Have you ever dreamed of setting sail on a grand adventure, exploring distant lands, and leaving your mark on history? Well, Ultimate Voyage, a new game from Little Monks, lets you do just that! This game plops you right into 15th-century China during the reign of the Yongle Emperor. As a solo player, you’ll step into the shoes of the legendary Admiral Zheng He himself, facing off against the automated Italian explorer Niccolò de’ Conti.
The lovely folks at Little Monks sent me a review copy (thanks, guys!), so I’ve been able to really put it through its paces. Join me as we explore Ultimate Voyage and see if this solo adventure is worth setting sail for!
In this review, I’ll walk you through how to play, what the game looks and feels like, and most importantly – what I think about it after a few playthroughs. So grab your captain’s hat, and let’s dive into the world of Ultimate Voyage!
How to play Ultimate Voyage
Ultimate Voyage transports you to 1431 AD, Ming China, where you stand alongside the legendary Admiral Zheng He. The game beautifully recreates the grandeur and challenges of the Ming tributary system, as you work to elevate the Yongle Emperor’s prestige through your maritime endeavors. The flavour text in the rulebook really helps with understanding the theme and how it connects to the mechanisms in the game. The way everything is integrated shows the love for the theme from the designers and made me interested in this time period as well.
The sheer number of components might seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry – I’ll break down how everything works together.
Game setup
To begin your journey, you’ll need to set up the game board and Porcelain Tower board. The game board represents the various regions you’ll explore, from Burma and Bengal to East Africa and Arabia. Each region has its own unique characteristics and opportunities.
You’ll start by choosing a character mat, which gives you special abilities and starting resources. Then, you’ll place your flagship in Nanjing, ready to set sail on your grand adventure.
Gameplay overview
Ultimate Voyage is played over a series of rounds, each representing a season. During each round, you’ll take actions to explore new lands, engage in diplomacy, trade valuable goods, and build your reputation. The game combines action selection and resource management mechanics, creating a rich, strategic experience.
Key actions
- Sail: Move your ships across the seas, exploring new ports and regions. Be wary of storms and hostile territories!
- Explore: Gather knowledge tokens at various ports, which can be used to upgrade your actions or draw private objective cards.
- Trade: Acquire valuable goods from different regions, increasing your profit and prestige.
- Diplomacy: Improve relations with foreign powers, potentially establishing tributary relationships.
- Combat & Construction: Defend against hostile forces or build structures to improve your capabilities.
Deity dice and action cards
One of the unique aspects of Ultimate Voyage is the use of Deity Dice. These special dice (Sun, Moon, and Star) add an element of chance to your actions, representing the fickle nature of fate and fortune during your voyages.
You’ll also manage a set of action cards, which can be upgraded throughout the game. Balancing when to use these cards and how to combine them with the Deity Dice results is key to maximizing your turns.
Objectives and scoring
Throughout the game, you’ll work towards completing various objectives. These can range from establishing trade routes to building impressive structures. Completing objectives earns you victory points and can provide powerful bonuses.
The game ends after a set number of rounds or when certain conditions are met. Your final score is determined by a combination of factors, including your prestige, profit, completed objectives, story points from each of the 6 regions, and contributions to the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing.
Look and feel
Ultimate Voyage is very pretty in my opinion, capturing the grandeur and mystery of 15th-century exploration. The game board is a beautiful representation of the known world during the Ming Dynasty, with intricate illustrations of various ports, landmarks, and sea routes.
The character mats and cards feature artwork that brings the historical figures and encounters to life. From the stoic portrait of Admiral Zheng He to the detailed depictions of exotic animals and trade goods, every element of the game’s art contributes to the immersive experience.
Component quality
The production quality of Ultimate Voyage is impressive. The game board and Porcelain Tower board are made of thick, durable cardboard that lies flat on the table. The various wooden pieces, including ships and player markers, are well-crafted and satisfying to handle.
Something to specifically mention are the Deity Dice – they’re large, weighty, and feature clear, easy-to-read symbols. The different shapes (6-sided Sun die, 10-sided Moon die, and 8-sided Star die) not only serve gameplay purposes but also add to the tactile enjoyment of the game.
The cards are printed on good quality stock, which should hold up well to repeated plays. The deluxe version will feature a double-layered game board, which is a nice touch.
Table presence
You might want to warn your cat that their favorite napping spot is about to become a bustling 15th-century port city. One thing to note is that Ultimate Voyage has a significant table presence. With the main game board, Porcelain Tower board, and individual player areas, you’ll need a good-sized playing surface to accommodate everything comfortably. However, the visual spectacle of seeing your maritime empire grow across the table is well worth the space requirement.
Thematic integration
What truly stands out about Ultimate Voyage is how well the theme is integrated into every aspect of the game. From the way trade goods are represented to the historical events depicted in the Encounter cards, you really feel like you’re navigating the complex world of Ming Dynasty diplomacy and exploration.
The Porcelain Tower mechanic, where you literally build up levels of the tower as you return ships to Nanjing, is a particularly clever way of representing your growing influence and the lasting impact of your voyages.
