APEX: Carnivore

About this board game

APEX: Carnivore is a 30-minute evolution deckbuilder for 1–2 players, where rival species compete to become the apex carnivore.

Both players begin with the same Miacidae ancestor, then guide their species toward one or more of three carnivore families: Felidae, Ursidae, and Mustelidae. Every trait added to your deck can reshape how your species hunts, defends itself, and outmaneuvers its opponent.

Your deck represents your species. Each round, draw a hand of traits and activate them by rolling a d20 against a trait’s Difficulty Class. A successful check triggers the trait’s effect, while successful evolution adds a new trait from the shared pool and mutates your species deck.

• No currency: your die and engine determine what you can activate and acquire.
• Active modifiers apply to every check that turn, rewarding careful timing and sequencing.
• Initiative may let you act first, while natural selection helps keep decks lean and the game fast.

After both players have activated their traits, their species fight for survival. Compare total Power and Defense, then apply any excess to the opponent’s population. The goal is direct and decisive: drive your rival’s population to zero before your own species is eliminated.

APEX: Carnivore also includes solo rules and supports a 3–4 player free-for-all when using two copies. With its shared ancestry, branching evolution paths, and tense d20 checks, each round presents a fresh struggle for survival.