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- 7.5
BIOS: Origins
- 1–5 players
- 300 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,569
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Bios: Megafauna
2011
Rules assistance for Bios: Megafauna
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.7/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Bios: Megafauna
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bios: Megafauna is a board game released in 2011 for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Phil Eklund and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Majority / Influence, and Variable Set-up.
Expansions
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About the game
In Bios: Megafauna, a reworking of Phil Eklund's own American Megafauna, players start as proto-dinosaurs or proto-mammals, starting in the post-holocaust world of the Permian catastrophe. Animals are tracked by dentition, size, aggressiveness, swiftness, browsing, grazing, burrowing, swimming, behavior, and insect-eating. Plants and animals that have gone extinct are collected in an area on the map called the tarpits. These tiles are distributed among the most populous players as victory points during four scoring rounds. Players cope with intense competition and environmental changes by starting new species and mutating them. Create bizarre chimeras, from vegetarian velociraptors to flying dolphins. Establish subterranean civilizations, tame fire, or just be super-sexy. Reimplements: American Megafauna
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Sierra Madre Games
Questions and answers
Bios: Megafauna 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 is 60–120 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 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 has a complexity rating of 3.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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 belongs to these categories: Animals, Prehistoric, and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Majority / Influence, and Variable Set-up. 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 are: Phil Eklund. 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 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.