Ecologies is a challenging card game for up to six people. Players need to build their ecosystems and manage them to ensure they thrive. But nature is sensitive, and things can quickly go wrong! So before we look at the rules, let’s take a more in-depth look at the game itself.
What is The Ecologies Card Game?
Ecologies is no ordinary card game! In this game, each player will build an ecosystem. It’s done by using biomes and various organisms to ensure your ecosystem stays strong and thrives.
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.
Due to the nature of the game, you can play Ecologies on your own. You’re battling against the cards and trying to build your working ecosystem, so if you’re looking for a fun single-player game, give Ecologies a try.
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 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.
Ecologies does have a bit of a learning curve and is more complex than many other card games. Because of this, it’s recommended for older children aged 12 plus. So, it would make a fun family game for older children and could even help children develop their STEM skills.
What You’ll Need To Play ?
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.
But you can find the game available on Etsy; check out this listing for the Ecologies card game.
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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.
- Biome Cards
- Factor Cards
- Organism Cards
You’ll get 10-factor cards, 21 biome cards, and finally 77 organism cards. Yes, this might sound very unbalanced, but you’ll see why the cards are separated like this when we look at the rules and gameplay below.
Rules and Gameplay
The Aim of The Game
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
Setting up a game of Ecologies is quick and easy. One player should shuffle the cards and then deal out seven to each player to start the game. After all the cards are dealt, they should place the deck in the center. Next, all cards should be dealt face down along with the deck. The game can then begin!
Playing Ecologies
Ecologies isn’t a simple game to play, but it isn’t as complex as it might first appear either. So, don’t be put off if you struggle in your first few games. To start playing Ecologies, one player should be chosen to go first.
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.
Step 1
The first step of your turn is to draw two cards from the deck.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
After the previous step, the player can put down up to two cards from their hand to help build their ecosystem.
Step 4
The final step on a player’s turn is to purchase extra cards. To purchase cards from the main deck, you must first discard four cards from your hand. You only get to take one card from the deck in return for these four.
If you have a ten-card ecology, you can also choose to destroy it in return for three extra cards from the deck. This is entirely optional, though, and can be skipped. That’s the fundamental step-by-step process of how the game works. Let’s now look at the rules you need to know.
Ecologies Rules
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.
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.
They fit into the same category as organism cards but are easy to tell apart. These cards list what creatures can be used as a food source, so they are usually quite versatile. Finally, we need to talk about factor cards.
These cards can be played throughout the game and boost or damage an ecosystem. In addition, players can move cards around their ecosystem during their turn. However, do so carefully because it could cause problems.
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!
It’s easy to recommend Ecologies for a game night. With beautiful artwork and in-depth gameplay, it’s sure to please people who love more strategic card games. You’ll also be sure to learn a thing or two about the environment as you play.
