On the table: Vantage

It seems as though everyone is talking about Vantage, a new exploration game by Stonemaier Games.

I too was sucked in by the hype train (willingly) after some good reviews from YouTube channels that I watch and respect, including The Dungeon Dive, Man Vs. Meeple, and One Stop Co-op shop. I've never owned a Stonemaier game before, but being a fan of exploration games (I've enjoyed Lands of Galzyr and 7th Citadel) I thought this would be right up my alley. Crash land on an alien planet? Explore an alien world making choices about how to interact with the flora and fauna? High replayability due to hundreds of cards? Self-contained - not campaign - sessions? Yes please!

Also, the game is particularly suitable for solo play, and that is an important part of any purchase decision I make these days.

Seeing as it is releasing from a well-known and successful publisher, there is plenty of online coverage of the rules, as well as solo and multiplayer run-throughs to watch, so I'll just take a look at the components here and some initial thoughts.

Being located in Japan, I used Stonemaier's Australia storefront for my order. Customer service was fast and helpful in response to my questions, and Australia post provided tracking and updates. The box arrived in one piece quite quickly, and nothing was damaged (excellent packing by Stonemaier - or their distribution partners.)

I went all in, and also bought the dual layer player mats (or 'Grids' as they would be called in-game), metal coins, and wooden tokens.

Wooden tokens, coins, and dual-layer player grids.

Dual-layer player grids (x6). Note that each character
has their character card printed on the grid.

Wooden tokens (L), and metal coins (R).

I really dig the coloured metal coins. In denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 10, they could probably be used for any low player count sci-fi game (e.g. Star Wars Outer Rim), especially if playing solo.

The provided storage solution works well too. For a game that is comprised of so many cards, it is nice that they are easy to get in and out of their allotted spaces. The included cardboard boxes work well too. People are already posting very nice 3D printed insert blueprints that can replace the included cardboard (if that is your thing) and Etsy has some very thematic storage solutions for sale. I can get all the original components and upgrades into the box with about 4-5mm lid lift. (I'll post a step-by-step, inspired by some reboxings seen on YouTube.)

The components (in the base box) are fine and get the job done.

After some more images I'll share who I think the game is (and isn't) for.

Who is Vantage for?

I've played the game several times solo, and my initial impressions are:

Play this game if:

You like free-form exploration and a 'choose your own adventure' experience.
You are comfortable making choices without having full information.
You don't mind an 'experience', more than a 'game with deep mechanics'.
You (or your group) are happy to listen to the experiences other players might be having.
You aren't bothered by always having a clearly defined route to succeeding in your mission.
Using your imagination to fill in the narrative gaps left by the game is enjoyable for you.

I would say to anyone that it is always worth trying a game at least once to see if it hits. Having said that...

Avoid if:

You are the kind of player who 'switches' off when other players are taking their turn.
You dislike working with limited information in pursuit of a goal.
You aren't able to gloss over small thematic or mechanical inconsistencies (e.g. why can I only do ONE thing when I'm at this location out of a choice of SIX!)
You like long passages of narrative to set the scene.
You are expecting a linked campaign of missions.

Personally, I can see myself getting a lot of value from Vantage. The art is always fun to explore, the narrative results are interesting, and the replay value is incredibly high.

Let me know your thoughts.

Cheers,

The Chattering Horde

Sunday, August 3, 2025