Ecosystem’s latest iteration is Savanna, say Dr Louise Robinson and Dr Ian Turner.
WHAT IS SAVANNA?
Regular readers of the column may recall reviews of Ecosystem and Ecosystem: Coral Reef. Well, Ecosystem: Savanna is the newest game in the series, building upon the familiar mechanics of the series but offering some new twists and surprises. The premise is to build an ecosystem from a rotating selection of cards, with the aim of achieving a balance of the delicate connections between all living things. This means your habitats such as grasslands, trees and watering holes must support the eight different species. This may sound simple, but ensuring lions, cheetahs and gazelles all get along is anything but!
IS IT FUN?
Each player’s ecosystem is laid out as a five-by-four grid and connections matter. So, as the game progresses each decision becomes more important. In rapid succession you select a card from a decreasing selection to add to your grid until all are gone; this is repeated twice. The game is scored by how your final ecosystem is laid out: some tiles are just based on position, e.g. two points for each row or column that contains a tree; while others are dependent on relationships – such as the zebra scores for each adjacent grassland.
This is where the complexity and beauty of Savanna come to light, as you try and balance off the benefits and in some cases negatives of each new tile. New for this version of Ecosystem is ‘flipping’ where organisms once ‘scored’ are removed e.g. the cheetah scores three points for each gazelle in a diagonal, but they are then flipped (eaten) so cannot be scored (also eaten!) by lions. The various relationships are expertly balanced, making every game closely fought.
IS IT EDUCATIONAL?
The game like all previous versions captures beautifully the complexity of ecosystems trying to create that delicate balance that allows all organisms to survive. The rules are adapted to make the game fun but are based on reality, i.e. elephants score well at six points but lose two points for each adjacent animal which is not an elephant, mirroring their real-life herd habit. There’s an excellent double page spread on the Serengeti Savanna in Tanzania, giving facts and species names for each of the habitats and organisms featured in the game. These provide a nice supplement to the game and offer some opportunities to integrate some education.
CONCLUSION
Savanna is an excellent small strategy game ideal for families; even if you have played other versions of Ecosystem, the new mechanics and variety of organisms make this a great addition to your games cabinet. What’s next, we wonder… Ecosystem: Polar?
DETAILS:
- Age 8+
- 2-6 players
- 15-20 minutes
- Genius Games
- Dr Louise Robinson is Senior Lecturer in Forensic Biology and Dr Ian Turner an Professor in Learning and Teaching, both work at the University of Derby.
