
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,917
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Origins: How We Became Human
- 2–5 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2007

Rules assistance for BIOS: Origins
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
BIOS: Origins is an expansion for Bios: Megafauna released in 2012 for 1–5 players and 300 minutes per game. It was designed by Phil Eklund and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Auction / Bidding, and Area Movement.
BIOS: Origins is an expansion for Bios: Megafauna and Bios: Origins (Second Edition) / Origins: How We Became Human, which combines both games to make something distinct from either. From the publisher: "Use the map to expand your Bios Megafauna game to cover the entire world (instead of just America). Or use it to add luxuries (tobacco, silk, tourists, tea, diamonds, and much more) to your Origins game. Or use it for a rollicking combined game, with flying and mole-like humans, able to domesticate new "sushi" aquaculture or ride killer whales into battle."
BIOS: Origins supports 1–5 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: Origins is 300 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.
BIOS: Origins has a complexity rating of 4.0 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: Origins belongs to these categories: Animals, Prehistoric, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Auction / Bidding, and Area Movement. 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: Origins 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: Origins as an expansion for Bios: Megafauna. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Bios: Megafauna to use it. Check that your edition of Bios: Megafauna is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.