Bios Megafauna

This is not a game for everyone. Not daunting at all (the learning curve might start a bit slow but suddenly reaches light speed), good learning tool, fun evolution system (really loved my amphibious croc with sound radar), there’s a solid game behind the theme (with a healthy dose of luck on the side). If you are not a fan of the evolution theme, the game system alone might not be of interest, as it is completed constructed around the theme. Players that make a bad move or are unusually unlucky can be crushed and might feel frustrated. I had a lot of fun playing it but I can see people being overwhelmed by this game if they are newer to gaming.

Amazing Game!The directions look intimidating, yes, but a quick read through, a watch of a tutorial video on youtube, and you're good to go. It's actually quite easy to play and understand once you've read it and gained an understanding of the game mechanics. The main draw for me was that it had single player rules, a full 4 player game can take over 2 hours (especially if you're just learning how to play the game). It's great fun to play once you've gotten the mechanics down. It took me one solo play through to understand enough of the game to enjoy playing it and to play it with easy.

After a couple plays, this game looks like a great addition to the library. I highly recommend getting the latest copy of the Living Rules (go to board game geek or the Sierra Madre site for these) because they add some tweaks to minimize the chances of a player getting hosed by the variables in the game.

I bought this for my son and he loves it. He says he wishes that the sister game wasn't out of print because he'd buy that one too.

BIOS: Megafauna is an excellent game, but only if you allow it to reach its full potential. You essentially control one of four groups of animals: two groups of "dinosaurs" (really any diapsid reptiles, with a general focus on the dinosaurs) and two groups of mammals and mammal-like reptiles. Your goal is to gather DNA by spending "genes" to improve your species' ability to survive the many catastrophes that will surely kill off most of your animals by the end of the game.The main thing about Megafauna is that you need to know what you're getting into. If you want a straightforward, heavy-strategy, low-concept game where you and the other players are the masters of your fate, this is absolutely not the game for you. This game is chaotic and very light on player-player competition. Also, the base rules are, to put it bluntly, garbage. The "living rules" that you can find online are not just a helpful addition, they are an absolute necessity. Even with the living rules in hand, the game is still somewhat dense and hard to understand. For these reasons, I have to give it four stars for fun and three overall.However, once you take the time to work through the rules and appreciate the game for what it is, Megafauna really is a superb board game. People who range from PhD evolutionary biologists to everyone who loved dinosaurs as kids will especially enjoy this game. The terminology used in-game all has a basis in evolutionary theory, even if there are some gaps in the science that will bother those with backgrounds in the subject (for instance, calling rauisuchians and plesiosaurs "dinosaurs"). In the experience, it's much more like a role playing board game (like Arkham Horror or Betrayal at House on the Hill) than a strategy game (like Axis and Allies or Dominant Species). Your objective is to become the most prevalent group in the world, but you do so by upgrading your species with different abilities. Thus, you tend to become rather attached to your animals, making Megafauna extremely fun for those willing to get into it.To wrap up, you'll have a ton of fun with this game, but only if you put in the required work beforehand. Also be sure that you're not expecting to be the master of your fate. That honor belongs to the luck of the cards. You will feel, at times, that chance is running the game, and you're just holding on for the ride. In this way, I can recommend no game higher for those who want to capture the chaos and creation that is natural history. If you want a strategy game with a hint of evolution thrown in, pick up Dominant Species. If you want an evolution game with a hint of strategy, get BIOS: Megafauna.

This game is fantastic and is certainly now one of my favorites. The goal is to survive a dramatically changing prehistoric environment. You do this by purchasing DNA, like Marine or Insectivore,and mutating so you can enter various habitats or even prey on species belonging to other players.BIOS: MEGAFAUNA has an impressive amount of variety. Each game played has unique characteristics and never starts, plays, or finishes the same way. Players can also make interesting and often bizarre creatures which adds variety and even comedic value. Endless enjoyment can be had with anywhere from 1-4 players especially for those who enjoy watching their opponents progress be destroyed by a comet or severe shift in climate.This game is also very detailed and very well designed; there are a lot of variables thus a lot of game mechanics. It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it really is not difficult to learn. If you're expecting something casual that you can can pull from the box and learn and play for the first time within a few minutes then this probably isn't the best game for you.There is a surprising amount of educational value here too; it could definitely fit in well in science classroom if you're a teacher looking to mix things up for a day.BIOS: MEGAFAUNA is a bit more expensive than a lot of popular board games on the market but it's certain that it is well worth the price and will not be a disappointing experience or part of your collection.