Notebook Nations With Free Mini-Expansion Terrific Town
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🐸 Una rana saggia sa quando dividere l’ordine… e quando aspettare il salto giusto.
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
Mushroom tribes against thimble empires. Beneath the notebook drawings lies a real war: some expand, some research, some occupy the capital. And in the end, it's all about the last siege.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
The big 4X that doesn't scare you
Notebook Nations, published by Dux Somnium Games and designed by Alex Folck and Nic Broussard with notebook-style illustrations by Sebastian Tiplea, answers a simple question: can you experience a grand 4X — eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate — in under an hour, without sacrificing meaningful choices? The answer is yes, and it's written on these tiles.
Choose one of the four asymmetric nations — Mushroom Tribes, Thimble Empire, Seed Children, Humming Republic, each with unique powers — open the board to the right map, and you decide the length: 1, 3, or 5 victory points. Then move your Avatar, collect encounters, balance four resources (food, wood, gold, and Source), climb the tech tree, and, when needed, occupy enemy town halls. You win by science, culture, or military conquest: every game is a different trajectory.
Why we like it
Explore, expand, exploit, exterminate: the entire 4X cycle in a game that finishes while your coffee is still warm.
The secret of Notebook Nations in one line
Sweet on the eyes, fierce on the table. And you choose the duration: a lightning-fast 1-point race or a full 5-point campaign.
From the game experience
Notebook Nations
Official solo mode with dedicated rules (design by Nic Broussard only). You face a rival nation guided by an AI with its own behavior: it moves towards encounters, builds, recruits units, researches, and attacks following precise rules, with variations for each nation. You retain all strategic choices — science, culture, conquest — and only lose the bluffing and negotiation of multiplayer.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on official rulebook and play sessionsYour tools of conquest
What you control in each game
Board and maps
A folding board with maps for 2, 3, and 4 players. You change the configuration, optimal paths, and defensible positions.
92 building tiles
Town halls, barracks, temples, universities, and your unique Wonder. Each tile is a step towards science, culture, or war.
Tech tree
The Research board unlocks units, buildings, and permanent bonuses. What to develop, and when, is half the game.
74 units and 4 Avatars
Melee, ranged, cavalry, magic, siege. The Avatar explores, gathers encounters, and fights: your spearhead.
Free: Terrific Towns mini-expansion
Pre-order your copy of Notebook Nations now and receive the Terrific Towns mini-set for free — extra content usually purchased separately.
After a few games, you will have led warrior mushrooms and thimble empires, chosen science or the sword, and recounted at least one memorable siege. Then you'll immediately want to play again — with another nation.
🎲Box contents14 types of components
📖RulebookEnglish · PDF
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Nation and length
Everyone studies the asymmetric powers of the four nations and together you decide the length: 1, 3 or 5 victory points. Some aim for science, some for lightning war, some for culture. The calculations begin here — map, neighbors, starting zone. Focused silence.
Early expansion
The first rounds are pure exploration. Move your Avatar, gather encounters, place the first tiles. Someone finds a key resource, someone else expands too quickly and runs out of income. The map fills up.
First clashes
Mid-game, someone has enough units to target an opponent's town hall. Occupying an enemy town hall at the end of the round is worth one military victory point: the first attack is a turning point. Those who only focused on science scramble, while those who were ready counterattack.
Final race for victory points
Everyone follows their own path: some complete research for science points, some accumulate culture by protecting their Wonder, some prepare to assault a second town hall. The table is packed with tiles, the target is near, every round counts.
Point victory
Someone reaches the number of victory points chosen at the start of the game. PVs are counted: the one with the most wins, ties are broken with Source resources and initiative. There's always someone who promises a rematch — with a different nation.
How to play
The flow of each round
Each round: choose initiative, collect resources, act with Avatar, buildings, and units, then research. At the end of the round, check victory points.
Each round you choose your position in the turn order. Going first gives a tactical advantage; going later earns you more Source, the wild card resource. A compromise that repeats every time.
You collect resources — food, wood, gold, and Source — based on settlements and income tracks. Then you move your Avatar on the map: gather encounters, activate Source powers, attack.
You use tiles to build buildings (town halls, temples, universities, Wonders), recruit and move units, fight. Occupying an enemy town hall at the end of the round is worth one military victory point.
At the end of the turn, you unlock nodes on the technology tree: new units, buildings, and permanent bonuses. Research is also a direct path to science victory points.
