Faraway: People from Below adds depth to an already fantastic journey

Faraway‘s recent People from Below expansion adds a welcome layer of asymmetry and thematic depth. It introduces a new biome — the Underlands — along with a fresh set of region cards and denizens that interact with the core mechanics in novel ways. These subterranean characters often score based on hidden information, adjacency, or conditional triggers that require more precise sequencing. Some cards even reference the position of other cards in your journey, adding a spatial logic that wasn’t present in the base game.

What’s most impressive is how seamlessly the expansion integrates. It doesn’t bloat the game or disrupt its pacing — instead, it expands the decision space and encourages new strategies. The new cards are balanced to work alongside the original biomes without overpowering them, and a handful of new Sanctuary Cards complement the new biome cards in interesting but straightforward ways. I also liked how People from Below came — packaged in just a paper booster packet and ready to fit in the base game box with no fuss. The very epitome of eco-friendly and consumer-conscious delivery.

For players who’ve already mastered the base game’s rhythm, People from Below offers a satisfying next step. It’s not essential for newcomers and may even cause a bit of an unwelcome difficulty spike, but for returning explorers, it’s a worthy addition that deepens the journey without derailing it.

In my opinion, Faraway is a real triumph — a game that hides its cleverness behind a gentle façade, then reveals it one turn at a time. It’s compact, colourful, and surprisingly cerebral, meaning that it is almost always the beginning or the end of at least one gaming sequence in my local club. With People from Below in the mix, it gains just enough complexity to keep the journey fresh. 

Faraway: People From Below is available now from Zatu Games.