The Search for Lost Species

Thousands of plants and animals have been discovered but haven’t been seen for decades and could be on the brink of extinction. In order to save these species, we must first find them again. The Search for Lost Species is a game about this real-world search. You are scientists on an expedition to find one of those Lost Species. While there are Lost Species all around the world, this game focuses on several Lost Species in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The organization Re:wild has compiled a list of Lost Species around the world at www.rewild.org/lost-species. They engage in expeditions with numerous partners to find these Lost Species, and encourage others to conduct their own expeditions to rediscover these amazing Lost Species. In this deduction game, you'll work to locate these lost species and put them back on the map!

As an app-driven game, the box contents might look a little underwhelming at first because you’ve got an electronic gizmo to download that does most of the heavy lifting. Mandatory apps in tabletop games is a controversial issue, and some gamers loathe the reliance on a third-party digital component that might become unavailable at a later date, rendering the game useless. You’ll have to be happy with that risk if you want to get on board this title. It’s best if each player can run their own copy of the app, but it’s easy to install and smooth to use, although, oddly, it doesn’t save game state, which can be a problem playing a solo game.

What you do get is high-quality stuff. There’s a double-sided fold-out game board with an island hex map on each side, rendered in clear, attractive art. There are a variety of clean-cut wooden pieces, two pawns in each of four player colors, an expedition leader pawn and some mountains that highlight barriers on the board. A pad of note sheets is also included, and each player has a screen to hide their notes and a set of cardboard tokens behind. Finally, there are two small decks of cards and some timing tokens alongside a slightly bizarre but amusing boat-shaped tray to build and hold them in.

Features:
Follow up to the hit game The Search for Planet X, one of the 2021 SXSW Tabletop Games of the Year!
Use logic and deduction to search for species thought to be extinct.
Report your sightings through the free app to determine if they are confirmed
Double-sided board provides two different island maps to explore.
6 different Lost Species to find!
Eco friendly production!