Botany: A Victorian Expedition Board Game (1-5 Players)

A Race Through the Wilderness, Pressed Between the Pages of Science

There is something quietly thrilling about the golden age of botanical exploration — the muddy boots, the leather satchels, the fevered sketching of a flower no European eye had ever studied. Botany: A Victorian Expedition captures that spirit beautifully, turning the art of plant collection into a competitive, deeply satisfying puzzle where every specimen you press and every discovery you record feels genuinely earned.

What Is Botany?

Published by Dux Somnium, Botany is a competitive collection and set-matching game set in the Victorian era of scientific discovery. Players take on the roles of rival botanists racing to gather, catalog, and display the most impressive herbarium — a personal collection of pressed plants organized into a specimen book. On each turn you explore the wilds, acquiring plant cards and arranging them into your collection according to overlapping rules around species, color, and habitat. The challenge isn't just what you collect — it's how artfully you arrange everything, because your final score depends on the elegant logic of your completed herbarium.

The game supports one to five players, meaning it works just as well as a focused solo challenge as it does around a crowded table. The solo mode is no afterthought either — it offers a genuine puzzle-like experience for players who want to sit quietly with a cup of tea and feel like a nineteenth-century naturalist.

Who Will Love It

This one is a natural fit for fans of light-to-medium strategy games who appreciate beautiful production and thematic immersion. It plays in roughly 60 to 90 minutes, making it an ideal centerpiece for a mid-length game night without the commitment of a full evening. The rules are approachable enough for players new to hobby board gaming, while the layered scoring system gives experienced players plenty to think about. It also makes a genuinely lovely gift — the Victorian aesthetic and botanical artwork give it an appeal well beyond the typical game shelf.

Worth Calling Out

• Solo to five players — genuinely flexible play range with a satisfying solo mode
• Stunning botanical artwork — illustrated in a style faithful to Victorian naturalist field guides
• Layered scoring system — multiple overlapping objectives keep every game feeling fresh
• Thematic coherence — mechanics and theme feel like they grew from the same seed
• Accessible weight — rewarding for hobby gamers, approachable for newcomers

Specifications