Green Deal (2014) Board Game

Green Deal is a board game released in 2014 by Karma Games. It is designed for 3-5 players and has a playing time of 60-90 minutes. The game falls into categories such as bluffing, economic, educational, environmental, and political, making it both entertaining and informative.

Game Components of Daybreak

Player boards

Crisis cards

Global project cards

Energy demand tokens

Emissions tokens

Resilience tokens

Technology cards (e.g., reforestation, fossil fuel nationalization, community solar, major nuclear program, stratospheric sulfur)

Crises tokens (e.g., desertification, loss of arctic sea ice)

How To Setup Daybreak

Setup involves each player selecting a country with different starting positions in terms of emissions, energy balance, energy demand, and starting cards. The game components are stored in four simple tubs for easy setup and teardown.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Global Stage: Players lay out new crises and decide on a global project.

Local Stage: Players draw cards and chain together icons to trigger effects that remove emissions, generate clean energy, and build resilience.

Emissions Stage: Calculate carbon generation, sequestration, and heating triggered.

Crisis Stage: Roll to see planetary effects and resolve or mitigate crises.

Growth Stage: Check for drawdown, increase energy demand if necessary, and start the next round.
The objective is to cut carbon emissions, transition to clean energy, eliminate dirty emissions, build resilience, and work together to prevent the world from warming by 2℃.

Player Experience

The game is highly cooperative, encouraging players to work together and communicate openly about their strategies. The first two rounds are the most intense, with boards filled primarily with emissions and dirty energy. However, by the third round, players can start seeing progress. The game can be won or lost as a team, making it suitable for groups that enjoy collaborative play.

Pros

Highly Cooperative: Encourages teamwork and open communication.

Educational: Teaches about climate change, clean energy, and resilience building.

Variable Player Powers: Different countries have different starting positions.

Simple Setup and Teardown: Components are well-organized.

Cons

Potential for Dominance: One player can dominate the game by directing others.

Initial Stress: The first two rounds can be very stressful due to high emissions.

Personal Thoughts on Daybreak

**Daybreak** is ideal for groups who enjoy cooperative gameplay and are interested in environmental themes. It is particularly suited for those looking to learn about climate change and the strategies required to mitigate its effects. However, it may not be the best fit for competitive players or those who prefer solo play.

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