Journey to the Center of the Earth

About this board game

Journey to the Center of the Earth is a 2–4 player adventure game with an approximately 60-minute playing time, inspired by Jules Verne’s classic novel. Players guide Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans on a dangerous expedition beneath the Earth.

The journey unfolds across three connected stages. Descend through the dormant Icelandic volcano Snaefells, cross a turbulent underground sea, and escape through a volcanic eruption on the Italian island of Stromboli. Along the way, explore strange subterranean landscapes, overcome obstacles, and seek discoveries that can bring international acclaim.

• Three-part board: Travel through the mountain, across the underground lake, and through the final volcano.
• Card-driven movement: Explorer cards move the matching colored adventurer, while equipment cards modify movement and help overcome hazards.
• Fossil hunting: Use equipment combinations to draw fossil cards, with sets offering increased value.
• Changing challenges: Lake events can hinder players or provide bonus fame points.

In the mountain and lake sections, players either draw three cards or move the explorers. Movement must advance deeper into the mountain or farther across the lake, with some spaces requiring extra movement points. Equipment can enable diagonal movement, cross pits and whirlpools, reduce the cost of rocky spaces, or provide bonus movement.

Water tokens, fossils, gold, and special discoveries all contribute to the final result. In the lake phase, the explorers share a raft, allowing any matching explorer card to move the whole group. The brief volcano phase adds a final test of card management before scoring.

In Journey to the Center of the Earth, the player with the most fame points wins. Score fossils, valuable sets, water tokens, and bonuses earned during the expedition, then see who returns from the depths with the greatest collection of natural treasures.