Curious Expedition

Curious Expedition is a single-player roguelike expedition simulation and strategy game. The player takes on the role of a famous explorer in the late 19th century, embarking on journeys to uncharted lands in search of fame, fortune, and scientific discovery. Each expedition tasks the explorer and their party with venturing into procedurally generated wilderness, uncovering secrets, and surviving the many dangers of untamed environments while competing with rival explorers for prestige.

Gameplay unfolds on a hex-based world map, where players guide their expedition step by step across jungles, deserts, mountains, and tundra. Movement consumes sanity, the primary resource representing the mental and physical endurance of the group. Sanity can be restored by resting, consuming supplies, or visiting villages, but dwindling resources can lead to disastrous outcomes such as party members deserting or turning hostile. Exploration reveals points of interest, including native settlements, shrines, ancient temples, caves, and mysterious structures, each offering opportunities or risks.

Combat occurs in turn-based encounters that use a dice-rolling system. Each party member contributes unique dice, which may represent attacks, defenses, or special abilities depending on their profession. Players combine dice rolls to form combos, enabling tactical choices in handling hostile wildlife, raiders, or supernatural threats. Survival depends not only on combat success but also on how the player manages wounds, illnesses, and the morale of their group.

Progression is measured through fame earned by returning discoveries and treasures to society after each expedition. Players may also recruit new members, purchase supplies, and unlock perks that enhance future journeys. The cast of possible explorers includes scientists, soldiers, missionaries, and other figures, each bringing different strengths and weaknesses to the expedition. Treasures retrieved can be donated to museums for prestige or sold for funds.

Other systems include interactions with indigenous tribes, trading, and moral choices. Villages may provide shelter, supplies, or new recruits, but exploiting or disrespecting their cultures can sour relations, making survival more difficult. Random events punctuate expeditions, requiring the player to make narrative-driven decisions that can benefit or harm the party. The game’s permadeath structure means that a failed expedition ends the campaign, with progress lost.