How to play Ultimate Voyage solo
Ultimate Voyage offers a robust solo mode that allows you to experience the thrill of exploration and diplomacy on your own. In this mode, you take on the role of Admiral Zheng He himself, pitted against the automated Italian explorer Niccolò de’ Conti. You’ll be competing against this automated opponent, representing the challenges and obstacles you face during your voyages.
Setup differences
The solo setup is similar to the multiplayer game, with a few key differences:
- You’ll use a specific set of solo rules and components.
- The game board is set up the same way as four players, with you on one side and the AI on the other.
- The entire game board is used for solo play, with no regions blocked off.
AI opponent
The AI in Ultimate Voyage is controlled through a set of rules that dictate its actions based on different conditions. This system is designed to provide a challenging and unpredictable opponent without requiring complex upkeep on your part.
At the beginning of each round, you’ll determine the AI’s actions based on these rules, which will guide:
- Which actions the AI will take
- Where it will focus its efforts
- Any special events or challenges you’ll face
AI actions
The AI will perform actions similar to a human player, focusing on three main areas:
- Sailing to new regions
- Trading resources
- Exploring new areas
The AI doesn’t engage in diplomacy or combat. Instead, its actions are streamlined to provide opposition and create interesting decision points for you as the solo player.
Adapting your strategy
Playing Ultimate Voyage solo requires you to be flexible in your strategy. You’ll need to:
- Anticipate the AI’s moves
- Balance your long-term goals with the need to react to immediate challenges
- Manage your resources efficiently, as you won’t have other players to negotiate with
Objectives and scoring
In solo play, you’ll still work towards completing objectives and building up your prestige and profit. Your final score will be compared directly against the AI’s score to determine the winner. This provides a clear goal and allows you to gauge your performance against a challenging opponent.
Replayability in solo mode
One of the strengths of Ultimate Voyage’s solo mode is its replayability. With different AI actions, varied objectives, and the inherent randomness of the Encounter deck, each play through offers a unique experience.
What I think of the game
After spending some quality time with Ultimate Voyage, I’m genuinely excited about what this game brings to the table, especially for solo players. As someone who often finds herself playing during nap times, I really appreciate a game that offers a full, rich experience even when playing alone.
The first thing that grabbed me about Ultimate Voyage is how thematic it feels. It really puts you in the shoes of a Ming Dynasty explorer. You’re not just moving pieces around – you’re making diplomatic ties, facing challenges, and building your own adventure story. I love games that pull me into their world like this.
The solo mode is a standout feature for me. Unlike many games where solo play feels watered-down, Ultimate Voyage goes all out with a dynamic, ever-changing game state that keeps you on your toes. You’re not just trying to beat your own score – you’re up against a bot that moves across the map and presents real challenges. What truly impressed me is the completeness of the experience. While many games block off parts of the map or limit actions in solo play, Ultimate Voyage gives you the full four-player setup with the entire map and all components available. This level of respect for solo players is a huge plus in my book.
One of my favorite aspects of the solo mode is the ability to play as different characters each round. This not only adds variety to your play but also allows you to experience everything the game has to offer.
The action system is another thing I really enjoy. You’ve got these five action cards and the deity dice, and figuring out how to use them best each turn is like a fun puzzle. It’s got that nice balance of strategy and tactics that I love in a game.
Pros:
- Rich, thematic experience that really immerses you in the Ming Dynasty era
- Robust solo mode that offers a full gameplay experience
- Engaging action system with interesting decisions each turn
- Ability to play as different characters in solo mode, adding variety and replay value
- Beautiful artwork and high-quality components
However, no game is perfect, and Ultimate Voyage does have a few areas where improvements could be made:
Cons:
- The solo rules, while not overly complex, are presented in a rather text-heavy manner. I found myself wishing for a dedicated player aid specifically for solo play.
- The depth of the game can lead to some analysis paralysis, especially in the first few plays. It took me a few games to really feel like I had a grasp on effective strategies.
- The game has a significant table footprint. With the main board, Porcelain Tower board, and all the components for a four-player game, you’ll need a good-sized playing surface.
- While the bot provides a good challenge, its actions can sometimes feel a bit random or disconnected.
Despite these small issues, I’m really enjoying Ultimate Voyage. It’s the kind of game that gets better the more you play it. You keep discovering new strategies and cool interactions. The solo experience, in particular, is very fun.
I’m still exploring all the ins and outs of the game. But so far, I’m impressed. It hits that sweet spot of being meaty enough to keep me engaged, but not so complex that it feels like work.
Just a heads up – I played with a prototype version, so some things might change in the final product. But if the core gameplay stays the same, I think Ultimate Voyage is going to be a hit with solo gamers who want a rich, thematic experience.
To wrap it up, Ultimate Voyage has made a great first impression on me. It’s thematic, engaging, and really respects the solo player. Yes, there’s room for some tweaks, especially with the solo rules presentation. But overall, it offers a really immersive experience. I’m excited to keep playing and see what other adventures I can have in Ming Dynasty China!
