Ecologies Review

About Ecologies, from BoardGameGeek:

In Ecologies, you build and maintain food webs in diverse biomes around the world. Each biome has a different ecology, and gives unique rewards when it is healthy and balanced. But watch out, your opponents may decide it's easier to disturb and degrade your ecosystems than nurture their own. In this hectic environment, you must choose how best to protect and care for your ecologies. Designed by a biology instructor, the game includes 77 unique organisms, 7 biomes, and beautiful vintage Victorian art. (108 cards total) It's all about building healthy food webs in different biomes. If you create a healthy ecology you get the perks and powers of that biome. Each organism card lists what it eats and what it's eaten by. You arrange them with plants on the bottom, predators on top. There is a trade mechanic similar to catan where you trade with others based on what you need and what they need. It is a race to get 12 victory points and different organisms give different points. There are factor cards that can affect opponents and different strategies such as focusing on one biome, going for perks and bonuses, or attacking other ecologies. 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 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. There is a full rule book included with the card game that also goes over the science. -description from the publisher