EVOLUTION



OBJECTIVE OF EVOLUTION: The objective of Evolution is to be the player with the most points by the end of the game.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 6 Players

MATERIALS: 1 Rulebook, 6 Player Aids, 6 Food Token Bags, 180 Food Tokens, 48 Wood Markers, 24 Special Boards, 129 Trait Cards, 1 First Player Marker, and 1 Watering Hole Board

TYPE OF GAME: Strategy Board Game

AUDIENCE: Ages 12 and Up


OVERVIEW OF EVOLUTION

Evolution allows players to create their own species, ensuring that they can survive in a constantly changing ecosystem. Players may add traits to their species, including horns and a shell, that protect their species. Other players may decide to wreak havoc on other players by creating Carnivores. The players may do whatever they see fit, as long as they win the most points!

SETUP

Each player should have a species board placed in their playing area, or in front of them. One wooden marker is placed on the one spot of the Body Size track, and another is placed on the one spot of the Population Track. The Watering Hole board should be placed in the middle of the playing area. The food tokens are placed to the side, creating the Food Bank.

Each player will collect one Food Token Bag. The deck containing the Trait Cards is shuffled and placed on the table, face down. The beginning player is randomly chosen, and they are given the First player marker. The game is ready to begin.

GAMEPLAY

Each round is made up of four phases. The first phase is the deal card phase. During this phase, each player is dealt three cards and one additional card for every species they have. If the deck needs shuffled, then the game will end when this round is complete. During the second phase, players will choose a trait card and place it in front of them in the Watering hole.

During the third phase, the players will play cards. Beginning with the first player, each player will play as many trait cards as they want. Players may play a trait by placing it above one of their species, ensuring that there are not two of the same traits on a species. They can make a new species by discarding a trait card to the discard pile and collect a new species. Finally, the player may choose to discard a Trait card and increase either the body size or population of one of their species by one.

During the final phase, the players will reveal Food Cards, revealing cards found in the Watering hole. In order to feed herbivores, one plant food will be collected and placed on the Species board that needs fed. Carnivores are unable to eat plant food, so they must attack other species. They can attack a species of their choosing that has a lower Body Size and weaker traits. Then, the player can collect meat out of the Food Bank and reduce species population.

The feeding comes to an end when all species’ population is equal to the food. If this is not the case, then the population must be decreased to match the food. If the population drops to zero, then the species goes extinct.

END OF GAME

The game comes to an end whenever the deck must be shuffled in the Card Deal phase. The round will continue, but whenever it comes to an end, the game also ends. The players will then tally their score. The player with the most points, wins the game!

Scoring

  • 1 Food is equal to 1 point
  • Each remaining species earns points that are equal to the population
  • The trait cards found on the remaining species is worth one point each.
Nakoa Davis