Evolution: The Origin of Species

Evolution: The Origin of Species is a card game created by Dmitriy Knorre and Sergey Machin in 2010. The game is inspired by evolutionary biology. It was published by SIA Rightgames RBG. English, French and German game editions were published in 2011. Two or more players create their own animals, make them evolve and hunt in order to survive.

Evolution: The Origin of Species

Designers	D. Knorre, S. Machin
Publishers	Rightgames RBG SIA
Players	2 to 4
Playing time	30-60 minutes

In 2014, North Star Games published game Evolution. The original authors were part of the design crew.

Rules

Place definition in match

The player with the largest number of victory points at the end of the game is the winner. The rankings of players in match are determined as follows:

1. number of victory points. Points are awarded to a player for all his surviving animals and their traits
2. number of cards in player's discard pile
3. throw of rolling dice

Preparation

The deck is shuffled. Then each player gets 6 cards from the top of the deck to their hands. They roll dice to determine the first player.

The game turn structure

Each turn of the game consists of four phases:

1. development phase
2. food bank determination phase
3. feeding phase
4. extinction and draw phase

During each phase players act in order moving clockwise. The player who can't or doesn't want to act passes. Each phase ends when nobody can or want to act.

Development phase

This phase consists of several rounds. During the phase players can play their cards by putting them from their hands onto the table. Each player may play each card either as an animal or as a trait of an existing animal. If card is played as a trait, it is put underneath the corresponding animal. Some cards have two traits, but only one trait can be used - the chosen one. No animal can have two identical traits except "fat tissue" trait. Pairwise traits (i.e. "communication") are played only onto a pair of animals. Such cards are placed between the two cards onto which they are played. No duplet of animals can have two identical pairwise traits. However an animal can have several different pairwise traits with another animal.

Food bank determination phase

The amount of food available during this turn is determined at this time. Food bank estimated this way:

• 2 players - number indicated by 1 die + 2
• 3 players - sum of 2 dice
• 4 players - sum of 2 dice + 2

Using two game sets or one game set with first expansion:

• 5 players - sum of 3 dice + 2
• 6 players - sum of 3 dice + 4

Using two game sets:

• 7 players - sum of 4 dice + 2
• 8 players - sum of 4 dice + 4

The first player rolls the dice. Then the corresponding number of red tokens is put in the center of the table. That is a food bank for current turn.

Feeding phase

Feeding phase consist of several rounds. During this phase players in order take one red food token from the food bank and put it on the top of one of their animals. Player can take more than one food token if an animal has specified traits i.e. "communication". Some traits allow to get blue "extra food" tokens i.e. "piracy", "cooperation".

Animal needs 1 food token to be def without additional food requirements. Trait that increased food requirement have corresponding number on the top left corner of a card.

Animal with "carnivorous" trait can attack another animal of any player, attacker's owner as well. In this case player doesn't take food token from food bank. Instead, "carnivorous" animal gets 2 blue food tokens if attack was successful. Eaten animal, all traits including pairwise traits associated with it are put into corresponding players's discard piles. "Carnivorous" animal can attack only once during feeding phase. It cannot attack if it has already fed and hasn't empty "fat tissue".

There is plenty of traits defending animal from carnivorous. For example, "camouflage" defends animal from attack if attacker has't "sharp vision". "Tail loss" allow animal to survive during carnivorous attack via discarding any defender animal's trait. The carnivorous gets only one blue food token. Thus defender animal can escape from negative traits such as "parasite".

Feeding phase ends when no player can\want play traits or all animals fed and filled up their "fat tissues". Any remaining red tokens in the food bank are set aside.

Extinction and draw phase

At the beginning of this phase all animals which are not fully fed are put into corresponding player's discard piles, along with their traits, and all the pairwise traits associated with them. Each player has its own discard pile. The cards are put into a discard pile with lizard face facing up. Players can look at cards in their own discard pile but not ones in piles of other players.

Then the first player deals new cards : one at a time in order, beginning from the first player. Each player gets in total the following number of cards: 1 + the number of survived animals belonging to the player. If player hasn't any animals and cards in his hand then they take 6 cards from the deck during this phase. If the deck is empty it's possible that one or more players get fewer cards then they are due.

After that all food tokens except fat tokens are removed from the cards and set aside. The new turn stars with the development phase; the role of first player passes clockwise from the first player of previous turn.

End of the game

After the deck is empty the last turn begins. After the extinction phase of the last turn the victory points are counted. Each player is awarded victory points as follows: [1]

• +2 points for each survived animal;
• +1 point for each trait of survived animal
• +1 point for each increasing in food requirements for animal.

