Evolution: Climate

2016

Experience an exciting adventure with Evolution: Climate, a strategic board game where players adapt their species to survive in various climates.

60
minutes

2 - 6
player(s)

12+

Medium

About the game

Welcome to the fascinating world of Evolution: Climate, a strategy board game that simulates the natural selection and survival of species in changing environmental conditions. Your journey in this game will transport you into the heart of an evolving ecosystem, where survival is a constant battle and adaptability is the key to success.

Set in a dynamic and diverse environment, Evolution: Climate presents a unique blend of strategy, adaptation, and survival. As a player, you are tasked with the exciting and challenging role of guiding your species through countless generations, adapting to various climates, acquiring new traits, and competing with other species for limited resources.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Evolution: Climate is a compelling board game that involves creating and adapting species to survive in a constantly changing environment. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

1. Place the Watering Hole and Climate Track:

Place the watering hole board in the center of the playing area, and next to it, place the climate track. The climate marker should be placed on the “Climate” space that corresponds to the number of players. For example, in a 3-player game, place the marker on the “Cold” space.

2. Set up Player Boards:

Each player should receive a player board. The boards should be placed in front of each player.

3. Distribute Species Boards and Food Tokens:

Each player should be given a species board with a body size marker and a population marker, both set to the lowest setting (1). Each player also receives 1 plant food token from the plant food bank, which is placed in the player’s food bag.

4. Shuffle and Deal Trait Cards:

Shuffle the trait cards thoroughly and deal a starting hand to each player. The number of cards dealt depends on the number of players, plus three. For example, in a 3-player game, each player should receive 6 cards.

5. Prepare the Draw Deck:

Count out a number of cards equal to 10 times the number of players, plus 20, to create the draw deck. For example, in a 3-player game, the draw deck should contain 50 cards. Place the draw deck face down next to the watering hole.

6. Initial Climate Event:

Draw the top card of the draw deck and look at the climate icon in the bottom right corner. Move the climate marker towards the corresponding icon (hot or cold) by 1 space. This represents the initial climate event.

7. First Player:

The player who most recently visited a natural history museum goes first and play continues clockwise.

Remember, the primary objective of Evolution: Climate is to collect the most food tokens by the end of the game. You can do this by evolving your species to be better adapted to the current climate and by strategically playing your trait cards. Good luck!

Game flow Round and round we go

Evolution: Climate is a strategic board game that revolves around adapting, evolving and surviving in an ever-changing ecosystem. The game consists of several rounds, each of which is divided into four phases: Deal Phase, Development Phase, Feeding Phase, and End of Round.

1. Deal Phase:

At the beginning of each round, players draw one card plus one additional card per species they have. If the deck runs out during this phase, reshuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.

2. Development Phase:

Play Trait Cards: Players take turns to play Trait Cards from their hand onto their species. These traits give the species various abilities or characteristics that can help them survive and thrive. Each species can have up to three traits.
Create New Species: Players can also use a card to create a new species. The new species starts with no traits and a population and body size of 1.
Increase Population or Body Size: Players can use a card to increase the population or body size of their species. A larger population means more points at the end of the round, while a larger body size can protect a species from predators.

3. Feeding Phase:

This is where species must eat to survive. Starting with the first player and moving clockwise, each player takes a turn to feed one of their species. Species can eat either plant food from the watering hole or meat food by attacking another species. Carnivorous species can only eat meat, while non-carnivorous species can only eat plant food. If a species doesn’t eat enough food during this phase, its population decreases.

4. End of Round:

At the end of the round, all species lose any uneaten food. Then players count up their points for the round, which consist of the food their species have eaten plus the population of their species. Lastly, the climate on the climate track may change based on the cards played this round, which can have various effects on the species.

