Beyond the Base Game: Do Expansions Really Add Up?

There was a time when a board game was just a board game. You opened the box, read the rules, and dove in.

- Roman Zadorozhnyy

That was it. You either loved it for what it was, or you didn't play it again. No promos, modular content, or crowdfunded exclusive characters. But at some point, something changed. Expansions became not just an extra, they became a culture. Now, when someone mentions a game, the first question is: “Did you play it with the expansion?”

It’s no longer solely about the base game, but the game with the second expansion — but not the promo pack — and maybe with the solo module if you're playing with fewer than four people.

Expansions today come in all shapes and sizes. Some offer just a few extra characters or new cards to spice things up. Others feel like entirely new games — adding complex mechanics, campaign modes, or even new boards. There are expansions that make the game harder or faster. In a way, expansions reflect how our tastes as players have evolved. We want more depth and variety. We want the games we love to grow with us. We want to master the base game — then crack open something fresh to learn again.

A Monopoly on Expansions