Everdell Silverfrost - Game Review

Title: Everdell Silverfrost

Designed By: James A. Wilson and Clarissa A. Wilson

Art By: Enggar Adirasa and Lukas Siegmon

Published By: Starling Games and Tabletop Tycoon Inc.

Released: 2025

Player Count: 1-4

Time to Play: 30-120 Minutes

Ages: 10+

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Overview:

Everdell Silverfrost is the newest standalone game in the Everdell universe, and it takes you beyond Spirecrest into the icy land of Silverfrost. If you’re already a fan of Everdell, a lot here will feel familiar—but this isn’t just more of the same. Silverfrost adds a ton of new material and a noticeable bump in difficulty. Honestly, I’m a big fan of the original Everdell, but if I could only keep one version, it would be this one. The extra challenge, the snowy theme, and the fresh mechanics all come together to make this my favorite way to enjoy the Everdell Universe.

What's purr-ty cool:

Fire, Snow, and a More Strategic Puzzle

This game isn’t just Everdell with snow—it’s a whole new puzzle. Fire is a key resource now, used to melt snow that can cover cards and block action spaces. Snowed-in cards in your city are basically useless until you clear them, which can really mess with your engine if you're not careful. There are even points awarded for melting snow, so keeping your city clear can pay off in more ways than one. But fire is limited, and wasting workers to go get more isn’t usually ideal, so you have to time everything just right.

Big Critters and a Beautiful Mountain

Silverfrost brings in one-time-use legendary critters, kind of like a nod to Spirecrest. These cards give you a burst of resources or a powerful effect, and their position on the mountain can score you extra points. Speaking of the mountain—it’s genuinely one of the best 3D components I’ve seen. The design lets cards stand vertically on little ledges so you can actually read them without picking them up. Plus, it holds the snow tokens and outposts. And if you’re in a hurry or low on table space, the game includes a 2D version that works just fine.

More Goals, More Direction

Alongside the familiar public goals, you now have private goals that only you are working toward. It gives you more strategic direction and helps you shape your city around your own objectives instead of just racing for what everyone else is going after. It’s a small change, but it makes the game feel more personal and dynamic.

Fresh Critters, Updated Abilities

The art is as gorgeous as ever, but there’s a bunch of new animal types, and even returning favorites (like my personal favorite, the postal pigeon) have gotten new abilities and artwork. It feels like a totally new deck. I also love that in two-player games, duplicate cards stack in the valley now. It keeps things moving and prevents the card row from getting stale with too many repeats, which was always a bit of a pain in smaller games.

Chimneys, Snowshoes, and Meeple Personality

One of the biggest changes is that you can’t play critters for free anymore just by playing their matching construction. Instead, you get a limited number of chimneys to play a critter of a certain color for free. That adds a whole new layer of decision-making—those chimneys are single-use unless you manage to find a card that lets you remove them. It also makes acorns more valuable, since they’re now your main way of playing critters.

And yes, there are new meeples, which always makes me happy. Penguins, red pandas, and other fun new options. I only wish they came with stickers like the Complete Collection so I could mix and match across versions. Also, one of your workers gets snowshoes, which is way more powerful than it sounds. It lets you take an action space that’s already occupied or take an empty space and get a bonus fire token. Only one worker per round gets snowshoes, but it’s a huge deal when someone’s sitting on a space you really need.

The cat's meow:

"If you’re looking for a cozy place to nap, this frosty forest is not it—too much thinking and too many penguins hogging the fire. But if you're up for a chilly challenge, Silverfrost is the purr-fect playground." - Solo the Spokescat

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Disclosure: Pudgy Cat Games was provided a copy of this game in exchange for a review, however, this review reflects the honest thoughts of the author.