
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Evolution: The Origin of Species – Time to Fly
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2011

2013
Rules assistance for Evolution: Random Mutations
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Evolution: Random Mutations is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 55 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Sergey Machin and Dmitry Knorre and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Dice Rolling.
Эволюция: Случайные Мутации (Evolution: Random Mutations) is an evolutionary take on the Evolution: The Origin of Species game series, serving as a standalone game that reuses some elements and properties of the original game and its expansions, while putting them together in a new way. At the start of the game, each player receives ten cards face down, laying out three of them as simple animals while placing the other seven in a deck. In a round, each player plays each card one by one by (1) adding it as a new separate animal, (2) adding it to a pile as another animal of an existing type, or (3) flipping the card to reveal its property, then placing it under an existing animal stack to grant its power (or drawback) to the animals in that stack. In the climate phase that follows, the first player lays out colored cubes to represent how much food is available in this round (red chips), how many refugees are present (green chips), and how many parasites appeared (black chips). Players then distribute chips, placing red and green chips on their own creatures to support them and placing black chips on opponents' creatures or on predators that want to feed on their animals. During the extinction phase that follows, unfed animals die as do animals attacked by parasites or predators. Players then get a new deck of cards and the game continues with a new round. When the deck runs out and the final round ends, players scores two points for each of their living animals, one point for each property, and any bonuses from card combinations. Whoever has bred the most successful species in a constantly changing and dangerous world wins!
Evolution: Random Mutations supports 2–4 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 Evolution: Random Mutations is 55 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 Evolution: Random Mutations 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.
Evolution: Random Mutations has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Evolution: Random Mutations belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Dice. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Dice Rolling. 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 Evolution: Random Mutations are: Sergey Machin and Dmitry Knorre. 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 Evolution: Random Mutations 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.