Carbon City Zero (2020) Board Game
Carbon City Zero is a deck-building game designed by Matt Bonner and Tony Pickering, with artwork by 10:10 Climate Action. It was released in 2020 and is suitable for 2 to 4 players, with a recommended player count of 2 to
Game Components of Carbon City Zero
How To Setup Carbon City Zero
To set up the game, each player starts with an identical draw deck consisting of five budget cards, two stock exchange cards, one poor housing card, and one poor transport card. The remaining starter cards are returned to the game box. For collaborative games, the global competitive cards are removed, and the global collaborative cards are combined with the rest of the cards to create the market deck. The top five cards from the market deck are drawn and displayed face up to form the marketplace. Players discard any red snag cards drawn during setup and replace them until the marketplace is snag-free. Each player then draws five cards from their personal draw deck to start their hand.
Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
Player Experience
In **Carbon City Zero**, players take on the role of city mayors tasked with creating a carbon-neutral city. The game requires strategic thinking, as players must make tough decisions between short-term income and long-term sustainability. The deck-building mechanism allows players to follow various paths to victory, but the ultimate goal is to be the first to bring the city’s carbon levels to zero. The game is easy to learn but challenging to master, making it a great teaching tool for understanding climate action.
Pros
Cons
Personal Thoughts on Carbon City Zero
**Carbon City Zero** is ideal for those who enjoy deck-building games and are passionate about environmental issues. It’s a great tool for teaching children and adults alike about the importance of sustainability and the challenges involved in reducing carbon emissions. The game’s collaborative mode makes it an excellent choice for family game nights or educational settings, promoting teamwork and strategic thinking. However, it may not be the best fit for those seeking highly innovative gameplay mechanics, as it sticks closely to traditional deck-building rules.
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