Rule treatment

Since there is a variety of possible game cases , many arguable points can appear while treating the rules. Most of issues are solved after looking the rules more closely. Also there is official FAQ with answers the most popular questions. Several rules were changed or elaborated in the next editions and after expansions were published.

Expansions

Evolution has several expansion packs.

Full Expansions

Evolution: Time to Fly

Evolution: Time to Fly - first official expansion published in 2011 in Russian language and then published in English, French , German, Italian, Polish, Czech, Slovakian, Ukrainian languages. New traits were added.

Evolution: Contintents

Evolution: Continents - second official expansion published in 2012. New traits and rules were added: an animal now dwell in one of 3 different locations. Each location has its own unique food bank . Food bank depends on number of players.

Evolution. Plantarium

Evolution: Plantarium - third official expansion published in 2016. New entities, traits, and rules where added:

• Plants - new entity to generate food. Plants can grow: the number of red food left on a plant determine the number of plant in next development phase. Thus an element of randomness disappeared in food aspect.
• Food bank determination phase is skipped in the game with Plantarium expansion.
• Plant trait. Player can put plant trait on a plant to make the plant suitable to player's animals or unsuitable to opponents' animals
• In setup the first player deals 8 cards to each player.
• Some traits from other expansions have changes in their rules in order to be appropriate with new features.

Mini Expansions

Evolution: Variation

Evolution: Variation Mini-Expansion published in 2012 as a part of gift set and republished stand-alone in 2015. It consists of 18 additional cards delivered in gift set. Gift set includes the basic set and expansions: Time To Fly, Continents. Also mini-expansion has additional cards for game Evolution: Random Mutations.

Game scenarios

"Evolution. Fatality" scenario

In this scenario the game consists of a single turn. All cards from the deck is divided equally between players. Extraneous cards are removed from the game. Food bank determinations phase begins before development phase. [2]

Preparation

They determine the first player randomly. Then the deck is shuffled up and all the cards are dealt to players equally.

Base deck of the game is suitable for this scenario. It can be expanded by cards from expansions. From Time to Fly expansion:

• "ambuch hunting"
• "intellect"
• "metamorphose"
• "flight"
• "anglerfish"
• "ink cloud"

From Continents expansion:

• "recombination"
• "aedificator"

In this case, the first player shuffles the deck and hand out 20 cards to each player. Then he removes the remaining cards from the game face down.

The game turn structure

1. food bank determination phase
2. development phase
3. feeding phase
4. extinction and draw phase

Food bank determination phase

Food bank is estimated this way:

• sum of 2 dice + number of players

Development phase

Players can't pass and must play all their cards.

Feeding phase

Players can't activate "hibernation ability"

Extinction phase

After this phase players count the victory and discard points as usual and determine the winner.

"Evolution. Equilibrium" scenario

In this scenario all the players have equal conditions. Players get the same set of traits and opportunity to choose required one in current game position. 1 "Evolution" base set is required for 2-4 players. 2 "Evolution" base sets - for 5-8 players. [3]

Preparation

Each player get its own "genofond" of 21 cards (2 "swimming" cards and by 1 card of rest 19 traits). Then player choose 6 cart from his "genofond" to his hand. That is start hand for him. The rest cards are put as a ream with lizard face-up.

Base deck of the game is suitable for this scenario. It can be expanded by cards from expansions. From Time to Fly expansion:

• "shell"
• "trematode-cooperation"
• "anglerfish"
• "ink cloud"

The game turn structure

1. food bank determination phase
2. development phase
3. feeding phase
4. extinction and draw phase

Food bank determination phase

Food bank is estimated as in basic set rules.

Development phase

Each player has to play at least 1 card (as an animal or trait).

Feeding phase

This phase proceeds by basic set rules.

Extinction phase

At the end of extinction phase for each player it is determined, as in basic set rules, the quantity of cards to get (1 card per 1 survived animal + 1 card, if there is no survived animal and no cards in hand – player takes 6 cards). Player looks at his "genofond" and takes cards from it for the next turn. If there is no player who can take accrued cards in full, then the last turn begins.

Awards

• 2014: Imagination Gaming Family & Education Awards 2014 Cross-Curriculim Bronze Award
• 2013: Nürnberg ToyAward nominee in Teenager&Family (11+ years) category

External links

• Game makers' web page
• Review – Evolution: The Origin of Species from RightGames
• Evolution: The Origin of Species
• Evolution: The Origin of Species on BoardGameGeek.com
• Evolution: Time to Fly on BoardGameGeek.com
• Evolution: Continents on BoardGameGeek.com
• Evolution: Plantarium on BoardGameGeek.com
• Evolution: Variation on BoardGameGeek.com
• Board game designers online store