Why it's different from the others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Three paths to victory
Military, science, culture: maximum 2 points per type. These are not alternative paths on paper, but strategies with incompatible setups and timings. Each game takes on a different identity.
Four asymmetric nations
Mushroom Tribes, Thimble Empire, Seed Children, Humming Republic. Each with unique powers, an exclusive Wonder, and their own rules. Choosing a nation is half the preparation.
Tailored length
You decide it in setup: 1 point for a 4X in under an hour, 3 for an average game, 5 for a full and deep experience. The same game, three durations.
Initiative with compromise
Each round you choose when to play: those who go first have the tactical advantage, those who go later earn more Source. A recurring tension that shifts the balance.
Explore, build, research
Encounters to discover on the map, 92 building tiles, and a technology tree that unlocks units and bonuses. Four resources to balance each turn.
Solo with dedicated AI
You face a rival nation guided by the game, with its own rules for movement, construction, and attack (design by Nic Broussard only). The complete 4X experience, even solo.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game is a race for victory points: it ends in the round when a player reaches the target chosen in setup. The player with the most VPs wins; ties are broken by Source resources, then by initiative.
Victory
- Be the first to reach the chosen total of victory points (1, 3 or 5)
- VPs come from three sources — science, culture, military — maximum 2 per type
- Military: occupy enemy town halls. Science: unlock research and accumulate points. Culture: 10 then 20 culture with your Wonder in play
Defeat
- An opponent reaches the victory point target before you
- You lose your town halls — giving away military points — or lose units in clashes
- You fall behind in research and culture while others accelerate towards the finish line
Notebook Nations is the perfect gateway 4X: accessible to learn in 20 minutes, deep enough for a hundred different games, with a length you choose yourself. And it even works solo. 🎁 Those who pre-order now receive the Terrific Towns mini-expansion as a gift.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Notebook Nations
Is it a true 4X or a watered-down version?
It's a complete 4X, just compact. All four phases are present: you explore by moving your Avatar and discovering encounters, expand by placing settlements, exploit by managing four resources and the research tree, exterminate by occupying enemy town halls. The mechanics are distilled, not simplified: every choice matters, but the game doesn't last six hours.
Isn't it too light for those who love classic 4X games?
No. The complexity is contained — you learn it in about 20 minutes — but the decision-making space remains ample: three paths to victory, maximum 2 points per type, asymmetric nations, initiative with compromise, and different maps. For a full experience, the authors recommend playing to 5 points: that's the one that most resembles a traditional 4X.
How long does a game really last?
You decide: the length depends on the victory point target chosen in setup. A 1-point game is a 4X in under an hour, ideal for two; at 3 points it's an average game suitable for any number of players; at 5 points it's the longest and deepest experience. On average, 50–150 minutes.
Are the nations really different or do only the numbers change?
They are genuinely asymmetric. Mushroom Tribes, Thimble Empire, Seed Children, and Humming Republic have unique powers, an exclusive Wonder, and specific rules (even in solo play). You don't play the same game with different strategies: you play structurally different games.
Does it work well solo?
Yes. The game includes an official solo mode (design by Nic Broussard only): you face a rival nation guided by an AI with its own rules for movement, construction, recruitment, and attack. You retain all strategic choices — science, culture, conquest — and only lose the bluffing aspect of multiplayer.
What language is the edition for sale in?
The edition is in English. The texts are on cards (research, encounters, nation powers) and in the rulebook, so a basic understanding of the language is required to play comfortably.
Notebook Nations is a strategic 4X board game for 1-4 players, with games lasting 50 to 150 minutes, recommended age 8+. Published by Dux Somnium Games and designed by Alex Folck and Nic Broussard (illustrations by Sebastian Tiplea), it condenses the experience of big 4X games — explore, expand, exploit, exterminate — into a compact format. Each player leads one of the four asymmetric nations (Mushroom Tribes, Thimble Empire, Seed Children, Humming Republic), moves their Avatar to gather encounters, balances four resources (food, wood, gold, and Source), builds with building tiles, and climbs the technology tree. Players compete for three types of victory points — science, culture, or military conquest — and the length is chosen in setup by playing to 1, 3, or 5 VPs. The game offers maps for 2, 3, and 4 players, an initiative phase with compromise, and an official solo mode against an AI. Those who pre-order their copy receive the Terrific Towns mini-expansion as a gift. Available on FroGames.it.
Notebook Nations With Free Mini-Expansion Terrific Town
Frequently Asked Questions
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