Ecosystem Coral Reef Review

The Great Barrier Reef covers over 130,000 square miles and is home to myriad marine species. Ecosystem: Coral Reef, the card-drafting and pattern building introduces us to some of the fish, crustaceans and aquatic mammals that call the Great Barrier Reef home. In the vein of its “prequel”, Ecosystem, Coral Reef brings new mechanics and a new environment in a standalone format. Having played a fair bit of the first game, I will comment on Coral Reef both in its own right and in comparison to its predecessor for players who are interested in deciding which version to go for (although I think both are great)!

How Does The Game Play Out?

Players are tasked with growing a balanced, functioning and interdependent ecosystem, using 20 cards, in a 4x5 grid. The game consists of two equal rounds of ten cards played with scores totaled up at the end. Increasing complexity of strategy and tactics is created through the ways in which the cards interact with each other. There are 11 different types of cards, each with its own sea creature, including everything from microscopic Plankton to (noticeably) macroscopic Blue Whales. The cards are also divided up into different food networks (Producers, Prey, Predators) which have important implications for their scoring.

There are a range of different interactions between cards, including several positional requirements. For instance, Coral must be played on the bottom row of the grid in order to gain points. In turn Eels must have a Coral to call home (adjacent) in order to score its points (from eating adjacent ‘prey’). Clownfish like Coral and Plankton to be close by, whereas Groupers go for Krill. ‘Producers’ like Krill and Plankton have group dynamics, with the former yielding points for being in small groups and the latter for total number (scoring is given for the most total Plankton, with points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place). A major ‘predator’ in the game is the Great White Shark which seeks out all prey within its row and column, and so has a great potential point yield! After each card is played, hands are passed between players (left in the first round, to the right in the second) to allow access to a wider range of cards. This also requires planning out a range of options in case someone else plays the card that you wish to. Aside from Plankton scoring, this is largely the limit of player interaction in the game with players mostly focussed on their own ecosystems.

Some special rules at the end of the game required forward planning right from the start to improve your score. In particular, the Blue Whale, if played, requires players to turn over an adjacent card before scoring. The turned card cannot be used in any scoring calculations but enables the Blue Whale to be counted (it gains points relative to the number of Krill in the ecosystem)! Turtles and Octopuses are scored after everything else, but importantly the Octopus has an additional power which allows players to move any card to a new location or swap two cards when it is placed in the ecosystem.

Getting the highest possible score takes balance. Imbalance actively penalises players by reducing your possible point total. The way this works is by allowing players a bonus score in relation to their lowest scoring food networks (Producers, Prey, Predators). As such, if players specialise too much in one or two food networks, their bonus score may end up being quite low. Alternatively, ensuring parity across their ecosystem will boost players’ overall score with a healthy bonus! Compared with Ecosystem, where diversity was a relatively straightforward scoring system, this approach adds an additional layer of complexity and gives players more to think about than just playing as many different types of cards as possible. It’s important to point out that it is the score from the food networks, not the number of cards that makes the difference! Having a reckoning of what each network is scoring throughout the game will give you a huge advantage in terms of knowing what types of cards to look for next.

As a bonus, although the game is technically for 2-6 players, the game’s guide also includes an adaptation for those looking for a solo game or at the very least, one that can been played solo as desired.

What About The Design & Artwork?

The card artwork is fantastic, with lots of vibrantly coloured sea creatures popping spectacularly off the cards. Mesa Schumacher’s skill as an artist for a range of anatomical and biological publications has leant itself to the game’s art design. Additionally the size of the cards have actually been increased by something like 50%, making the images a bit bigger and clearer. They are also a bit easier to handle for shuffling, dealing and passing between players. In my opinion, the artwork of the original just inches above Coral Reef, but the bigger card size is a major bonus. In the previous game, one criticism I had was the gloss texture to the cards. In Coral Reef, though the texture is the same, the increased card size means that everything is much easier to see, shuffle, and pass around.

As well as setting out the rules, the game’s guide has additional material for those interested in the habitat and animals, with information about the significance of coral reefs in the real world, and the importance of preserving and protecting reef environments. Each card type has some information about them as well. Though not integral to the game, it definitely adds a nice bit of flavour.

So, Who’s It Best For?

After having played a lot of Ecosystem (above sea level) it was difficult to see how much Coral Reef might be able to alter in order to earn a place in regular rotation. The familiarity made it even quicker to pick up than it would be ordinarily, but there has certainly been enough added depth to provide a different feel to the game. Experienced board gamers may well again find that the level of complexity not enough of a challenge. But, we all like something quick and simple now and again! Coral Reef is another great starting point for anyone new to the scene or starting out, and the price point in terms of value once again is difficult to beat. Coral Reef has a great offer for new and experienced players alike in its own right, but also is a great alternative and companion to the first Ecosystem.

And Anything Else?

Despite its theme, sadly Ecosystem Coral Reef cannot be played under water…