- BGG rank
- BGG #1,951
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Bios: Origins (Second Edition)
- 1–4 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,153
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition)
2017
Rules assistance for Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 90–180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.5/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition)
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) is a board game released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 90–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Phil Eklund, Jon Manker, and Andrew Doull and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Modular Board.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,474
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Bios: Genesis
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,772
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Crusader Kings
- 1–5 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #702
- BGG rating
- 8.3
High Frontier 4 All
- 1–5 players
- 30–240 min
- Complexity 4.8/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,957
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Pax Viking
- 1–6 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,569
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Bios: Megafauna
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,649
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Pax Emancipation
- 1–3 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 4.7/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #11
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Spirit Island
- 1–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.1/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #444
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Ginkgopolis
- 1–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #468
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Horizons of Spirit Island
- 1–3 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,224
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Ecos: First Continent
- 2–6 players
- 45–75 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,077
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Metallum
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2013
About the game
Bios: Megafauna starts where the predecessor game Bios: Genesis left off, with the invasion of the land on the daybreak of the Phanerozoic eon. Starting as either a plant, mollusk, insect, or vertebral skeletal type, your flapping, paddling, and squawking carnivores and herbivores make a beachhead on one of the drifting continental plates in the Cambrian, Their struggle for terrestrial dominance may eventually include language-based consciousness. Although this achievement elevated a certain mammal species to notoriety, in your game things may occur differently. This second edition of Bios: Megafauna is an evolutionary descendant of American Megafauna but as a part of the Bios series of games it is linked to the game Bios: Genesis. It plays well independently but if you have both games you can let the end state of a game of Bios: Genesis affect the starting state of a game of Bios:Megafauna. A successor game, called Bios:Origins (which would be a descendant of Origin), is planned to cover the events of the Quaternary period including the rise of ideas and technology. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Sierra Madre Games
- Ion Game Design
- Fox in the Box
Questions and answers
Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) is 90–180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) has a complexity rating of 4.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Prehistoric, and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Modular Board. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) are: Phil Eklund, Jon Manker, and Andrew Doull. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition) as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.