic Fiends

Lookout Games, Hobby Japan · Board game · 2022
1–7 · best 1 Solo 30–210 min Weight 3.7/5
8.2 rating Ludopedia
6.8 rating BGG
Buy
8.2 rating Ludopedia
6.8 rating BGG
Our Verdict
FOR GENRE FANS

If you're already a fan of Caverna and want an extra challenge to spice up your games, this expansion with invading orcs is for you! The tension ramps up and the solo mode got even more interesting.

Highlights
  • More strategic challenges
  • Tension against invaders
  • Great for solo mode
  • Expands Caverna experience
Keep in mind
  • Adds complexity
  • Requires base game
  • Combat theme
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About the game

What you do in a play session

Hey everyone! Ready for another adventure in the caves? The second major expansion for Caverna, Frantic Fiends, arrives to make your people run after peace and prosperity! This time, the trouble comes from orcs who are invading everything and threatening your families and your caves. Your mission is clear: rid the land of these crazy raiders!

To deal with them, you have a few options. You can go head-to-head with sharp axes and show them who's boss, or be smarter and build traps to capture these invaders. And if you want to be even more strategic, you can use stones to push the orcs directly into the traps or even bribe them with wood to weaken their strength. Each defeated orc yields valuable rewards, but be careful! If you let them take over, all your plans might go down the drain, and your cave could turn into total chaos.

This expansion introduces a new challenge that will test your management and planning skills. With new mechanics and a theme of fighting invaders, Frantic Fiends adds an extra layer of tension and strategy to the already complex world of Caverna. It's for those who enjoy the base game and want more challenges, especially if you like playing solo, as the solo mode has been well-thought-out here. Prepare your axes and traps, because the battle for the cave is going to be frantic!

Expansion for

Published additional content

1 items

Best player count

BGG community vote

1–7 players
1 BEST
2 REC
3 REC
4 REC
5 OK
6 OK
7 OK

Where to Buy

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Game details

Mechanics, categories, families and credits

Families

Animals: Cattle / Cows Animals: Dogs Animals: Donkeys Animals: Sheep Components: Meeples (Animal) / Animeeples Game: Caverna (Uwe Rosenberg) Series: Harvest (Uwe Rosenberg) Theme: Mining
Publisher Lookout Games, Hobby Japan
Designer Jürgen Mayrhofer, Karl-Heinz Kettl, Uwe Rosenberg
Artist Javier González Cava

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers before you buy

6 questions
Do I need the base game Caverna to play this expansion?
Yes, absolutely! Caverna: Frantic Fiends is an expansion and requires the base game Caverna: The Cave Farmers to be played.
How many players can participate with this expansion?
The expansion maintains the player count of the base game, allowing for 1 to 7 players. The solo mode has been particularly enhanced.
Does the expansion make the game harder?
Yes, the introduction of orcs and new mechanics add a layer of challenge and complexity, requiring more strategic planning.
What are the main new mechanics?
The expansion introduces new ways to deal with external threats, such as traps and using resources to weaken or capture orcs, along with pattern movement and increase value of unchosen resources mechanics.
Does the combat theme with orcs change the Caverna experience significantly?
It adds an element of direct conflict that wasn't there before, increasing tension and the need to defend your facilities, but it maintains the core management and building essence of the base game.
Is this expansion very time-consuming to set up and play?
Setup might take a bit longer due to the new components, but the playtime itself isn't drastically altered, staying within the base game's range, depending on player count and strategy.