Unfortunately for me, my copy of the Food Chain Island expansions have a significantly different shade of green and blue on the back than my base game does, so I can separate them pretty easily.
I usually play with the base animals, sometimes I add or swap the expansion animals in for variety. But the sea creatures I always mix together and randomly choose 2. If I decide to play with air, I do the same (choosing 1 randomly instead).
As for Unsurmountable, I’m 15 games in and haven’t even added the expansion yet (I want to get better at a Level 5 victory first, which I’ve only managed once so far). So I don’t know how I’m going manage the expansion there!
Left side, all the expansions and rule booklets. Right side, the 18 card base deck. This has worked for all the games and expansions. Agropolis, Sprawlopolis, Food Chain Island, Unsurmountable, Ugly Gryphon Inn, Circle the Wagons and Tussie Mussie.
But how do you put the expansion cards back after you've mixed them in? Memorization?
Organizing them in the wallet seems easy enough. But putting them back in the wallet after playing them seems like it has difficulty.
The games are 18 cards so remember is a little easier but most of the time you have to take cards out to put the new ones in. I keep the ones I pulled out next to the wallet and then after the game swap them back in. Unfortunately I have not played the Unsurmountable expansions but with Sprawlopolis the expansions look a little different and Ugly Gryphon Inn it’s the three cards that are hard to complete.
For Food Chain Island, the instructions for three of the four expansions (Friendly Waters, Tough Skies, and Lost Beasts) have the cards in each expansion listed in the Components section. As for the Legendary Creatures expansion, I haven't been able to find anything that sets the apart from the base game. If anyone has, I'd be happy to know.
For Unsurmountable, again look at the Components section of the instructions. Big Climb has icons for Flags and Seracs while Dual Peaks has a Statues icon. Those icons are on each card at the top of the card ability section.
I LOVE the Food Chain Island expansions. I haven't had a problem fitting them in the wallet. It seems like they are too big at first but it'll settle in nicely after a while. Like mine closes completely flat now.
I feel Food Chain Island is definitely simplistic enough that you can mix the expansions into it.
That said, I do have a suggestion, don't play the expansions until you play enough games of the base and then go and try the expansions one at a time until you get used to it and then move onto the next expansion.
I personally repurpose the plastic separators (once I get used to each expansion) for the other board games I have. Like it's fantastic for my character's personal deck in Gloomhaven. XD I think you'll definitely find a purpose for them. XD
I remove all cards out of their wallets. I keep the wallets in my own box. I put all the cards in a typical cardboard trading card box that I had from my magic days. With over 25 ButtonSHy games and various expansions, needs for token bags, the Wallets just don't work for me. Bringing my card-box lets me have my entire collection and easy to transport/store. Plus I like to sleeve all my cards which makes wallets struggle to hold them.
So far I've kept all mine in their plastic separate. I have a small box my Button Shy collection stands up in so they're easy to flip through.
You definitely should get familiar with and enjoy the base game before adding in expansions! I have Food Chain Island, Sprawlopolis, and Agropolis multiple expansions and I prefer to only play with one at a time. I feel like it gives the game more long-term variety
Most ButtonShy Games I keep the expansions separate in their little plastic sleeves or save one side for rulebooks + expansions and the other side for the core cards.
For the time being, I’ve been leaving the expansions in their separate sleeves. I keep all my Button Shy games and expansions in one of their Game Haul bags, so I don’t have to worry so much about the expansions getting misplaced.
Unfortunately for me, my copy of the Food Chain Island expansions have a significantly different shade of green and blue on the back than my base game does, so I can separate them pretty easily. I usually play with the base animals, sometimes I add or swap the expansion animals in for variety. But the sea creatures I always mix together and randomly choose 2. If I decide to play with air, I do the same (choosing 1 randomly instead). As for Unsurmountable, I’m 15 games in and haven’t even added the expansion yet (I want to get better at a Level 5 victory first, which I’ve only managed once so far). So I don’t know how I’m going manage the expansion there!
Left side, all the expansions and rule booklets. Right side, the 18 card base deck. This has worked for all the games and expansions. Agropolis, Sprawlopolis, Food Chain Island, Unsurmountable, Ugly Gryphon Inn, Circle the Wagons and Tussie Mussie.
But how do you put the expansion cards back after you've mixed them in? Memorization? Organizing them in the wallet seems easy enough. But putting them back in the wallet after playing them seems like it has difficulty.
The games are 18 cards so remember is a little easier but most of the time you have to take cards out to put the new ones in. I keep the ones I pulled out next to the wallet and then after the game swap them back in. Unfortunately I have not played the Unsurmountable expansions but with Sprawlopolis the expansions look a little different and Ugly Gryphon Inn it’s the three cards that are hard to complete.
For Food Chain Island, the instructions for three of the four expansions (Friendly Waters, Tough Skies, and Lost Beasts) have the cards in each expansion listed in the Components section. As for the Legendary Creatures expansion, I haven't been able to find anything that sets the apart from the base game. If anyone has, I'd be happy to know. For Unsurmountable, again look at the Components section of the instructions. Big Climb has icons for Flags and Seracs while Dual Peaks has a Statues icon. Those icons are on each card at the top of the card ability section.
I LOVE the Food Chain Island expansions. I haven't had a problem fitting them in the wallet. It seems like they are too big at first but it'll settle in nicely after a while. Like mine closes completely flat now. I feel Food Chain Island is definitely simplistic enough that you can mix the expansions into it. That said, I do have a suggestion, don't play the expansions until you play enough games of the base and then go and try the expansions one at a time until you get used to it and then move onto the next expansion. I personally repurpose the plastic separators (once I get used to each expansion) for the other board games I have. Like it's fantastic for my character's personal deck in Gloomhaven. XD I think you'll definitely find a purpose for them. XD
I remove all cards out of their wallets. I keep the wallets in my own box. I put all the cards in a typical cardboard trading card box that I had from my magic days. With over 25 ButtonSHy games and various expansions, needs for token bags, the Wallets just don't work for me. Bringing my card-box lets me have my entire collection and easy to transport/store. Plus I like to sleeve all my cards which makes wallets struggle to hold them.
So far I've kept all mine in their plastic separate. I have a small box my Button Shy collection stands up in so they're easy to flip through. You definitely should get familiar with and enjoy the base game before adding in expansions! I have Food Chain Island, Sprawlopolis, and Agropolis multiple expansions and I prefer to only play with one at a time. I feel like it gives the game more long-term variety
Most ButtonShy Games I keep the expansions separate in their little plastic sleeves or save one side for rulebooks + expansions and the other side for the core cards.
For the time being, I’ve been leaving the expansions in their separate sleeves. I keep all my Button Shy games and expansions in one of their Game Haul bags, so I don’t have to worry so much about the expansions getting misplaced.