Get your magnifying glass ready for a historical expedition! In On the Origin of Species, you step into the shoes of a naturalist aboard the famous HMS Beagle. Your mission is clear: follow in Charles Darwin's footsteps across the Galapagos Islands to discover new species and unravel the mysteries of life. It's a scientific race to catalog local fauna and expand human knowledge about the natural world.

The gameplay is quite dynamic, revolving around two main actions that you must balance carefully. First, there's the Research phase: you place research pieces on different species tiles to gain knowledge about habitats—whether in the air, on land, or in the water. Then comes the most rewarding part: the Discovery phase. Using the knowledge you've gathered, you place new species tiles on the board, earning victory points, evolution cards, characters, and even interesting objects. Additionally, every move helps advance the Beagle on its voyage.

The game concludes when the ship completes its route, leaving the archipelago for New Zealand. Scoring is a mix of what you accumulated during the voyage and a specific final goal card, ensuring that every research decision was crucial to the expedition's success. It's a perfect game for nature and science lovers who want to feel the excitement of a major scientific discovery without needing a heavy biology textbook!