There is no specific rule for this; let the dealer go first if you struggle to choose someone. Once each player’s turn, you will follow four steps to complete your go. Every player follows the same pattern, so to simplify, we have laid it out in sections below. When you open Ecologies, you’ll see plenty of different cards. But don’t worry; understanding how the game works is simpler than you might think. The cards are separated into three categories, which we’ve outlined below. Factor cards may also be played throughout the game. These cards may benefit or severely farm the Ecology players have worked so hard to build! These may be played at any point throughout the game, and the rules must be followed. Yes, it’s strange for most people to realize, but the diet of most animals is wider than you think. Many creatures commonly thought of as herbivores are actually omnivores, and will eat just about anything they can to survive. Remember that when cards list what eats what they don’t explain how often that food is taken or in what life stage. For example, dragonfly larvae eat toad tadpoles, but adult toads eat dragonflies. Ospreys are famously focused on catching fish, but will eat many other types of animals when given the chance, or during periods of extreme hunger. Cards list only the other cards in the biome that are possible prey. This might sound like quite an easy target, but Ecologies can be quite a long in-depth game. If you enjoy the item management involved in many popular RPG board games or the intricate gameplay of strategy games, then you’ll be sure to enjoy Ecologies.

Gameplay is rooted in authentic science, as it is used in the classroom to teach real concepts to biology students. While it is scientific enough for the classroom, it is also strategic enough for any game night. Many bonuses are used “every other turn.” These bonuses can be used the first turn they are activated, or players can wait to start using the ability in a future round. However, once the ability has been used the pattern is set and can not be altered, even if the food web temporarily becomes unhealthy and loses the bonus (no “resetting” the pattern). Players earn points with their organism cards. The player earns the points as long as the cards are viable in their current ecosystem, meaning they have food and aren’t harmed. Once one player makes 12 points or more, they win. Ecologies Card Game – Educational and Enlightening!After a Biome Card has been played, organism cards may start to build the food web and Ecology. After the Biome Card, a Producer Card must be played. These two cards will create the foundation in which the entire food web will sit. Each card played into a Biome must match the Biome’s color and abbreviation , or else it will not survive! The C cards, or consumer cards, do not have to be placed immediately over their food source, as one food source may effectively support numerous other organisms. The textbox on the card will show what it eats and what it is eaten by, so an effective food web can be created. Once a biome card has been put down, you can develop it further by using creature cards. Creatures need to match the color and abbreviation of the biome to be played. After adding creatures, you will need to add food sources called consumer cards.

Players create miniature worlds, and they need to ensure they stay strong and healthy. But it’s easy for things to go wrong and disturb your ecosystem, meaning you’ll have to act fast to ensure it doesn’t crumble. When are players allowed to rearrange their cards? Can they purposely turn healthy ecologies on and off this way? But while this is a fun way to play, we think Ecologies works best as a group game. Ecologies can be played with up to six people. In group games, the game wants the first player to earn 12 victory points. This card is added to one of your food webs and prevents other players from interacting with the food web you chose. This means they can no longer play cards on your web or destroy any of the organisms in that web. They can’t interact with the ecology at all. You can still add cards however, and even destroy the ecology if you wish, but no one else can interfere with it. It’s all about building healthy food webs in different biomes. If you create a healthy ecology you get the perks and powers of that biome. Each organism card lists what it eats and what it’s eaten by. You arrange them with plants on the bottom, predators on top. There is a trade mechanic similar to catan where you trade with others based on what you need and what they need. It is a race to get 12 victory points and different organisms give different points. There are biotic/abiotic factor cards that can affect opponents and different strategies such as focusing on one biome, going for perks and bonuses, or disrupting other ecologies.The first player of the game is chosen by the group, there is no specific rule for this. The player will then take their turn in four distinct steps. The same pattern must be completed with each play for each player. What’s the difference between purchasing a new card with unwanted cards from your hand versus cards you already played on the table?