- BGG rating
- 9.5
Ecologies: Contact Creatures Business Card Expansion
- 1–6 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,472
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Ecologies
2019
Rules assistance for Ecologies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 60–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.7/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Ecologies
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ecologies is a board game released in 2019 for 1–6 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Matt Montrose and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
Expansions
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About the game
In Ecologies, you build and maintain food webs in diverse biomes around the world. Each biome has a different ecology, and gives unique rewards when it is healthy and balanced. But watch out, your opponents may decide it's easier to disturb and degrade your ecosystems than nurture their own. In this hectic environment, you must choose how best to protect and care for your ecologies. Designed by a biology instructor, the game includes 77 unique organisms, 7 biomes, and beautiful vintage Victorian art. (108 cards total) It’s all about building healthy food webs in different biomes. If you create a healthy ecology you get the perks and powers of that biome. Each organism card lists what it eats and what it’s eaten by. You arrange them with plants on the bottom, predators on top. There is a trade mechanic similar to catan where you trade with others based on what you need and what they need. It is a race to get 12 victory points and different organisms give different points. There are factor cards that can affect opponents and different strategies such as focusing on one biome, going for perks and bonuses, or attacking other ecologies. The game takes inspiration from titles like Settlers of Catan, Agricola, and Dominion. Real science is integral to the game as it is used in the classroom to teach real concepts to biology students. While it is scientific enough for the classroom it is also strategic enough for game night. The points system is based on ecological trophic levels. The producers (plants) are worth less and as you make your way up the pyramid organisms are worth more as it takes a lot of energy to sustain them. In real life only roughly 10% of the energy makes it from one level to the next, meaning you have to have acres of land and hundreds of animals just to sustain one apex predator. There is a full rule book included with the card game that also goes over the science. —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Montrose Biology
Questions and answers
Ecologies supports 1–6 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 Ecologies is 60–90 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 Ecologies 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.
Ecologies has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light 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.
Ecologies belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 Ecologies are: Matt Montrose. 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 Ecologies 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.