Hey there, fellow explorers! Ready to give your scientific expeditions a little boost? Introducing 'Animal Companion', a super charming mini-expansion for Darwin's Journey! If you love the base game and want to add an extra flavor, this one's for you. It includes 6 Animal Companion cards that arrive to give you a helping hand right from the start, with a special setup bonus. But that's not all! Each little animal offers a unique, one-time-use action during the game, perfect for giving you that strategic edge when you need it most. Imagine a loyal ally helping you collect more specimens, optimize your moves, or complete those trickier contracts. The beauty of this expansion is that it can be used to lend a hand to newer players, balancing the game against more experienced folks, or simply for everyone to enjoy a bit more fun and strategy. It came bundled with the Collector's Edition and also appeared on Kickstarter, so if you backed the base game there, you might already have this cutie. It's a light addition, but it brings a nice impact to the experience without overcomplicating the rules we already love. If you're looking for more replayability and an extra thematic touch, it's definitely worth checking out!