Curious Expedition
A turn-based roguelike about managing sanity on procedurally generated expeditions.
Curious Expedition is a roguelike-adventure game that came out in 2016, created by the Berlin-based studio Maschinen-Mensch. It was released on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Players lead a group of historical figures through procedurally generated lost locations around the world, exploring in a turn-based style. The key resource to manage is sanity—if it runs out, party members may become erratic, aggressive, or abandon the group. Using the right items for difficult terrain helps preserve sanity. Along the way, players encounter short text-based events like treasure, abandoned sites, or native villages, and may face aggressive animals or reputation loss leading to dice-based combat, where items and abilities improve the odds. The game holds a 74% score on Metacritic from 11 critic reviews, and was nominated for the German Computer Games Prize in 2015 in the Best Youth Game category.
Maschinen-Mensch was founded in 2014 by Riad Djemili and Johannes Kistmann. After receiving a €50,000 grant from the German government to turn their browser game prototype into a full Steam release, they left their jobs at Yager Development, where they had worked on Spec Ops: The Line. The studio stopped active development after 2025 due to insufficient revenue, but continues to operate for support and maintenance. Djemili now focuses on his other project, Codecks.
Critics gave the game mixed or average reviews. Rock Paper Shotgun praised it as a great source of anecdotes, with detailed worlds and a solid challenge. PC Gamer found it fun and charming, though noted its enjoyment depends on whether the procedural generation creates an interesting world. PlayStation Universe called it repetitive but still a highly accessible and well-crafted roguelike, blending tactics, discovery, decision-making, and luck. Screen Rant criticized the repetition, saying the small set of region types—jungles, deserts, and the arctic—eventually loses appeal. Nintendo Life described it as unique but punishing, with simple visuals and a flawed progression system.
A sequel, Curious Expedition 2, began development in 2018–19 and was released in 2021 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation, featuring a complete graphic overhaul in a bande dessinée ligne-claire style and three DLCs. It won Best Indie Game at Gamescom 2020.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Curious Expedition
- Developer
- Maschinen-Mensch
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One
- Released
- Microsoft Windows / September 2, 2016 / Switch, PS4, Xbox One / April 3, 2020
- Genre
- Adventure, Roguelike
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Curious Expedition was developed by Maschinen-Mensch, a Berlin-based studio founded in 2014 by Riad Djemili and Johannes Kistmann. The studio received a €50,000 grant from the German government to turn a browser game prototype into a full Steam release, after which the founders left their jobs at Yager Development, where they had worked on Spec Ops: The Line. Maschinen-Mensch ceased development after 2025 due to insufficient revenues but continues operation and support; Djemili now focuses on his venture Codecks.
Gameplay involves completing six expeditions through procedurally generated maps, each explorable in a few minutes. The main resource is sanity: when it runs out, party members become dysfunctional, aggressive, or leave. Players preserve sanity using items suited to difficult terrain. Short text-based story events occur during expeditions, including treasure, abandoned sites, and native villages. Combat uses dice rolls enhanced by party items and abilities, and players may face aggressive wild beasts or reputation loss with natives.
A sequel, Curious Expedition 2, began development in 2018-19 and was completed in 2021 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation, with three DLCs. It featured a complete graphic overhaul in a bande dessinée ligne-claire style and won Best Indie Game at Gamescom 2020.
Reader's Guide
Curious Expedition received mixed or average reviews, with a Metacritic score of 74/100 based on 11 critic reviews, and 68/100 for the Nintendo Switch version. Rock Paper Shotgun described it as 'a fantastic game for generating anecdotes,' praising its detailed worlds and challenge level. PC Gamer called it 'a fun and charming exploration game,' noting that the fun factor depends on whether the procedural generation creates an interesting world. PlayStation Universe found the game 'repetitive' but 'nonetheless a highly accessible and thoughtfully constructed roguelike, where tactics, discovery, decision-making and luck all meld together beautifully into a charming pint-sized adventure.' Screen Rant criticized repetition, stating that 'exploring the small selection of region types–jungles, deserts, and the arctic–eventually loses its luster.' Nintendo Life called the game 'unique' but 'punishing,' critiquing its simple visuals and progression system. The game's legacy includes its nomination for the German Computer Games Prize and the eventual release of a graphically overhauled sequel that won industry recognition.
Did You Know?
- The game received a €50,000 grant from the German government to develop from a browser prototype into a full Steam release.
- The sequel, Curious Expedition 2, won Best Indie Game at Gamescom 2020.
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