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I’ve been sitting on Ecosystem for a little while now, not getting around to playing it. Finally that happened and I am somewhat regretful for leaving it for so long. I love it, such a cool and clever game that was highly enjoyable. It will be a regular feature from now on.
The Environment
The rules are ever so straight forward. The game is for 1-6 players (although the solo rules play differently and I won’t be focussing on those). There are 120 cards in the deck made up from 11 different species within. The game is played in 2 rounds and in each round players are dealt 10 cards. This creates 10 turns within a round.
Players play a card in front of them to start their ecosystem. Then pass the remaining 9 cards to their left, in turn receiving 9 cards from the player to their right. In a 2 player game you need a third hand dealt and you burn a card from this hand each turn.
When placing subsequent cards into your ecosystem, cards must be laid next to your existing cards' edges (either horizontal or vertical edge, never a diagonal.).
Once the 10 cards have been played, round 2 commences and you deal another 10 cards. This time however, you play a card and then pass right. Play a card, pass the hand, play a card, pass the hand, the game ends when your ecosystem of 20 cards is played. This has to be a grid 5 across and 4 down, not however you want like a game of carcassonne. So consideration required each turn.
Scoring then commences and you have a score pad and work through scoring each of the creatures in your ecosystem. Highest score at the end of this takes the win. The score pad included is a nice touch and helpful.
The Beauty
This game looks oh so stunning. The artwork is truly beautiful and the artist's drawings and creation is right on point for me. Very simple and very effective which is oh so pleasing on the eye. Considering this is only a card game you really do get the feel of creating your own ecosystem in front of you with the flexibility on how you develop it.
The Diversity
You are creating an ecosystem, it should come as no shock then that the more of the 11 species you can get placed into your ecosystem, the better you are likely to do at the end of the game.
The species available are meadows, springs, bees, rabbits, dragonflies, trout, bears, deer, wolves, foxes and eagles.
Each species has its own unique method of scoring at the end of the game, how you place your cards in front of you and build your ecosystem can be hugely significant come the end of the game. Every card played involves consideration in how you may maximise possible points at the end, what you may be able to follow on with for future cards. The space you make available for those chances. It’s simple game mechanics combined with real depth of thought needed. It can be a head scratcher. Particularly as planning is a challenge when you cannot be sure what options are coming in the next hand of cards.
Opposing Systems
As well as paying attention to your own developing ecosystem, you also need to consider what your opponents are doing with theirs. As their activities can affect your scoring and vice versa.
You also need to consider which card you take from a hand that you then pass on. Because when that hand returns, will the card you also wanted still be remaining within it? There are also the tactical calls in that you may not want to pass on certain cards to your opponents and risk giving them an advantage for what they are developing.
We’ve only played this game with two players. You can have a better idea of what is going on and with their only being 3 hands in circulation, you do quickly pick up on what may be coming back to you (might not) in 3 turns time. Adding more players into the game, especially 5 or 6, will create a totally different game in terms of strategy. In a 6 player game there will be some hands in a round that you only see once, which card do you take from it? There is less opportunity to plan in here and you just have to play heads up in the moment.
Final Thought
I’m so impressed with what the creators, Genius Games, have designed here. A simple game that also sends a message about the environment. This is that diversity is essential for success. The look of it is stunning, it is a fun and easy to pick up game that in my view is suitable for anyone.
