To play Ecologies, you’ll need a game set. Now Ecologies has a fascinating history developed by a biology teacher and isn’t yet widely available. However, given the game’s popularity, this may change in the future. The aim of Ecologies is to build a healthy, thriving ecosystem. When you are playing against other players, you’ll all be aiming to be the first to get 12 victory points. Let’s see how you do this by looking at the rules you need to know. The Set-Up No, players may choose to play 2 cards each turn, but like trading or purchasing new cards, they are under no obligation to do so.

Ecologies is an awesome, educational game that allows for each player to build their own in-depth ecosystem. These systems are sensitive, and one wrong move can cause the whole thing to crumble, losing all the points associated with it.

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).

After the chosen number of Producers have been played, additional organisms may be added to the Ecology. The second row will be reserved for C1 cards or SD cards. The third row will be reserved for C2 cards. The fourth row will be reserved for C3 cards, and anything above will be C4 cards. Cards are arranged with plants on the bottom and predators on top. Players negotiate trades and use biotic and abiotic factor cards to affect their webs and the webs of players around them. It is a race to get to 12 victory points, with players using different strategies such as focusing on one biome, going for perks and bonuses, or disrupting other ecologies. The first card any player puts down must be a biome card. This card will set the foundation for what cards can be used to build your ecosystem. You only need one biome card per ecosystem; the cards are easy to tell apart because they have unique colors and abbreviations. 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.

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. 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. The first card a player must play is a Biome Card. This card will set the base for what types of cards may feed into the Ecology. Only one Biome Card is needed per Ecology. Each Biome Card is dictated by its own color and abbreviation. Biomes give healthy ecology bonuses when five specific roles have been filled within the food web. The game takes inspiration from titles like Settlers of Catan, Agricola, and Dominion. Real science is integral to the game, 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 game night. The goal is to build healthy food webs in different biomes. If you create a healthy ecology you are rewarded with the perks and powers of that biome. Each organism card lists what it eats and what it’s eaten by. Cards are arranged with plants on the bottom, predators on top. There is a trade mechanic similar to Catan where players trade with others based on what their individual needs are. 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.

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. The points system is based on ecological trophic levels. The producers (plants) are worth less and as you make your way up the pyramid organisms are worth more, as it takes a lot of energy to sustain them. In real life only roughly 10% of the energy makes it from one level to the next, meaning you have to have acres of land and hundreds of animals just to sustain one apex predator. Once drawn, the player can trade the cards with other players. Players can trade any card in their hand, and there are no restrictions on how trades can work. Meaning you can trade two cards for three and vice-versa.If you’d like to maintain the same game length and feel, we recommend choosing 10 factor cards and 7 different biomes. Ecologies is fun to play again and again as you learn from your mistakes and successes. It is fun to try out new strategies and play with different levels of competitiveness. 3 Reasons Ecologies is a Favorite When opponents single out another player, it is known as “targeting.” Some actions are towards all players, or certain players at random, but when one player chooses another player, or their cards, that player has been “targeted.”