Recicle: Tempos de Crise

About this board game

Recicle: Tempos de Crise is a recycling board game for 2–4 players, with play lasting about 120 minutes. Released in 2010 and published in 2011 by Brazilian company Galápagos Jogos, it builds on the original Recicle with revised rules and redesigned artwork.

Players begin without money, making the game’s financial decisions especially important. Loans are permitted, but the interest is high, reflecting the critical times at the heart of the game. Players can also hire designers and merchants to improve their Cooperative.

The core activity takes place as street Collectors move around the board and gather recyclable material tiles. These tiles represent:

• Paper
• Plastic
• UHT
• Metal
• Glass

Collected materials must be taken to the Cooperative, where the recycling operation develops. In this edition, players may also buy collecting trucks for organic material and install new kinds of recycling equipment, introducing additional strategic possibilities.

A further change gives street Collectors another way to handle collected materials. Instead of waiting for the Cooperative to receive them, they may sell tiles to a public Warehouse and make some money before the Cooperative gets the materials to recycle.

These interconnected choices give Recicle: Tempos de Crise a distinct focus on resource collection, financial pressure, and the development of recycling infrastructure. The game was initially self-published and handmade before receiving its Brazilian publication.