The game continues in this way for a number of rounds until the deck runs out of cards. At this point, the game ends, and the player with the most points wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

The game ‘Evolution: Climate’ is a strategic board game where players guide species through the stages of evolution while dealing with climate events and predatory opponents. A player’s turn in ‘Evolution: Climate’ consists of several phases, which are summarized below:

1. Deal Cards

Each player’s turn begins by dealing cards. The number of cards each player receives is determined by the number of species they currently have plus three. For example, if a player has two species, they would receive five cards (2 species + 3).

2. Select Food

Next, players select a trait card from their hand and place it face down on the watering hole. The food number on the bottom of the card will be used to determine the amount of food available in the feeding phase.

3. Playing Cards

During this phase, players have several strategic choices to make. They can play cards to do the following:

Create a new species: The player discards a card to create a new species. This species starts with a body size and population of 1.
Add a trait to a species: A player can add a trait card from their hand to a species, enhancing its abilities. Each species can have up to three traits. These traits can offer protection from predators, help in gathering food, or provide other advantages.
Increase body size or population: A player can discard a card to increase the body size or population of a species. A larger body size can protect against predators, while a larger population allows for more food to be collected.

4. Feeding Phase

Once all players have finished playing cards, the food cards placed on the watering hole are revealed, and the feeding phase begins. Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player takes turns feeding one of their species. A species can be fed in one of the following ways:

Herbivore: Takes plant food from the watering hole equal to its population size. If there’s not enough plant food, it takes as much as possible.
Carnivore: Attacks another species, provided it has a higher body size. The attacked species loses population equal to the predator’s population, and the predator gains food equal to the attacked species’ body size. Carnivores cannot eat plant food.

5. End of Turn

The turn ends when all food has been eaten or all species have been fed. Players then reduce their species’ populations to the amount of food they were able to eat. Any excess population is returned to the gene pool. Players then score points equal to the amount of food their species ate during the turn, plus one point for each trait on their surviving species. The food is then cleared from the watering hole, and a new round begins.

Understanding and utilizing these actions and strategic choices during a player’s turn is key to mastering ‘Evolution: Climate’. With each decision, players must balance the needs of their species against the ever-changing climate and the threat of predators.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

In Evolution: Climate, the game ends when the draw pile has been exhausted and players can no longer draw new cards. This typically happens after several rounds of gameplay. At this point, the game enters the final scoring phase.

Before final scoring begins, players are required to perform a few actions. They must:

Feed their species one last time during the Feeding Phase. Any species that cannot eat will go extinct.
Adjust their species’ population levels based on the amount of food eaten. Overpopulation can lead to starvation and extinction as well.
Make final adjustments to the climate on the Climate Track, which can affect species’ survival.

Once these actions have been performed, players can move on to final scoring. The victory conditions for the game are as follows:

Each player receives one point for each food their species have eaten during the game. This includes food in their species’ food bags and any unused food tokens.
Players earn points equal to the population size of their surviving species.
Players score points equal to the number of traits their surviving species have. Each trait is worth one point.

The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most food tokens wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most surviving species wins. If a tie persists, the victory is shared between the tied players.

Note: The game of Evolution: Climate rewards strategic planning and adaptability. Players must balance their species’ traits and population levels with the changing climate and food availability to ensure their survival and eventual victory.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Scoring System in ‘Evolution: Climate’

In ‘Evolution: Climate’, players accumulate points through various elements during gameplay. Here’s how the points are awarded:

Species Population: At the end of the game, players earn points equal to the population size of each of their species. The larger the population of a species, the more points it contributes.
Species Traits: Players also earn points for the traits their species have developed. Each trait card is worth a specific number of points, typically ranging from 1 to 3. The total number of points from all trait cards is added to the player’s score.
Food Tokens: Each food token a player has collected throughout the game is worth one point. It’s important for players to ensure their species are well-fed, as this can greatly increase their final score.

Tie-Breaking Rules in ‘Evolution: Climate’

In the event of a tie, ‘Evolution: Climate’ uses the following rules to determine the winner:

The player with the most food tokens in their food bag wins.

