Afrikan tahti: Retkikunnat (Star of Africa: Expeditions) is an expansion for the classic Finnish board game Afrikan tahti that transforms the game into a more complex experience. Rather than simply hunting for the diamond, players must first assemble an expedition team by finding resources and allies before they can begin the treasure hunt. The expansion adds character cards with special powers, expedition cards, and event cards to the original gameplay.
New Components
Character cards (each with unique special powers)
Expedition cards
Event cards
Team member tokens
Additional resource tokens
Setup Changes
Set up the base Afrikan tahti game as normal.
Deal one character card to each player — characters have different special abilities.
Shuffle expedition cards and event cards into their respective decks.
Players do not start with identical resources; each character has different starting conditions.
Rule Changes
Team Assembly Phase
Before hunting for the Star of Africa, players must first form an expedition team.
Collect resources and recruit allies by exploring cities and completing expedition card requirements.
Once the team is ready (sufficient resources and allies gathered), the player may begin hunting for the big diamond.
Character Powers
Each player has a unique character with special abilities that modify gameplay.
Powers may affect movement, combat, resource gathering, or other mechanics.
Asymmetric starting conditions create different strategic paths for each player.
Treasure Theft
Finding the Star of Africa is no longer the end of the game.
Other players can steal the treasure from the player carrying it.
This creates a chase/theft dynamic not present in the base game.
Expedition and Event Cards
Expedition cards provide objectives and bonuses for team assembly.
Event cards introduce random occurrences that can help or hinder players.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
Finnish language: The expansion is primarily available in Finnish.
Not standalone: Requires the base Afrikan tahti game to play.
Increased complexity: Adds significantly more decision-making compared to the simple base game.
Theft mechanic: The ability to steal the diamond from other players fundamentally changes end-game strategy — holding the diamond makes you a target.
Character asymmetry: Different starting conditions and powers mean players have different optimal strategies.
Player Reference
Phase
Description
Team assembly
Gather resources and allies before treasure hunting
Exploration
Move across Africa, reveal tokens, complete expeditions
Treasure hunt
Find the Star of Africa (only after team is ready)