At the end of each turn, a player scores points based on the number of territories they own, with some racial abilities providing bonuses.

[4] Days of Wonder has also released a crowd-funded update[5] to the game, entitled Small World 2, for Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X, Linux, and Android, as well as iOS.

Updated features included five-player games, multiple new play modes, and the expanded list of platforms.

Additional expansions introducing elements including new races and powers are available as purchasable enhancements to the game.

Some add new races and special powers (Cursed!, Grand Dames of Small World, Be Not Afraid...).

Some expansions add new mechanics or gameplay elements (Leaders of Small World, Necromancer Island, Tales and Legends).

There is a standalone expansion, Small World Underground, that introduces a new set of maps with different region types and rules, including new Righteous Relics and Popular Places that give bonuses to the player that controls them, in addition to many new races and special powers.

The Small World Designer Edition, a special version with tokens printed on wooden blocks, pewter miniatures for the terrain features, and all of the official expansions included, was available initially to Kickstarter backers of the second digital version of the game and later made available to the general public.

The game has generally received positive reviews with Broken Meeple saying "solid and will appeal to fantasy fans".