Welcome to Ecologies: A Game of Ecosystems!

Ecologies is an exciting and educational game where you get to build your own ecosystem. It’s like creating your very own world, filled with plants and animals. But be careful, because one wrong move can cause everything to fall apart!

When you play Ecologies, you’ll start by choosing the type of environment you want to create. This is called a Biome. You can choose from different Biomes like forests, deserts, and oceans. Each Biome has its own unique characteristics and challenges.

Once you’ve chosen your Biome, it’s time to populate it with Organisms. These are the plants and animals that will live in your ecosystem. You can choose from a variety of Organisms, each with its own special abilities and traits.

As you build your ecosystem, you’ll learn about the different scientific interactions that happen in nature. You’ll discover how plants and animals depend on each other for food and survival. And you’ll also learn how easily this delicate balance can be disrupted.

Now that you have your Biome and Organisms, it’s time to create your own food webs. A food web shows how different Organisms are connected through the food they eat. It’s like a giant puzzle, where every piece plays a crucial role.

But remember, your ecosystem is fragile. Just like in real life, if one part of the food web is disturbed, it can have a ripple effect on the entire system. Your challenge is to protect your ecosystem and make sure it stays healthy and thriving!

Let’s Get Started: Setup

Before we can begin, let’s set up the game. First, shuffle the deck of cards. Each player will then receive 7 cards, which will be their starting hand. Place the remaining deck face down in the center to create the main deck. And now, we’re ready to play!

GAMEPLAY

Alright, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how this game works. So, here’s the deal: the first player is chosen by the group, no fancy rules or anything. Once we’ve got our lucky player, they will go through four steps every turn. It’s the same routine for everyone.

Step one: draw 2 cards from the deck. Easy peasy, right? Now, onto step two: trading cards with the other players. You can swap cards, but remember, only from your hand – not the ones already on the table. Get creative and make some high-stakes trades if you want!

Step three is where the fun really begins. You can play up to two cards. Yep, any type of card will do, but keep in mind that each play counts towards your two-card limit. So, choose wisely!

When it’s my turn, the final move I can make is to buy cards. I can buy cards from the main deck, trading one card for every four in my hand. I also have the option to destroy a ten card ecology, earning me three new cards. But remember, this step is not mandatory, and I can choose to skip it and end my turn.

Now, let’s talk about the first card I need to play – the Biome Card. This card is crucial as it sets the foundation for the types of cards that can be added to the Ecology. I only need one Biome Card for each Ecology. Each Biome Card has its own color and abbreviation, representing different biomes. These biomes grant special bonuses to the ecology when I successfully fill five specific roles in the food web.

So, you’ve played a Biome Card – nice! Now it’s time for the organism cards to step up and create the food web and Ecology. But hold on, we need to lay down the foundation first. Enter the Producer Card, the partner in crime for the Biome Card. Together, they create the strong base upon which the entire food web will be built. Just remember, when playing a card into a Biome, make sure it matches the Biome’s color and abbreviation; otherwise, it won’t survive! Talk about needing to fit in!

Once you’ve played the desired number of Producers, you can expand the Ecology by adding more organisms. Here’s the plan: the second row is exclusively for C1 or SD cards. Moving down the line, the third row is reserved for C2 cards, and the fourth row is set aside for C3 cards. Anything above that? It’s all for C4 cards. So, climb up the ranks and let those organisms thrive!

When it comes to the C cards, also known as consumer cards, they don’t have to be placed right on top of their food source like other organisms. A single food source can actually support multiple organisms. The textbox on the card will tell you what it eats and what eats it, so you can create a well-functioning food web.

There are also factor cards that can be played during the game. These cards can either help or harm the ecology that players have built. You can play them anytime, but you have to follow the rules.

During your turn, you’re allowed to move your organism cards around in your food web. Producers, however, can’t be moved. Cards that have multiple roles can be shifted, but you have to be careful. Making drastic changes can cause the whole food web to collapse. If a card doesn’t have a food source, you have to discard it.

If the Producer card is destroyed, I have to get rid of all the cards above it unless I can move them to another viable Biome that I’ve created. Each Biome card comes with its own bonus, and I can fulfill these bonuses by having cards in each of the five roles.

The game comes to an end when I reach 12 points or when there are no more cards left to draw. The player who reaches 12 points first wins the game!

The Game’s Conclusion

The game comes to an end when I reach 12 points or when all the cards have been drawn and all players have completed a round without playing any cards. In this case, the player with the highest number of points is the winner! If it happens that I’m the first player to reach 12 points, then I’m the winner no matter what.