Ecosystem

Draft animals and landscapes into your own twenty-card patch where every neighbor can add or cost points.

Designer: Matt Simpson
Published by: Genius Games
Editions by: MINDOK, GaGa Games, Schwerkraft-Verlag, Ediciones MasQueOca, Origames, Nasza Księgarnia, Summon Games

In Ecosystem you are a nature designer with a grid of cards. Each turn you draft one card from the shared pool and slot it into your personal ecosystem, which ends up as a patch of twenty cards. Eleven kinds of creatures and landscapes are in the deck, and each scores in its own way: bears like to sit next to bees and trout, trout want streams and dragonflies, and streams are judged against each other, so the longest one wins points. Placement is everything, because the same card can be a jackpot in one spot and dead weight in another. Remember to diversify, as the designer puts it. It is quick, tactile and has a gentle, nature-documentary look.

Draft cards into a personal twenty-card gridEleven card types with different scoring rulesBears, trout, streams and dragonflies depend on neighbors

Who it's for

You like drafting and tidy layouts, or want something nature-themed that scores like Sushi Go with a spatial twist.

Not for you if…

You want a lot of direct interaction. You mostly build your own patch and keep an eye on what is left in the pool.

Vibe's take

Calm, thoughtful and a little puzzly. Each draft is a quiet decision about where this card will do the most good for you, and what you hand the next player.