Bios: Origins (Second Edition) (2019) Board Game

Bios: Origins (Second Edition) is a board game that was released in in 2019. It is a civilization-building game that takes place in prehistoric times, focusing on themes of exploration and environmental management. Designed by Karim Chakroun and Johanna Pettersson, the game is published by Sierra Madre Games and is recommended for players aged 14 and above.

Game Components of Bios: Origins

Map board

Punchout sheets

Cards

Brain placards

Species placards

Elder pawns

Migrant figures

City cuboids

Cubes

Player aid.

How To Setup Bios: Origins

To set up Bios: Origins, players start by selecting one of the four human subspecies: Sapiens, Neanderthal, Denisovans, or Hobbits. Each species has the same initial skills but begins from different locations. The game components, including the map board, cards, and various placards and figures, are arranged according to the game’s instructions. The setup involves distributing the necessary components to each player and preparing the Event card deck, which acts as a timer for each epoch in the game.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Game Category: Civilization, Strategy

Mechanics: Engine-building, Card draft, Area control

Objective: Players aim to evolve their species through four epochs, focusing on intelligence growth, adapting new ideas, and surviving challenges. The game is won by specializing as a cultural, political, or industrial civilization.

**Key Mechanics:**

Epochs: The game is divided into four epochs, each representing a round.

Challenge the God Phase: Players draw Event cards that impose challenges and change the game situation.

Activity Phase: Players have around 20 actions to manage their species, including ruling class, politics, culture, industry, and specialization.

Engine-building: Event cards can become Foundations through an auction, enhancing the species’ abilities.

Player Experience

In Bios: Origins, players embark on a journey of human evolution, managing their species’ growth and adaptation. The game combines strategic and tactical elements, offering a dynamic experience with each epoch introducing new challenges and opportunities. Players must balance internal conflicts within their ruling class and navigate external challenges such as natural disasters and rival species. The game’s narrative is rich and immersive, allowing players to explore different paths to victory, whether through cultural achievements, political dominance, or industrial progress.

Pros

Deep Strategy: Offers a complex and engaging strategic experience.

Immersive Narrative: Combines history and science to create a compelling story of human evolution.

Multiple Paths to Victory: Allows players to specialize in different areas such as culture, politics, or industry.

Dynamic Gameplay: Event cards and auctions introduce unpredictability and challenge.

Cons

Complexity: The game has a high complexity rating, which can be overwhelming for new players.

Lengthy Gameplay: Games can be quite long, requiring several hours to complete.

Chaotic Narrative: Some players find the narrative and rules chaotic and hard to follow.

Personal Thoughts on Bios: Origins

Bios: Origins (Second Edition) is a game designed for fans of deep strategy and thematic gameplay. It is ideal for players who enjoy complex, engine-building mechanics and are interested in the themes of human evolution and civilization development. The game’s unique blend of strategy and narrative makes it a standout in the board game community, though it may not be the best fit for casual or new players due to its complexity and lengthy gameplay.

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