Game Expansion

An expansion is a supplemental box that adds new cards, boards, rules, or pieces to a base game you already own — new factions, new scenarios, new mechanics layered on top of what’s already there. It’s built to plug into the original, not to be played alone, which is the line that separates an expansion from a full standalone sequel.

They’re usually how a favorite game stays interesting past a dozen plays, since even a small expansion can meaningfully shift how the base game feels at the table. If a listing on the shelf includes an expansion, it’ll say so directly rather than leaving you to guess from the box photo — and the component count for that rental covers everything in both boxes together, not just the base game.