If there is still a tie, the player with the most total cards (including traits and unused cards in hand) wins.

If there is still a tie after this, then the victory is shared.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

In the board game Evolution: Climate, there are several rare or special rules, exceptions, and rule clarifications that players should be aware of. These rules add complexity and depth to the game, making it more engaging and strategic.

1. Climate Effects:

Evolution: Climate introduces a new climate board that tracks the game’s current climate condition. The climate can range from hot to cold, affecting the food supply and the survivability of species.

When the climate is hot, the food supply decreases. On the other hand, a cold climate can cause species to go extinct if they don’t have the necessary traits to survive.
Players can influence the climate through trait cards. For instance, the ‘Migratory’ trait allows a species to survive in colder climates, while the ‘Heavy Fur’ trait protects a species in a colder climate.

2. Traits and Interactions:

In Evolution: Climate, certain traits interact in unique ways. Understanding these interactions can lead to more strategic gameplay.

The ‘Carnivorous’ trait, for example, allows a species to attack and eat other species. However, a species with the ‘Burrowing’ trait cannot be attacked if it has enough food.
The ‘Long Neck’ trait allows a species to take extra food before feeding begins, but in a hot climate, this can lead to overpopulation and starvation.

3. Population and Body Size:

The population and body size of a species are important aspects of survival in Evolution: Climate.

A species with a larger population needs more food to survive, but it is also harder to attack.
A species with a larger body size can avoid being eaten by smaller carnivores, but it requires more food and is more susceptible to heat in a hot climate.

4. End of Game:

The game ends when the draw deck has been depleted and players have played or discarded all their cards.

At the end of the game, players add up the population of their surviving species, the traits of their surviving species, and the food in their bag. The player with the highest total wins.
In the event of a tie, the player with the most leftover food wins.

5. Rule Clarifications:

There are a few rule clarifications that should be noted in Evolution: Climate.

When a species goes extinct due to climate effects, the player who controlled that species does not get any points for it at the end of the game.
A species can have a maximum of four traits. If a player wishes to add a fifth trait, they must first discard one of the existing traits.
When playing a trait card to affect the climate, the climate change occurs immediately after all players have revealed their cards. It doesn’t wait until the food cards are revealed.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for ‘Evolution: Climate’:

Increase Body Size and Population: These are vital for survival. A larger body size makes your species less prone to attacks from predators while a larger population allows you to get more food during the feeding phase.
Use Climate Events to Your Advantage: Climate events can drastically change the game. Adapt your species to survive in both hot and cold climates to survive extreme climate events.
Adapt and Evolve: Don’t be afraid to let a species go extinct if it’s not benefiting you. Use that opportunity to bring in a new species that suits the current game state better.

Beginner Tips for ‘Evolution: Climate’:

Understand the Climate Track: The climate track dictates how harsh the environment is for your species. Make sure to understand how it works and how it changes throughout the game.
Balance Your Traits: Don’t focus too much on one trait. Balance is key in Evolution: Climate. Make sure your species are well-rounded to endure different situations.
Use Your Cards Wisely: Cards can be used as new traits, to increase population or body size, or to introduce a new species. Think carefully about how you want to use them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Evolution: Climate’:

Ignoring the Climate Track: The climate track can drastically shift the game in favor of certain traits. Ignoring it can lead to extinction of your species.
Not Adapting to the Game State: The game state can change quickly. If you don’t adapt your species to the changing environment, you risk losing them.
Hoarding Cards: Cards are important, but hoarding them can leave your species vulnerable. Use them to adapt and survive.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in ‘Evolution: Climate’:

Plan Ahead: Always try to anticipate the climate changes and adapt your species accordingly.
Be Flexible: Be ready to change your strategy if the game state changes. The key to winning is adaptability.
Watch Other Players: Keep an eye on what traits other players are adapting. This can give you a hint about what climate changes might be coming.